Englewood Beach is a beach in Charlotte County, Florida. The nearest town is Manasota Key, about 900 m away (Englewood Beach lies SSW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Englewood Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 87° in summer but only 40° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:37 AM | 63° ENE | 8:27 PM | 297° WNW | 87° | 13h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 116° ESE | 5:42 PM | 244° WSW | 40° | 10h 27m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 38m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 15m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 48m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 28m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 49m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 41m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 06m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 33m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 50m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 27m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Englewood Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.0 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 4.0 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 5:07 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:57 PM – 4:57 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:56 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.7 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 1:30 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:33 PM | 2.7 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:29 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.1 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 76 | 76 | 78 | 83 | 86 | 90 | 89 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 84 | 78 |
| Low °F | 42 | 46 | 50 | 58 | 68 | 74 | 78 | 79 | 74 | 60 | 54 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Englewood, Lemon Bay, 1.7 km (1.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Englewood Beach, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Beach
Lake
Lighthouse
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Englewood Beach?
What time is golden hour at Englewood Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Englewood Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Englewood Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Englewood Beach?
How far is Englewood Beach from Manasota Key?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.