Resorts in Bulgaria Vacation in Bulgaria

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria 2023: Pros and Cons, Accommodation Prices, the Sea, and the Beaches

Svetlana Volodina10.07.2023

0 1,747 8 minutes read

Location
How to get there?
Beach in Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach 2023 - Accommodation
Sunny Beach - Food
Safety
What to see in Sunny Beach?
Finance in Sunny Beach
Mobile Communications
To Sunny Beach 2023 by your own car
The Pros of Sunny Beach
Cons of Sunny Beach
Results
Sea water temperature in Sunny Beach by month
Today's Weather in Sunny Beach

Bulgaria, Sunny Beach 2023 – pros and cons, prices, beaches, and accommodation at the resort

After reading this article, you'll find out if Sunny Beach is worth a vacation. And will vacation prices increase in 2023? We'll also evaluate this popular resort based on all the key criteria. You can also participate in our assessment by leaving your rating at the end of the article.
The main thing about Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach Sunny Beach is the largest and most popular resort in Bulgaria. In Bulgarian, Sunny Beach is written "Slunchev Bryag" (Sunny Beach) and pronounced "Slynchev Bryag" (Lunar). The first hotel in Sunny Beach opened in 1959. Until 1999, the Golden Orpheus song contest was held here.
Today, Sunny Beach has become a party destination for young people from all over Europe who come here to spend their summer holidays, which lasts from June to the end of September. Today, Sunny Beach boasts approximately 117 hotels and over 100 attractions. In addition to hotels, residential complexes for permanent residence are being built at the resort.

Photos of Sunny Beach

Sunny Beach has a humid subtropical climate. According to long-term data, the warmest months of the year are July and August, with average temperatures of 26°C. Sea water is warmest in August, with an average temperature of 24.9°C.

Location

The Sunny Beach resort is located on the shore of a bay, shaped like a semicircle. The beach at Sunny Beach stretches for 8 km. The resort itself is part of the town of Nesebar. To the north, Sunny Beach merges with Sveti Vlas, and to the south, with Nesebar.

Interestingly, Sunny Beach lacks a traditional address system. With the exception of the pedestrian street called "Flower," street names, house numbers, and block numbers are absent. Addresses at the resort are designated by the names of blocks, residential complexes, individual hotels, and other properties.

How to get there?

The nearest airports to Sunny Beach are located in Burgas 35 km from Sunny Beach. Burgas Airport is international and receives international flights from 20 airlines. And the airport in Varna located at a distance of 100 km from Sunny Beach.

Regular bus service to cities across Bulgaria is provided by a dedicated bus station. It is located near the resort center. Buses to Burgas (travel time is approximately 30 minutes) depart every half hour. Bus tickets from Burgas to Sunny Beach cost approximately 4 euros. From Varna to Sunny Beach, they cost 7-7.5 euros.

And if you decide to go to Sunny Beach by bus, then buy the cheapest bus tickets You can do it here

Sunny Beach is connected by local bus service to Nesebar and Sveti Vlas. Bus stops are located throughout the town. Tickets cost 1 euro. Free minibuses also run to the water park. Small boats depart every 20 minutes from Sunny Beach and back to Nesebar. Tickets cost 7.5 euros, and children's tickets are 5 euros. You can also take a small train to Nesebar and back. Tickets cost 3 euros for adults and 1.5 euros for children.

The city has taxis and several car, bike, and electric scooter rentals. Electric scooters cost 7.50 euros for 15 minutes, or 50 cents per minute. Renting a scooter for an hour costs 25 cents per minute.

Beach in Sunny Beach

The entry into the sea is gently sloping, making it suitable for children. The sand is clean and fine. The beach is 60 meters wide on average, reaching up to 100 meters in some places. The water quality, beach maintenance, and overall cleanliness at the resort are all top-notch. Despite the large number of vacationers, the beach remains clean. Sunny Beach was designed with the latest water treatment technologies in mind.

We measured the sea temperature at Center Beach. It was 26.6°C.

Prices on the beaches depend on the specific beach and range from: umbrella - 4.5 - 5 euros, sun lounger - 4.5 - 5 euros.

Sunny Beach's beaches offer all the main entertainment options. A jet ski ride costs €60 for 15 minutes, while banana boats and paddle boats cost €15. And if you'd like to add some extreme water and air sports to your day, parasailing is available. A single ride costs €75, or €90 for two.

