About the area
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Places to visit locally
Relax on the pirates’ cruise or take a catamaran day trip where you can go swimming, fishing and sunbathing with lunch and drinks included. For the more adventurous, why not try the Jeep Safari or the Off-Road trip where you can drive your own jeep. There are 2 local equestrian centers if you fancy a spot of horse riding and one of them offers riding with a visit to the lighthouse, lunch and drinks included. Horse drawn cart trips and on the beach horse ride are also available. There is a karting circuit, an on the beach Ferris wheel and sling shot at the promenade…. much to do!
In the evenings you can stroll down the main beach front strip in Sunny Beach and enjoy whatever takes your fancy, there are beach front restaurants and bars offering food, drinks, dancing clubs, karaoke, tribute bands, bingo nights, there are casino’s and even a few Chalga clubs (Bulgarian pop-folk inspired dance music), pubs with live bands etc
For a good show, you could visit Khans Tent where there is a mix of traditional dancing and live bands with dinner included. Or a Bulgarian Village Evening where there is a unique folk dance, fire dancing, hot coal waking and dinner.
St Vlas is the quieter alternative to Sunny Beach it has some lovely beach front bars and some lovely restaurants, lots of places to walk and The Dinevi Marina is worth a visit where there is a Turkish restaurant ‘Istanbul’, an Italian restaurant ‘IL Siciliano’, a fish restaurant ‘Gloria Mar’, many great/comfortable beach areas for sunbathing and even a piano bar, Noti, or Bar de Luxe ‘Planet Yacht’ for entertainment after dinner.
Nessebar often referred to as “the Pearl of the Black Sea” is split into two parts, the old part on the peninsula and the new part on the mainland. Nesebur is a small ancient city and has an abundance of historic buildings and cobbled streets to see, UNESCO came to include Nesebar on its list of World Heritage Sites in 1983. This and the new town, offer quaint and pretty walkways, little shops, bars and restaurants enjoy your stroll where you can mingle with the locals. Recommended for you is Sevina & Zornitza Restaurants, or Kanela Bar and Grill, and the ECO-bar for drinks, a fantastic cave like décor with waterfall and even tortoises.
Visit Burgas for a change. Stop off on the way to Burgas, at the Camel park and or Thracian tomb near Pomorie, the mini zoo in Rudnik or Atanasovsko Lake (salt-water lake) where there is an abundance of feathered friends including pink flamingos, perfect for bird watchers.
Why not shop down the main pedestrian strip of Bourgas Centre or walk through the 800 decares of the sea garden, where you will find children’s parks, benches to sit and people watch or find a table at one of the many restaurants to enjoy a glass of something cold, or a bite to eat. You could always do part of your journey along the beach and stop off on the promenade.
Burgas has many places to eat out, some of the recommended places are La Flor Bar and Grill, Happy restaurant, The Jolly Roger Bourgas Port, the Chadara in the sea garden Neptune Bar and Restaurant which also has a piano bar and or boogie the night away on the beachfront bars like Pillow.
For a family day out why not take the kids to visit the Bourgas Sand Sculture Festival which is yearly event from June to September.
Another thing to add to your to do list if you get the chance, every year for the last few years Bourgas hosts the Spice Music Festival the 1st weekend of August at the Port of Burgas, consisting of 80’s and 90’s bands on stage, over a 2- or 3-day period evening time.
Restaurants
It can still be difficult for places to cater for Vegans but Vegetarians have a better range to choose from off of most menus now. Salads have a fundamental spot on any Bulgarian table, for any time of day especially the Shopska salad, primarily consists of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion and Bulgarian white cheese (similar to greek feta) and is ordered as a starter but is eaten slowly throughout the whole meal. Meat dishes include Kebabche (sausage like pork), kufte (pork burger patty) moussaka (with cubed potato instead of eggplant), skewers and pigs roasted on a spit. Homemade pizzas and pasta dishes are also popular. Bread forms a main part of the bulgarian diet and is offered with every meal. Being located on the Black Sea Coast, of course there are some mouthwatering fish dishes; locals tend to order: tsatsa (whitebait), popche (gobies) chernokop (bluefish) as well as the standard options.
Tea is not common and is often herbal or black with a slice of lemon. Zagorka and Kamenitsa are the main brands of beer and can be bought either on draft or by bottle. Bulgaria produces some excellent wines from its thousands of vineyards, Menada, Targovishte and Chateau Karnobat are 3 of the most popular brands. Rakia, the national aperitif (fire water), is a strong brandy like drink usually made from grapes or plums. Or go for a cocktail or two…
Bulgarians welcome children in restaurants but one thing to bear in mind is that smoking, even during the meal, is still the norm so you may want to eat outdoors.
