Last updated on 28 December 2021
Golden Sands is the second largest sea resort in Bulgaria, also the most popular tourist spot on the country’s northern Black Sea coast. It is located at the foot of beautiful, wooded slopes smoothly descending to the beach and the crystal-clear, blue sea.
The beach of the resort spans for about 3.5 km with a width of 50 to 100 m and is covered with fine, golden sand. The area claims to have the purest quartz sand on the Bulgarian coast. Along its entire length, the beach is surrounded by lovely forests. The climatic conditions here allow the season to last for an extended period of time, stretching from May to October. The average air temperature in the summer is 27 °С, the sea water is usually between 25 and 28 °С. Golden Sands possesses the prestigious Blue Flag certification, awarded to environmentally friendly resorts.
Golden Sands is a purpose-built sea resort that became a modern holiday complex since the beginning of its development in the 1950’s. The hotels, villas and apartment buildings are picturesquely located both on the slopes descending to the beach and on the beach itself. With over 30 000 beds, Golden Sands is now the second largest seaside resort in Bulgaria.
Golden Sands has a wide range of attractions and means of entertainment: all kinds of beach sports, yacht trips, horse rides, alleys with souvenir shops, bars, nightclubs and several casinos are available to guests. Aquapolis water park, offering high-speed slides and kid-friendly pools, is located on the slopes of the resort. Of course, Golden Sands has numerous restaurants as well, with a large variety of local and international cuisine.
The resort has a small-size, 32.4-meter-high copy of the Eiffel Tower of Paris. It was built in 2007, scaled exactly 1:10 compared to the original tower. 6 meters above the ground it has a platform with an observation deck and a cafe.
As a downside, it needs to be mentioned that Golden Sands can get really overcrowded during July and August. Additionally, some beach bars have annoyingly loud music.
Apart from beach tourism, Golden Sands is also popular for its mineral water and spas. The four thermal mineral springs on the territory of the modern complex are known for their beneficial effects since ancient times and were visited even by Roman emperors in the past. Thanks to this valuable resource, there is a large number of spas in the resort, offering an exceptional variety of cosmetic and health treatments all year round.
Golden Sands Nature Park
Golden Sands Nature Park is the smallest nature park in Bulgaria with an area of 13.2 square kilometers. It surrounds the resort complex and was established to protect the unique coastal vegetation and landscape of the area. Despite its small size, the diversity of plant species is exceptionally high in the park. It is a perfect place for peaceful walks with five tourist trails that pass through recreation areas, places with charming sea view and many locally sourced drinking fountains. Aladzha Monastery, a medieval cave monastery set in limestone cliffs, is located in the southwestern part of the park. Golden Sands Nature Park is part of the European nature protection area network Natura 2000.
Location and transport
Golden Sands (BG: Златни пясъци, Zlatni pyasatsi) is located 17 km to the northeast of the downtown of Varna, Bulgaria’s third largest city and 455 km from Sofia. By car, it can be accessed from road No. 9 (international road E87).
Varna public transport bus 9 connects the resort with Varna Railway Station and the city center. For detailed information about the route, see the interactive map showing also real-time traffic on the official website of Varna. Bus 409 runs between Varna International Airport and the city center where you can interchange (bus 9) to reach the resort.
The taxi fare from the airport to Golden Sands should be around 35 BGN.
Quick facts – Golden Sands
- Province: Varna
- Municipality: Varna (part of Varna)
- Population: n/a
- Postal Code: 9007
- Phone area code: 052