Some four thousand feet long, with a southwest-facing crescent shape and iconic point on the western end, Playa Palenque seems designed for watching the sun set. Over the last few months, as the change in seasons from dry to rainy has rolled in adequate cloud-cover to allow for the most breathtaking of sky paintings, some of Amble’s team has had the chance to observe and photograph dozens of sunsets. This slideshow contains 14 photos from our collection; though all have been taken from roughly the same point, the variations created by differing humidities, cloud formations, and photo framings reveal how different one sunset can be from another. And while I believe these photographs are beautiful, it is tough to do justice to the whole panorama of a great sunset, and the way the shifting light sometimes suffuses the beach, rocks and jungle with a truly sublime glow. As is so often the case, you really just have to be there.
-
1 of 14
The Sun Won't Set
When standing near the location of Las Rocas, our beachfront restaurant and lounge, the sun always sets just to the left of Punta Ballena (the Westward bluff) about half a mile away. Sunsets here vary in intensity and coloration, depending on atmospheric humidity and what kind of clouds are in the sky that evening. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i.)
-
2 of 14
Multicolor Fireworks
Regardless of how the sunset turns out, the best show often occurs after the sun has disappeared, when the clouds are lit from below and the ambient colors get their brightest. It’s usually not the actual sunset that beguiles, but the twenty or thirty minutes afterwards. (Photo taken with iPhone4.)
-
3 of 14
Otherworldly Clouds
As the sun sets, the clouds can begin to seem otherworldly, as if you’re looking out from within Jupiter’s atmosphere. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i, telephoto lens).
-
4 of 14
Framing the View
After a few weeks, if you find yourself losing interest in the sky by itself (a first-class problem, I realize… ), changing your position almost always refreshes your interest in the sunset. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i.)
-
5 of 14
Evening Light
You can also get a fresh perspective on the sunset by just watching how the light suffuses your immediate surroundings with shifting oranges, reds, and purples before settling into a calm, nighttime navy blue. Here, we frame the trees that surround the location of Las Rocas, our beach restaurant and lounge. (Photo taken with iPhone 4.)
-
6 of 14
Goodness, Gracious, Great Ball of Fire!
Is there more to say about this than apologies to Jerry Lee Lewis? (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i.)
-
7 of 14
White Ibises in Flight
Dusk and dawn are when many animals become most active. The past few months, the dozens and dozens of ibises and herons that call our lagoons home have been soaring to and from the island almost every day as the sun sets. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i, telephoto lens.)
-
8 of 14
A Study in Orange
On this particular evening, the clouds were lit from below by a still-bright sun, with little disturbance from the horizon. The result was a stunning display of fiery oranges that glowed like embers of a dying fire as the night came on. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i.)
-
9 of 14
Rainbow Sherbet
In contrast to the last slide’s display, on this evening the entire sky was a rainbow; hints of green, rare at sunset, and beams of light as the sun broke through low clouds, can be seen here. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i, telephoto lens.)
-
10 of 14
Painterly Waves
I really like the iPhone as a camera for daily use. While it can be okay for sunset photography (the colors replicate just right), in low light the results are often grainy. However, sometimes the graininess – especially with some contrast fiddling – creates a nice effect. Here, the grainy nature of the photo, of breaking waves with Isla Paridas and other islands in the background, makes it almost seem like a charcoal drawing. (Photo taken with iPhone 4.)
-
11 of 14
A Painter's Beach Retreat
Another low-light, grainy iPhone picture, looking towards the eastern end of the beach, which takes on an artistic cast. Perhaps Gaugin invited Seurat to Tahiti? (Photo taken with iPhone 4.)
-
12 of 14
Looking Back
On an evening when the sunset simply wasn’t noteworthy, I turned my attention towards the jungle, coconut groves, and lagoons that form the backdrop to Playa Palenque. These take on a whole new glow with the setting sun. (Photo taken with iPhone 4.)
-
13 of 14
Evening Moon
This beautiful vertical slice of a particularly colorful sunset shows the gorgeous gradient of the evening sky, broken and highlighted by clouds, with a crescent moon glowing near the top. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i, telephoto lens.)
-
14 of 14
Moonset
Okay, I’m kind of cheating here. This isn’t a sunset at all, but rather a photo taken at around 4 in the morning as the full moon was setting in basically the same location as the sun. Just as gorgeous as a sunset, though, and this long exposure captures the magical mood of that quiet morning very well. (Photo taken with Canon EOS REBEL T2i.)
TAGS: Isla Palenque Living Abroad Most Liked Must Read Nature Panama Slideshows
Post by Benjamin Loomis
Ben is the Founder and President of Amble Resorts. Meet Ben >>
More posts by Benjamin Loomis
Ummm… Can’t wait.
So much personality in those sunsets!