It is worth noting that this year, all three beaches – “North,” “Center,” and “South” – traditionally received the international environmental award «Blue Flag.».

Many are asking a legitimate question: What is the Black Sea like after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapse? We haven't noticed anything unusual. According to RZI-Burgas, 113 water samples were just taken in Bulgaria. The results showed that the water meets the requirements for excellent quality. There is currently no contamination. Also, a June 30th report on the Bulgarian Environment and Water Resources website states that there is no data on pollution of Bulgarian Black Sea waters, and coastal water studies conducted by the Black Sea Basin Directorate indicate no potential pollution of the marine environment. The measured values at all six points are below the maximum permissible concentrations and annual averages.

In the Sunny Beach area there is a natural landmark – sand dunes, there are as many as 5 of them.

Sunny Beach 2023 — Accommodation

Sunny Beach hotels on the map:

There are 117 hotels in Sunny Beach. This summer, accommodation prices start at €21 for a double room, €1 lower than last summer. Beachfront hotels start at €31. A double room with all-inclusive pricing starts at €110 per night. If you'd like to rent an apartment, studios start at €29.

If you're looking to buy an apartment in Sunny Beach, prices for one-bedroom apartments start at €22,000, and for two-bedroom apartments, from €30,000.

Sunny Beach - Food

What if you haven't booked an all-inclusive hotel? Where should you eat?

The first power supply option.

This is the simplest option, but also the most expensive. It's simply eating at cafes or restaurants scattered throughout town. Good value restaurants may be fully booked. Keep in mind that you'll have to try several different establishments, read reviews, and, in short, spend a considerable amount of time before you find the perfect one.

Second option.

A budget-friendly option is to cook your own meals and buy groceries at chain stores with the lowest prices. For example, in Sunny Beach, there's the new Lidl. It's located at the entrance to the resort from Varna. However, to get to Lidl, tourists have to cross a busy road, which is quite dangerous. Also 4.4 km from the center of Sunny Beach is the large Janet Grand Market. This store's specialty is its vast selection of products. With this option, the cost of food will be close to what you'd spend at home.

A tip for tourists: choose restaurants that are open year-round. They tend to have lower prices and higher quality, as locals eat there too, and they won't overpay.

Safety

To improve vacationer safety, over 350 police officers from other parts of Bulgaria will be deployed to coastal resort areas this summer. Sunny Beach has a permanent police station, located in the resort center near Tsvetochnaya Street.

Sunny Beach is Bulgaria's busiest resort. Young people from all over the world flock here, with all the attendant excitement. Therefore, safety precautions are essential. Don't leave valuables unattended on the beach. Store valuables in a hotel safe.

A tip for tourists: Sunny Beach is Bulgaria's noisiest resort. Young people from all over the world flock here, with all the attendant consequences. Therefore, it's important to take precautions. Don't leave valuables unattended on the beach. And at the hotel, store valuables in a safe.

What to see in Sunny Beach?

Flower Street

The most famous street in Sunny Beach is Tsvetochnaya Street. This busy pedestrian street runs from the center of the resort to the sea with a pier.

Promenade

The promenade runs along the beach of Sunny Beach. It is dotted with kiosks, bars, and restaurants. It is a popular evening stroll for vacationers.

Lunapark

Luna Park is located in the center of Sunny Beach. It's uncrowded during the day. Rides are open from 5 p.m. to midnight. The park is small, but there are rides for all ages, from the youngest to the most extreme. There's a roller coaster ride, which costs 6 euros. A ride on the Booster, a "gravity booster," costs 9.5 euros. A ticket for all four extreme rides costs 20 euros. Tents with shooting ranges and indoor darts courts are set up around the park's perimeter. There's also an electric racetrack.

Fun Park

Sunny Beach also has another amusement park, Fun Park, located near McDonald's. It has a similar selection of rides, but also a Ferris wheel nearby. King Kong will greet you at the entrance. The park is open from 5:00 PM to midnight. Prices at Fun Park are more reasonable—all rides cost 3.50 euros. Discounts are also available.

Nessebar

The main attraction for tourists is the nearby ancient historical town of Nessebar.

Water parks

There are two large water parks. Action Aquapark is located right on the resort grounds, and Nesebar Aquapark is 5.5 kilometers from the resort center. Getting to the water parks is quite easy: free minibuses stop at designated stops marked with information signs. These buses run every 20-30 minutes.

