The Big Island of Hawaii is perhaps not as well known for beaches as some of the other Hawaiian islands, but it can hold its own when it comes to beautiful sunsets. A showcase of colour can be seen almost daily. The best part of the island to watch the sun go down is anywhere on the western part of the island in Kailua-Kona or along the Kohala Coast.
Due to Hawaii’s proximity to the equator their is minimal variance in the time of the sun setting throughout the year. It only varies by about an hour. In the summer months it is around 7pm and in the winter months it’s around 6pm. Be at the spot you want to view or take photos of the sunset at least a half hour beforehand.
If you’re lucky you might get to see the rare Green Flash. It’s a phenomenon that happens only in the tropics. If the atmospheric conditions are just right when the last bit of the sun disappears below the horizon you can see a green flash of light that last for just a split second. There’s apparently a difference between the green flash and a green glow. A green glow can often be seen for a second or more as the last bit of sun drops below the horizon but the green flash is a very intense burst of green light that flashes like a strobe for just a fraction of a second. There can’t be any clouds at the horizon line above the water to see the green flash.