You’ll certainly see many spectacular sunsets while vacationing on the beaches of the secluded, Riviera Nayarit. The colors and clouds are a treat on their own, but take advantage of your tropical, sea-level setting and try to spot the Green Flash.

For atmospheric reasons beyond the scope of this blog (but thoroughly detailed in the wikipedia article here) the upper-most edge of the sun flashes green for a brief instance, just before disappearing below the horizon at sunset.

Here’s what it looks like zoomed in…

[image image_url=”https://staging.playalastortugas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/green_flash_zoom_nayarit-1.jpg”][/image]

The severity of the flash will change depending on conditions.  Often just the top edge of the sun turns color.  If better mirage-making conditions are present, the illusion of a ray of light shining upwards can be seen.

Here’s how to see it…

1) Go to the beach at sunset

2) Watch the sun as it sets below the horizon

3) Don’t blink.

…..yeah….not really much to it.

Here’s a video showing a fairly tame example.  Pause at 28 or 29 seconds and note the greenish hue in the last sliver of sunlight.  You’ll want to view in full screen HD to see it.  Bonus if you can spot the whale blowing.

It’ll always be better in person, we guarantee it!