The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast stretches 354 kilometers in a north – south direction between Romania and Turkey. It is the most popular tourist destination in the Black Sea region and the most attractive hot spot in all the Eastern Europe. The coastal towns and resorts of Bulgaria are visited by millions of tourists from around the world every year. The majority of foreign visitors comes from the UK, Russia, Romania, Germany, Poland and Scandinavia. The Black Sea coast of Bulgaria is divided into a northern and southern half.
On the northern coast is located the second largest Bulgarian city of Varna as well as some of the most popular and famous Bulgarian resorts – St. Constantine and Helena, Sunny Day, Golden Sands and Albena.
North of Albena the coastline turns sharply to the east. There are some beautiful small towns such as Balchik and Kavarna. East of them is located the famous Cape Kaliakra.
South of Varna are located some of the most attractive beaches in Bulgaria – Pasha Dere Beach, Kamchia, Shkorpilovtsi and Irakli.
The southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria is well known for the city of Bourgas and is considered to be more famous as a whole.
It offers generally lower prices and welcomes larger number of tourists. Sunny Beach is the biggest and busiest Bulgarian resort and can easily accommodate hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Unlike the northern coast where tourists tend to be more well-off and mostly older or middle-aged, Sunny Beach is usually prefered by younger people looking primarily for entertainment and exiting nightlife.
South of Burgas there are some attractive villages to spend you summer holidays, especially if you are looking for a calm and remote place, far from the hectic and vibrant resorts.
The Bulgarian Black Sea coast is a place to offers a lot of historic villages with interesting architecture. The most impressive on the northern coast is Balchik.
It is known for its old style houses, situated on the steep coastal slopes, but also for its beautiful botanical garden.
The southern coast is a place to offers interesting historical settlements too. The most famous are Sozopol and particularly the old town of Nesebar that is under the auspices of UNESCO.
The cities, villages, resorts and famous sites and beaches that are located on the northern coast (from north to south) are Durankulak, Krapets, Ezerets, Shabla, Tyulenovo, Kamen Bryag, Rusalka, Balgarevo, Kavarna, Bozhurets, Topola, Ikantalaka, Balchik, Kranevo, Golden Sands, Chaika, Sunny Day, St.Constantine and Helena, Varna, Chernomorets, Fichoza, Pasha Dere, Bliznatsi, Kamchia, Shkorpilovtsi, Byala, Obzor, Irakli and Emona.
On the southern coast are located Elenite, St Vlas, Sunny Beach, Nesebar, Ravda, Pomorie, Burgas, Chernomorets, Sozopol, Kavatsite, Diuni, Primorsko, Lozenets, Arapya, Tsarevo, Varvara, Ahtopol Sinemorets, Silistar and Rezovo.
The active tourist season of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast lasts from May to September, nearly five months, with the largest influx of visitors during the months of July and especially at the beginning of August.
The average day-time temperatures during the period from May to September are usually between 25 and 35°C, highest in early August.
The seawater temperature in the heat of summer reaches 26 – 29°C, slightly cooler at the beginning and at the end of summer.
In warmer years are possible warm sunny days with good conditions for swimming and sunbathing even in early October, although this is rather an exception.
Usually summers in the region are very dry and rainfalls are rare, but when it rains, it pours.