5-euro cocktails and dream beaches: this popular Black Sea resort offers the best value for money in Europe
Between travel costs, accommodations, and activities, dreams of escape as the holidays approach can quickly be dashed. Faced with the desire to get away without breaking the bank, finding a budget-friendly destination has become THE priority. This seaside resort is often cited as the cheapest holiday destination in Europe for British tourists, yet it is relatively unknown to the French.
Located on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, it stretches over 9 kilometers of fine sand and offers all the amenities for families and young people who love to party. From budget hotels to luxury resorts, to lively restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, the beach known to the English as "Sunny Beach"—but nicknamed "Côte du Soleil" by the French—is frequently compared to a Bulgarian version of "the new Ibiza."
If Sunny Beach (or Sunny Beach, if you prefer to call it by its real name) is popular with many young people from all over Europe, with a predominance of English and Scandinavians, it is because its prices are very attractive compared to other popular destinations: a meal in a local restaurant will cost you between 3.50 and 7.50 euros and cocktails, very popular in Sunny Beach especially during "happy hours", will cost you between 4 and 7 euros, with often "two for one" offers. As for the local beer, expect to pay only between 1.50 euros and 3 euros per pint.
And just because it's an affordable destination doesn't mean it's any less appealing. Anyone looking for a good-value sun holiday will be delighted: there's a very spacious, fine-sand beach (up to 60 metres wide in some places), sunbeds and parasols for €2.50 a day, and a shallow, azure sea with excellent water quality, as the resort has been awarded the Blue Flag. During the summer months, the water temperature is excellent for swimming, at around 23 degrees.
While there are plenty of things to do by the sea, from water sports (catamaran excursions, jet skis, banana boats) to sipping cocktails at beach bars, the surrounding region offers cultural gems not to be missed, starting with the town of Nessebar, just 5 kilometers away, nicknamed "the Pearl of the Black Sea" and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Accessible in less than 10 minutes by local bus or a 45-minute walk, the old town of Nessebar is not to be missed under any circumstances. Visitors find themselves immersed in a picturesque peninsula with a peaceful atmosphere, where old wooden houses and numerous Byzantine churches blend with the charm of the coastline. While strolling through the cobbled streets, don't miss the Archaeological Museum, which traces a history spanning over 3,000 years, and the Church of Christ Pantocrator, one of the most beautiful and best-preserved in Bulgaria. Other nearby towns, such as Burgas and Sozopol, are also worth a visit.
L'Internaute
