Varna sea. Reportage

Varna by the Sea. Varna, also known as the sea capital of Bulgaria, is located on the western coast of the Black Sea.

You can get to Varna by plane. The airport is just 6 km away and serves flights from 101 cities worldwide. You can also travel by bus, train, or car. Buy the cheapest bus tickets. You can do it here. You can order an individual transfer to Varna. here.

Varna 2020. Varna Beaches Overview

The port of Varna was officially opened in 1906. Part of the port is occupied by a passenger terminal. The Varna Marine Station is located in a three-story building housing restaurants, a duty-free shop, and offices. It serves both cruise and regular passenger ships. The Marine Station welcomes visitors with a promenade overlooking the port and a variety of cafes and restaurants to suit every taste. You can also take a pirate ship tour. If you haven't yet, we highly recommend it—it's an unforgettable experience.

There are also cafes and restaurants in the seaport building. You can see the main prices on the restaurant menu in the photo. To find the price in euros, simply divide the price in leva by 2. Two leva is approximately 1 euro. The Nemo restaurant's menu and price list are shown in the photo.

And this yacht is waiting for us at the pier in the seaport. It can be rented for 148 euros for two hours or 199 euros for five hours.

A strip of restaurants and cafes stretches along the pier.

There's also a nearby marina for yachts, boats, and other small vessels. A yacht club and yacht shop are also located nearby. It's worth noting that this isn't the only marina in Varna.

South Beach

So, the first beach on our way is Yuzhny Beach – with the widest strip of sand. 

I'd like to point out that all the beaches are sandy, with some rocky areas; there are no pebble beaches in Varna. This is the site of organized and spontaneous sporting events (beach soccer/volleyball) and concerts. Nearby is the "Mr. Baba" café, styled like a wooden ship. 

Adjacent to the beach is a sports complex with several swimming pools, including an outdoor one. South Beach is actually part of Varna's central beach. The beach features a cafe, changing rooms, children's playgrounds, beach volleyball courts, water slides, and trash cans. Umbrella rentals are BGN 5 and sun loungers are BGN 5. Many cafes have their own beach areas, where you can enjoy drinks and snacks while relaxing on a sun lounger or in a specially equipped area on soft cushions or sofas. South Beach is very wide (up to 100 meters) and stretches for about 500 meters. There's always plenty of space. The water is relatively clear. Currently, the sea is very rough, so the water is not as clear.

Adjacent to the beach is a swimming and sports center with two pools, one of which is outdoor and open year-round, and a spa center offering massage services and a fitness room.

We continue our journey along the seashore, past cafes and restaurants, and finally come across a water park. It's very small, but it's open. For more information about this water park, watch the video on our channel.

Central Beach

The Central Beach continues on from the South Beach. It houses a huge number of nightclubs, bars, and clubs. It's always noisy and fun. Varna's main beach will delight guests with its impressive size, abundance of cafes and nightclubs, clean sea, and soft sand. Here we see a beach restaurant with its own pool. This is a favorite spot for contemplating the sea and taking photos. In winter, a Christmas tree is erected here. Adjacent to the Central Beach is the Seaside Park. A perfect combination: sea, sun, sand, and greenery. Where you can find a cool spot in the midst of the daytime heat. The beach has everything you need for relaxation: sun loungers and umbrellas for rent (5 BGN), changing rooms, showers, cafes, restaurants, shops, and playgrounds. At night, it gets even hotter and more fun: numerous nightclubs and beach discos open. The Central Beach, like the South Beach, has paid VIP areas. 

Here is the menu of one of the many restaurants. 

 

 

 

These little trains run along this route every half hour. The route and schedule are on the screen. A ride on one of these trains costs 50 euro cents. At the end of the video, we'll ride one of these trains together. Now, let's continue on our route. 

Cafés and restaurants line up one after another; there are more than fifty of them along the entire embankment. Not counting the small eateries and stalls…

And we slowly approach the next beach.

Fishermen's Beach

This is Fisherman's Beach, which isn't particularly suitable for swimming because it's mostly rocky. However, it's lined with cafes offering a variety of cuisines. You can even drive here. Further along our route, all the beaches have parking right next to them. "Fisherman's Beach" is officially designated by Varna authorities and has its own information board and opening hours. This is rather odd, as the beach is a jumble of large rocks, and only closer to Officer's Beach is there a very small area for beachgoers. The beach's main attraction is its numerous cafes serving local Bulgarian and Black Sea cuisine and the availability of parking. Otherwise, the infrastructure is modest. Aside from a lifeguard post, benches, and trash cans, there's nothing else.

Officers' Beach

Here we see the fisherman's beach, and here we see "Officer's Beach." Let's look back and see the distance we've already traveled...

And we continue our walk. Here we come to another café with the extravagant name "La Cucaracha.".

Prices in La Cucaracha.

As a reminder, divide the price in leva by 2 to get the price in euros. Here we are at the new beach—Officer's West. A nearby sign shows record-low prices for sun loungers and umbrellas. Just 0.25 euro cents! Why so cheap? We'll answer that question a little later. Oficer's West Beach is known for its underground hot hydrogen sulfide springs. Among its advantages are catamaran rentals, lifeguard posts, showers, and changing rooms. 

