Sunny Beach, Bulgaria

 

Sunny Beach (Bulgarian: Слънчев бряг, Slanchev Bryag) is a major seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located approximately 35 km north of Burgas in Nessebar municipality, Burgas Province.It is the largest and most popular holiday resort in Bulgaria, and is home to over 800 hotels with more than 300,000 beds.

 

Tourism

Sunny Beach has a very small permanent population, but during the summer the resort is home to many thousands of tourists. The main strip of high-rise hotels backing onto the beach is several kilometres long and extends along a wide bay between Sveti Vlas and Nessebar.There are 130 restaurants and numerous live music bars, pubs, nightclubs, discos and cafes. It has been undergoing continuous expansion for many years. In recent years almost the whole hotel base has been renovated and several new luxurious hotels have been built as well as many apartment complexes.It is widely believed in Bulgaria that Sunny Beach was heavily overdeveloped in the 2000s to the detriment of its greenery, former serenity, safety and the quality of public services.

 

Transport

The airports serving Sunny Beach are Burgas Airport (around 25 km and 50 Leva by taxi or 6 Leva by bus, August 2012) and Varna Airport (around 100 km and 100 - 120 Leva by taxi, August 2010).Sunny Beach (Sunny Beach bus station) is well connected by bus with all larger Bulgarian cities. For example: Sunny Beach to Varna costs 12 Leva (6 Euro) as of August 2012. There is no direct connection by train. The first passenger railway station is Burgas.Taxi fee around the resort insides and the town of Nessebar is fixed at 3 Leva/km as of August 2012.Inside bus transport ticket costs 1 Lev as of August 2012.

 

The Beach

The beach stretches for over 8 km (5 miles). The sand is fine and soft and part of the beach is edged by sand dunes - perfect for playing "hide and seek" with the kids. The sea bed slopes gently away from the beach, giving a shallow area where you can paddle happily in calm, warm waters. On the sands you will find rows of sun beds and parasols that stretch off into the distance. If you plan to stay on the beach for several hours, it is best to hire a parasol to keep comfortable and cool. If you are only going to stay on the beach for a short time, take your own mat or beach towel and sit in the "free zones" that are behind the parasols.

 

 

Attractions

Attractions for tourists include the sunning at the beach, water sports and the nearby historical site of Nessebar. There are two aqua parks near the resort. Sunny Beach is mainly popular amongst young people for its nightlife and banter. The most famous beach bars and night clubs are Cacao Beach, Bedroom Beach Club and Briliantin Beach Bar. Sunny Beach Lunapark is an amusement park in the center. The most extreme attractions are the roller coaster, Carousel DISK'O, a Booster and many others. The Golden Orpheus International Festival of Popular Song, the Decade of Symphonic Music, part of the International Folklore Festival, fashion-shows and various beach competitions are held there.

 

Weather

Overview Bulgaria's Black Sea coast has a maritime climate. Summers are typically hot and dry, but rarely oppressive, with moderate, relative humidity. In the Black Sea coastal regions, including Bulgaria's Sunny Beach, Mediterranean influences temper the harsher continental climate of the rest of the country.Locals say the area, particularly north of Sunny Beach, has a unique climate due to the combination of sea and mountain air, which they say is most favourable for people with asthmatic and respiratory conditions.

 

 

History

The resort's construction began back in Communist times, in 1958. Construction works began at a site, where two old wells supplying Nessebar with water in ancient times and during the Middle Ages had been located.The climate of the area is Mediterranean, explaining Sunny Beach's popularity with tourists since the Soviet Union existed. Since that time the resort's popularity has grown among German holidaymakers, who add to the already large numbers of Russian visitors.More recently, Sunny Beach has begun to attract the attention of the British, Irish, Scandinavian and Dutch for which it is a more affordable alternative to the established Mediterranean resorts.