Sunsets and the Naples Pier: the back story

About Sunsets and the Naples Pier: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Naples Editorial Team

Watching the sun sink into the Gulf is the city’s daily ritual, and the pier is its stage.

The ritual

Naples faces due west over the Gulf of Mexico, so the sun sets straight into the sea. An hour before sunset the beach-access streets of Old Naples fill with walkers, beach chairs and dogs on leads, and when the sun touches the water, conversations stop. On some evenings people applaud.

The pier

The Naples Pier has been the centre of it all since the town’s first pier was built in 1888, when visitors arrived by boat. It has been rebuilt several times after hurricanes, most recently after Hurricane Ian in 2022. Pelicans perch on the rails, anglers cast from the end and dolphins often pass. Check with the City of Naples for current access.

Every evening, Naples stops to watch the sun go down.

The green flash

On a clear evening with a sharp horizon, the last sliver of the sun can flash green for a second as it disappears. You need a cloudless western horizon, so cooler, dry winter evenings are best. Keep watching right to the end, and never stare at the sun before it is low and soft.

Other places to watch

Lowdermilk Park and the beach-ends along Gulf Shore Boulevard are quieter than the pier. Further north, Vanderbilt Beach and the Clam Pass boardwalk are lovely, and many waterfront restaurants time dinner to the sunset. For something different, sunset cruises leave from Naples Bay.

Our advice: check the sunset time, arrive 45 minutes early with a drink and a chair, and stay ten minutes after the sun has gone: the sky often glows its brightest then.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Sunsets and the Naples Pier: the back story before you go.