Last updated on 28 December 2021
Sunny Beach is the largest Bulgarian Black Sea resort and the party capital of the seaside.
Sunny Beach is not only the largest resort in Bulgaria, but it also has one of the largest beaches in the country. The continuous, 8 km long and 30-60 m wide beach has fine sand and a very gently sloping seabed, ideal for children too. As on the rest of the Black Sea coast, the tides are insignificant, only 3-8 cm. Sunny Beach was the first Bulgarian resort to receive the prestigious Blue Flag eco-label. With an estimated capacity of over 300 000 hotel beds, Sunny Beach is probably also the largest resort on the entire Black Sea coast. The beach has both free and paid areas.
Sunny Beach certainly deserves its name. The duration of yearly sunshine is about 2300 hours (1700 from May to October), reaching 10.5-11 hours per day in July and August. The average air temperature in the summer is 27 °C.
In total, there are more than 15 000 restaurants, bars, night clubs, stalls and shops in the complex. The resort also offers tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, mini-golf, bicycles, scooters, as well as rowing and sailing boats, yachting, water skiing, parasailing, horse riding and more. Action Aquapark, with over 30 different water attractions on an area of 36 000 m2, is located in the northern part of Sunny Beach.
Sunny Beach is a purpose-built resort, the construction began in 1958 and went through several stages. Now it is really difficult to imagine that the whole bay between the town of Sveti Vlas and the peninsula of Nesebar was uninhabited before the 1950’s. The area had a mini desert with sand dunes and a large swamp created by the Hadjiyska river. The northern part of the resort, where it borders Sveti Vlas, lies at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. In the south, where the Hadjiyska river flows into the sea, some of the picturesque dunes and groves are still visible.
It needs to be mentioned that Sunny Beach has become a noisy, less family-friendly place over the years. We don’t recommend the resort to those who want a truly relaxing holiday experience. It is now the party capital of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and it never sleeps. You can expect loud music all the time, even on the beach itself. Of course, if you’re into that type of holiday, Sunny Beach is totally for you.
Nesebar
When you’re in Sunny Beach, you can’t miss the stunning old town of Nesebar, located on a peninsula right next to the resort. It is one of Bulgaria’s top tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautifully restored historic buildings, ancient ruins and medieval churches. Nesebar was once an island, now it is connected to the new parts of the town by a narrow land bridge with the iconic wooden windmill, the symbol of Nesebar.
The cozy streets of the old town are filled with restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. Sunny Beach has local buses connecting the complex with Nesebar. Depending on the location of your hotel, you can even walk from Sunny Beach and take a closer look at the beautiful windmill.
Location and transport
Sunny Beach (BG: Слънчев бряг, Slanchev bryag) is located 37 km northeast of Burgas and 415 km east of the capital Sofia, between road 9 (international E87) and the sea.
The resort doesn’t have any railway connection, but it is connected with the cities of Burgas, Varna and Sofia through many bus lines. Buses depart several times every hour from Burgas (Southern Bus Station, BG: Автогара Юг) and almost every hour from Sofia Central Bus Station.
Sunny Beach is mainly served by Burgas Airport, which is only 27 km away from the resort. The taxi fare from the airport is 50 BGN.
Quick facts – Sunny Beach
- Province: Burgas
- Municipality: Nesebar