Sunsets from the Veranda at The Sanctuary Estate

The veranda is where the estate ends its day. Look west from the pink sandstone pillars and the valley, the mountains, and the gardens hold the last of the light.

The gardens do their share of the work. Lantana, several agaves, ornamental grasses, and Arabian jasmine with its white blooms make up a planting chosen for sun and for scent.

Sit on the handcrafted Indian furniture around five o’clock and you will see flocks of birds crossing inland, from the ocean toward the mountains. The cassia trees nearby, brought from Thailand, draw Amazonian parrots that come to feed on the seed pods, and their chatter fills the last hour of daylight.

The short version: west-facing evenings from the veranda, with migrating birds at dusk and parrots feeding in the cassia trees.