Some restaurants that can be recommended for good service and food in and around Sunny Beach are:
La Flor Bar & Grill located on the main road near the post office in Sunny Beach a few minutes’ walk from the central area is extremely popular with Bulgarians and tourists alike, opposite La Flor & Condor is the Burger Star, which offers a fantastic and various range of homemade burgers including chicken, vegetarian and fish burgers for those of you who would prefer to steer away from the traditional beef burger. DJanny’s just around the corner is also popular with locals and tourists and has a big garden dining area. It is open all year round, as well as the La Flor restaurant, but do expect to queue for a table in the summer months. The Jupiter Steak House and BBQ behind the Royal Beach Barceló Hotel serves good value meals and has a live band and quiz nights.
Close to the beach front, on Flower Street, extremely popular with the younger crowds is Viking Restaurant, club and they even have a Viking party boat/booze cruise. Fat Cat, La Bamba and Jack’s are also very popular. The Castle Italian restaurant between the Chaika and Victoria Hotels. Lapa Lapa is another favourite budget eat out. Others include Funny Pub, the Lira restaurant and Friends pub & restaurant.
If you are looking for somewhere more classy to dine out, a new beachfront restaurant opened in Cacao Beach area in 2022. Za Zú is an incredible, on the beach, speak-easy lounge restaurant where you can have a drink and a tasty meal whilst a DJ plays music. The setting is not only elegant, but clubby with dimmed lights, great music, dancers on show and is spacious enough for you to get up and boogie.
Public Transport
Around the resorts and nearby towns buses tend to run every 10-20 minutes and tickets can be purchased on the bus. You can check the bus stops along the main central road for bus stops and bus numbers or the link below.
If you are travelling into Sofia, the Central Bus Station has domestic routes to practically anywhere in Bulgaria.
There are numerous ticket counters for all the different operators and destinations; they are clearly listed.
There is also an information desk where the staff speak some English.
Sofia to Bourgas takes approximately 7 hours and roughly costs 35 leva.
Buses: https://burgasbus.info/eng/?page_id=71
For Private Transfers: http://www.freshaccommodation.co.uk/bulgarian-airport-taxis.aspx
Long distance trains are a great way of seeing Bulgaria, although they can be quite slow. If you’re in no rush you can sit back and enjoy the scenery. They operate from early morning to late evening generally every hour but often have a gap of a couple of hours mid-afternoon. Local trains tend to be more frequent.
Staff at the station usually speak little English but information boards are often available at bigger stations in English. If you are travelling into or from Sofia the train station is adjacent to the central bus station.
Tickets are sold from different windows depending on your destination and if you can’t see the destination you require on the ground floor; head to the right and down the hidden staircase to the lower level, where more booths and the escalators to the platforms are located.
If you are travelling to Burgas you can purchase a ticket from any window. As an example: a first-class single ticket from Sofia to Burgas costs approximately 24 leva.
there is also an overnight sleeper service from Sofia to Bourgas and a berth costs only BGN10.
Departure boards now display Cyrillic and English in the departure hall and show platform numbers and destinations. There are also lots of small snack shops but if you are in a rush, there are trolleys frequently moving around the train, selling drinks and snacks.
Rail Timetables, Fares & Route Planner
For Private Transfers: http://www.freshaccommodation.co.uk/bulgarian-airport-taxis.aspx
Short Journeys Away
On day trips you can have a day shopping in Varna. You can include the dolphin show at the Dolphinarium and lunch and the Aladja Monastery.
The historical town of Sozopol with shopping and include a boat cruise down the Ropotamo River.
The Blue Mountains in Sliven which you can either walk up or take the chairlift and the traditional village of Zhervana is only a couple of hours away.
The Valley of Roses in the Sredna Gora Mountain Range with spectacular blooms in May and June each year and there are festivals in nearby towns, the rose oil is used all over the world.
The Bachkovo Monastery near Plovdiv is Bulgaria´s second largest monastery and is still used by local pilgrims it´s about 3 hours away.
Further afield
A two-day trip to the beautiful Veliko Turnovo with its medieval churches and stunning architecture in the old town including overnight stay in a 3 star hotel.
A two-day trip to the Rila Monastery near Sofia the most famous and visited monastery.
A one-day trip to Istanbul travelling overnight including city tour, shopping, breakfast and lunch.
A two-day trip to Istanbul including city tour, shopping, breakfast, lunch and a 3 star hotel.
All tours include a guide and entrance fees and can be booked with any travel agent in and around the Sunny Beach area.
Interested in what Bulgaria has to offer? Why not browse our selection of Bulgarian holiday accommodation
