Sunny Beach

Sunny Beach is the largest holiday resort on the Black Sea and has the longest and widest beach in Bulgaria. Sunny Beach is also one of the longest established holiday resorts and is certainly the fastest growing. We visited the resort in May 2005 as part of our first tour of Bulgaria. We returned in July 2006 - see report here.

Sunny Beach lies just 35km from the city of Bourgas, where you find the nearest International Airport. The resort features a long stretch of beach in a bay formation with clean, golden sand. The beach has been awarded the Blue Flag and has ample parasols, sunbeds and lifeguards on duty. The sea is calm and safe for families.

Much of the Sunny Beach coastline features a promenade, lined with small shops selling all manner of souvenirs, clothing and other typical tourist goods. Some of the major hotels are placed right along the promenade. There is also a wide selection of bars and restaurants, including beach bars, most of which are open almost 24 hours a day. All the bars and restaurants offer excellent value for money and many offer long ‘happy hours’ where drinks are 2 for the price of one and even three for the price of one. Entertainment is also a key feature of Sunny Beach and many establishments offer live music. There are several massive discos and night clubs for the younger generation.

Sunny beach is growing at an alarming rate and to some extent has gone the same way that Spain went some 20 years ago. Hotels and apartments are being built on every corner, some with little or no thought having gone into their planning. Others have been well thought out and occupy prime positions, surrounded by well laid out gardens and swimming pools. Some trees have been retained within the resort, offering an element of shade.

There are several wide plazas, surrounded by shops, cafes and restaurants, close to the beach and ideal for families, shopping, day or night.

Pros and cons
Cons
The only disadvantage that Sunny Beach has is the short summer season; from May to September. In the winter, the resort practically closes and can be a bleak place to be. Visitors must be aware that the local gipsy population, although somewhat chased out of the resort by the police, they are present in small numbers. We personally watched several at work, picking pockets and conning the tourists. Be very wary of anyone that approaches you. There are few street beggars in Sunny Beach and very few street sales people. We found that a simple ‘no’ would send them away. Driving in Sunny Beach is a bad idea. The street layout is disorganised and chaotic.

Pros
The resort is safe and pleasant for families. The beach is excellent quality with ample facilities. Everything is cheap and plentiful. Entertainment is good and varied. The streets are exceptionally clean and lovely to walk. Hotels are generally of excellent standards and very good value.

There’s plenty to do at Sunny Beach, for all the family and it can only get better.

Buying property at Sunny Beach
There are opportunities to buy property in the resort, mostly apartments. There are many frontline apartments available on a re-sale basis and they still represent excellent value for money, despite the short season. These apartments would make excellent holiday homes and have a rental possibility. The build quality looks good and the public areas are well organised.

If you are looking to buy a new property or a property ‘off-plan’ then it is likely that it will be away from the front line. A couple of streets back from the beach there are many new apartment blocks being constructed. These, being cheaper represent excellent value for money and should show a healthy profit in terms of re-sale value. See more about buying property here.

Visiting Sunny Beach
The best way to visit the resort of Sunny Beach is to take a package holiday through a travel agent. Cheap flight only packages are still hard to find at present, although this will change in the near future. Your flight would be into Bourgas Airport. Your hotel could be anything from a 2* to a 5* and the standards are pretty good. Make sure you check the hotel location or use our map of Sunny Beach Hotels. The season starts in May and runs through to September, the peak being July and August.

What to do in Sunny Beach
Excursions include shopping trips to Bourgas, a pirate’s cruise, scuba diving, jeep safaris and off-road adventures. Watersports available on the beach. Lots of entertainment day and night; casinos, nightclubs, show-bars, karaoke bars and restaurants.

Around Sunny Beach
If you are simply looking for a good value holiday in a pleasant resort at minimum cost then there is little need to venture away from Sunny Beach. However, if you wish to sample a little of true Bulgaria then you may wish to take one of the regular excursions, organised by your hotel. Most tour operators offer specially designed coach trips away from the coast, into a Bulgarian village. Although they tend to be a little touristy, they will give you an insight into Bulgarian life. Another option is to hire a car and make your own way round. Driving in Bulgaria can be difficult but if you arrive well prepared, it can be a pleasure. See more about driving in Bulgaria here.

If you walk along the beach to the right of Sunny Beach you will find yourself in Nessebar. The new town is quite built-up and modern, however, if you take the causeway you will find yourself in old Nessebar which is an ancient town with city walls and the most beautiful restaurants.

The main Bourgas to Varna road runs along the coast, right past Sunny Beach and is easy to get to. Once on this road you can drive the 35km to Bougas where you will find an interesting, cosmopolitan city, or take the longer drive north to Varna, passing many smaller resorts and interesting villages. The road is of a good quality and easy to navigate. Be aware though of the Bulgarian method of driving.

Alternatively, pick up a map and explore some of the closer, smaller villages, reachable within 30 minutes. The further into the open countryside you go, the more you will see of true Bulgarian life. You will see varying degrees of poverty in small villages where tourism does not exist. You will see agricultural processes that date back hundreds of years and don’t be surprised when you see families ploughing fields by hand, donkeys pulling farm carts and farm produce for sale at the roadside for virtually nothing. The Bulgarians have yet to grasp and exploit the full possibilities that tourism offers. It is unlikely, even away from the coast that you will feel threatened in any way and you will find that the Bulgarian community will welcome you, everywhere you go. See more about customs here.