8 resorts at a glance: Sunny Beach, Elenite, Nessebar, Sozopol, Duni, Obzor in Bourgas Area. Golden Sands and Albena in Varna Area.
Why Bulgaria?
“Bulgaria a former Soviet state located on the Black Sea and home to the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains. Rich in history and nature.”
Europe’s cheapest holiday destination is also a cheerful beauty one. It caters to all ages, budgets, and tastes. You will find nice cafés and restaurants, parties, sandy beaches and most importantly to me: natural and historical attractions that will leave you speechless.
I plan holidays worldwide and love exploring new destinations myself. Especially, lesser-known spots in the countries I have lived most the time which are Spain and Portugal.
Today I will show you why Bulgaria is one of my favorite countries and why I would go back again and again. My interest in Bulgaria started back in uni days, but grew a lot bigger while working with Balkan Holidays at London (the specialist tour operator to Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro). Since there I had the chance to join a fam trip week through the Bulgarian Black Sea resorts and will describe my experience in brief. By the way, a fam or familiarization is an educational journey for travel agents to experience and learn about a destination while visiting hotels and restaurants, sightseeing and exploring all the possibilities a place has to offer. We had a great time!
Which Bulgarian Summer Resort should you choose for your next holiday?
Let's start our journey through the 8 resorts
1. Sunny Beach
Live, entertaining and one of the most popular resorts in Bulgaria.
We flew from Gatwick to the closest Airport: Bourgas. And stayed at Iberostar Sunny Beach Resort**** during the first days of the educational visiting the Bourgas area.
Arda Hotel**/***: good value for money
Trakia Garden: family run business with good food, you will feel at home trying local delicacies like drinking Rakia, a strong fruity Brandy, then having a shopska salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta-style cheese), moussaka, gyuvetch, kyufte and baklava and famous Bulgarian yogurt.
Nazdrave!
Jeravi Hotel****: close to the beach, very comfortable rooms and friendly staff
Rose oil is the most famous Bulgarian export, distilled from the flowers of the Rosa damascena shrub that grows in the Valley of Roses, near the town of Kazanlak, Bulgaria. Bulgarian rose products are the most typical and pleasant souvenir.
Kuban Resort & Aquapark **** Casino: in the main centre of the resort with incredible views
Life is beautiful in Sunny Beach: sunshine, water sports and views to ancient Nessebar Peninsula
Hotel Chaika Beach****: close to the beach with nice atmosphere
Hotel Victoria Palace*****: fairy-tale deco with a wide range of services
Hotel Laguna Park****: perfect for families and other holidaymakers looking for a good hotel
Hotel Fenix****: access to the beach and leisure facilities
Pomorie Hotel***: the low cost all inclusive option
Globus Hotel****: right on the beach in the Sunny Beach resort
2. Elenite Resort
Quieter resort,very good option for families and couples. A long nice beach, hotels, aquaparks, restaurants and a supermarket.
Hotel Royal Castle*****: feel like a celebrity here
Elenite Spa Villas All Inclusive****: European and Bulgarian food facing the sea
Elenite Beach is quiet, relaxing and exclusive
Royal Bay Spa Hotel All Inclusive****: peaceful and green
Group Picture: UK travel agents and Balkan Holidays team
The views for Elenite
3. Nessebar
“The pearl of the Black Sea”, “The Dubrovnik of Bulgaria”
World Heritage Site by UNESCO, known as the town with the highest number of churches per capita, a city-museum in a peninsula surrounded by the sea. The most interesting Summer resort I have seen at the Black Sea.
Sol Nessebar Bay Resort & Aquapark - All inclusive****
Bridge to Nessebar Peninsula
4. Sozopol
Sozopol is one of the oldest towns on Bulgarian Thrace’s Black Sea coast. The first settlement on the site dates back to the Bronze Age.
Santa Marina Holiday Village****
Sozopol Old Town
6. Obzor
We stopped at Obzor on our way from Bourgas to Varna Area. Obzor is a small town and seaside resort. The Thracian and ancient Greek name of Obzor was Naulochos, today a very relaxing holiday town.
Sunrise All Suites Resort****
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, Varna
7. Golden Sands
Close to Varna City, located in the heart of a Natural Park: Zlatni Pyasatsi (Golden Sands) Natural Park. Specially liked this resort as it is the perfect combination of being surrounded by nature and a lively resort with many things to do.
Our Hotel: Bolero Club Hotel**** by Grifid Hotels
Melia Grand Hermitage****
Marina Grand Beach Hotel All Inclusive****
Hotel Arabella**** by Grifid Hotels
Hotel Vistamar**** by Grifid Hotels
Hotel Metropol**** (only Adults) by Grifid Hotels
Hotel Lilia**** just look at the views…
8. Albena
Nature oasis, Albena is situated only 30 km away from Bulgaria’s sea capital Varna. The resort is remarkable for its 6-km long beach. “Situated at the very beach or at the picturesque hills with exciting views of the sea and the “Balata” National Reserve.” Water sports, horse riding and excursions to the Danube.
Book your next holidays to Bulgaria, learn how to become your own travel agent with my story on International Travel Tips. Or book with Balkan Holidays. 52 years of experience in providing great value summer and winter holidays and since 1966 they have sold 3 million holidays.
Extra days? Visit Sofia & Plovdiv! Read my next story: Bulgaria II: Sofia & Plovdiv.
“I lost the fear of death at the same time I lost the belief in an afterlife.”
Dr.Ili Gidov quotes (Bulgarian born British Writer and Scholar, b.1968)