Nessebar Aquapark is more suitable for teenagers and adults, while Action Park attracts families with small children – it has more children's slides and even a small zoo. This summer, during the peak season, prices at the water park were: Nessebar Park: adults – €34 (€21 after lunch), children – €17 (€13 after lunch); Action Park: adults – €29.50 (€21 after lunch), children – €15 (€10.50 after lunch). It's best to buy tickets online, as you'll get a small discount.

Excursions in Sunny Beach

Numerous excursions are available directly from Sunny Beach. A tour to Nessebar costs 15 euros. A boat trip to Sozopol with a walking tour and lunch costs 40 euros. A full-day shopping trip to Varna costs 17.5 euros. A visit to the Varna Dolphinarium costs 40 euros. A tour to Istanbul starts at 90 euros.

For sports enthusiasts, Sunny Beach offers tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, mini-golf, bicycles, rowboats, sailboats, scooters, water skis, pedal boats, parasailing, and more. There's also an equestrian center with well-trained horses and qualified riding instructors. Sunny Beach previously hosted the Golden Orpheus International Pop Song Festival from 1965 to 1999. It now hosts symphonic music days, part of the International Folklore Festival, fashion shows, and various beach competitions.

Finance in Sunny Beach

The official currency of Bulgaria is the lev. For ease of calculation, one euro is worth two leva, or one lev is worth 50 euro cents.

A tip for tourists: we recommend using regular bank cards in your home currency for payments. We've seen people even pay for water rides with cards.

In Bulgaria, almost all decent stores and restaurants accept cards. If your card is rejected, which is highly unlikely, it means something is wrong, and it's best to avoid using such services. For pocket money and taxis, although many accept cards, we recommend bringing small euros, which can be exchanged for levs in Bulgaria.

We strongly advise against exchanging money at markets or with strangers. Firstly, it's illegal. Secondly, you're guaranteed to get ripped off. We recommend exchanging money at banks or official exchange offices. There are ATMs and bank offices in Sunny Beach.

Mobile Communications

If you're coming to Bulgaria from the EU, you don't need to buy a SIM card; European roaming is available in Bulgaria. Residents of Ukraine and other countries can use their existing SIM card; just make sure you have the necessary roaming plan for EU countries. This will be cheaper than buying a new card here. In Sunny Beach, we easily found prepaid SIM cards starting from €7.50.

To Sunny Beach 2023 by your own car

Attention, motorists. The resort has a tow truck. When parking, carefully consider where you're leaving your car. Look at the signs and markings. Payment in public parking can be made via paid SMS; the number and message text are indicated on the signs. However, we recommend using paid parking to avoid potential problems with a tow truck (fines start at €25) or even car theft, which is rare, but does happen.

A tip for tourists arriving by car: When booking, we recommend looking for a hotel that offers on-site parking to avoid potential problems and spoil your vacation.

But many hotels resort to trickery: they list parking availability on their booking website. But in reality, it may turn out to be unavailable, all spaces are occupied, or the parking lot is located several kilometers away. Therefore, it's important to read hotel reviews. Parking in the very center of Sunny Beach costs €2.50 per hour. If you walk a few hundred meters inland, you can find parking for €1.50 per hour or €12 per day.

The Pros of Sunny Beach

A huge selection of housing in various price categories.
The resort has good infrastructure and is well maintained.
A wide selection of catering establishments.
Good and accessible transport links.
It is possible to buy groceries on your own at low prices in Bulgaria.
Clean and warm sea, plenty of sunny days.
The sea is also suitable for the little ones.
There are water parks and attractions.
There are attractions nearby and it is possible to go on an excursion.
Sunny Beach has a perfectly flat surface with virtually no elevation changes, so you won't have to descend from a height to the sea and then climb back up on your way home.

Cons of Sunny Beach

For vacationers looking for a quiet place to relax, it may seem like a noisy place.
Young people in a state of intoxication are often seen on the streets, especially in the evenings.
Sunny Beach can safely be called a land without price tags. Even in pharmacies, it's difficult to find a medicine with a price tag. Therefore, the price often depends on the language you speak, your appearance, and so on.
There are very few hotels with parking, especially in hotels close to the sea.
Due to the very dense development, there is little green space. If this is important to you, it is better to choose another resort, for example, Golden Sands.

Results

Sunny Beach is perfect for young travelers from all over the world, with its sand dunes, water sports, and vibrant life. It's also perfect for those who enjoy a vibrant and active holiday.

I wonder if you've been to Sunny Beach? What you liked or didn't like? Let me know in the comments.