There's a fitness center with exercise equipment right on the seashore. It's open until 11 p.m. Classic bicycles and electric tricycles are available for rent right there. Prices are €5 for 30 minutes or €7 for an hour. 

One of the main local attractions is the pool. It's filled with healing hydrogen sulfide water and located right by the seashore. The pool looks unsightly and the smell may be off-putting, but it's just the smell of hydrogen sulfide. Swans come to the hot springs for the winter.

Just a few meters from this pool, there's a "river-canal" flowing into the sea. This explains the low prices at the adjacent beach. It's sewage, albeit treated. The smell of hydrogen sulfide adds to the feeling that something is wrong. This beach is also often unsuitable for swimming. The local health inspectorate frequently publishes reports stating that it's closed to swimming, especially after rains, when the treatment facilities simply can't cope. There's a notice posted at the beach entrance, but most people don't see it and instead enjoy their water treatments here.

Ofitserskiy-Vostok Beach

Next comes Ofitserskiy-Vostok Beach. Although the prices for umbrellas and sun loungers are higher here, don't let that fool you; the water quality is exactly the same here. It's also located close to the outlet channel. The beach's unique feature is that, thanks to the breakwater, there are almost no waves here. You can swim even when the red flag is flying at other beaches. We tested the water clarity. Despite the lack of waves, underwater visibility is virtually zero; you can't even see the bottom.

Rapongi Beach

Rapongi Beach is named after the restaurant of the same name. Renting a parasol and sun lounger costs 5 euros. A comfortable three-person bed costs 10 euros, and a tent costs another 25 euros. According to tourists, the Rapongi restaurant is expensive and pretentious.

And the reviews have gotten worse lately. Lunch for two here costs 60-70 EUR. Parking is free, but finding a space after 10 AM is problematic. You can also get to the beach by train, which makes stops on request. Rapongi is famous for its abundance of paid water activities. A 30-minute parasailing ride over the sea costs 30 EUR, and an hour on a pedal boat costs 5 EUR. We tested the water clarity; the waves are strong right now, and visibility is practically zero; you can't see anything.

An exotic bar. Judging by the sign—it's for surfers right outside—it's likely open in the evenings. I had no opportunity to test the service. 

Bunite Beach“

This beach has fewer services, but there are still parking lots and restaurants nearby. Umbrellas and sun loungers cost 5 euros. The beach's unique feature is that, thanks to the breakwater, there are almost no waves. Swimming is possible here even when other beaches have red flags. Wakeboarding is also possible here.

Nearby, on the opposite side of the breakwater, is the beach “Bunite 2”.

There are noticeably fewer people than on the central beaches of Varna.

Pochivka Beach“

This is a practically untouched beach. There's convenient parking along the shore. There are no paid areas, beach equipment, or water attractions. This also characterizes Pochivka Beach.

Nudist beach

And finally, the last beach, "Hidden," also known as "Nudist." We learned about it from Google reviews; here are some of them. To get to this beach, you'll need to climb over a rocky barrier. 

After all the adventures we are heading back, we stopped the little train, you can stop it by waving your hand and we are already going back.

Housing in Bulgaria

Regarding accommodation in Varna, I'll say that renting an entire apartment for two in Varna starts from €17 per night. A hotel room for two starts from €27. There are also hostels in Varna, so you can find accommodation even cheaper.

Most of Varna's beaches are suitable for families with children. During peak season, the beaches are quite crowded. However, even in the hottest months, there's always plenty of space. This means you won't have to climb over bodies looking for a spot in the sun or lie side by side with your neighbors. Varna's beaches stretch for about 8 kilometers along the entire coastline. Beach recreation isn't as popular here as sightseeing or wellness treatments, but there are still some good beaches. All of Varna's beaches are municipal, and entry is free. However, many have fee-based areas where you'll need to rent a sun lounger and umbrella or a private gazebo or tent. Using your own towels in these areas is not permitted; there are free areas for that.

Asparuhovo is a suburb of Varna with a very nice beach. It's not a resort area (it's practically a residential area), so the beach isn't crowded. It's mostly populated by locals. The beach is almost 1 km long. There are changing rooms, showers, and a café. One of the advantages of this location is the nearby park, which has playgrounds and sports fields. There's also car access to the beach. On the downside, the beach in Asparuhovo is less well-kept than beaches in the city center.

Conclusions:

All of Varna's beaches are suitable for visiting. We can't recommend Officers' Beach alone. All beaches have free areas. Almost all beaches have areas with paid umbrellas and sun loungers, and some have VIP areas.

If you're choosing based on cleanliness, I think Pochivka Beach is the best. However, it lacks infrastructure and lifeguards, and there are large rocks, so it's highly recommended not to take children there. I recommend visiting Yuzhny or Tsentralny beaches with children. 

Sea Water Temperatures in Varna by Month

Today's Weather in Varna

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