Why It Is Worth Starting Your Bulgarian Beach Holiday In Burgas

Great outdoor restaurants, cafés and bars, often with a sea view, walkable downtown, perfect weather and connections to many towns and beaches on the coast. All of those reasons make Burgas perfect for the start of your summer holiday in Bulgaria. Although relatively small, Burgas is the second-largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, and it has a lot to offer in the summer.

If you’re planning your upcoming summer holiday to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast but are unsure where to start or what to do, Burgas might be your best bet.

If that sounds like something you’d be into, scroll down to find out more about the best things you can do in Burgas in the Summer!

How to get to Burgas?

Burgas has one of the busiest airports in Bulgaria in the summer. Starting in May up until the end of September, there are many charter flights from all around Europe. Flying in is definitely the best option, provided there is a good connection for you. Your second-best bet is to fly to Varna (the other big Black Sea city in Bulgaria) and then take a shuttle or rent a car to go to Burgas. It’s only 120 km away, however, there is no motorway and the road is really busy in the Summer months, so you’ll need to plan about 2 hours for the trip. Alternatively, you can fly to Sofia and catch a bus/train or rent a car to drive to Burgas. There is a motorway between Sofia and the coast and it is about 380km. Timewise, renting a car is way better than going by bus or train, and it also makes you much more flexible if you want to explore the coast, too. For parking in the city, there are clearly marked blue and green zones. You can pay with coins at a parking machine or use an App (Urbo parking).

Best things to do in Burgas

Burgas Sea Garden and the Bridge

The Sea Garden is the place to go in Burgas. It is a beautiful 5 km long park along the beach. It offers charming fountains, colourful flower beds, many playgrounds, green spaces and benches in the shade. Moreover, the steep shore opens up a wide view of the entire coast and Burgas Bay.

In the park there is an open-air theatre. Many events take place there in the summer, for example the International Folklore Festival, the Burgas Summer Jazz Festival and the National Pop Song Contest, as well as, opera, theatre performances and rock concerts.

Another landmark in the park is the famous Burgas bridge (a walking pier). I highly recommend going for a walk there, because it offers great view of the Sea Garden, the beach and the docks. It is also a lovely walk into the sea, listening to the waves and the seagulls. Sometimes street musicians play there, enriching your experience with their accordion.

Explore the city centre

Going for a walk in the city centre is a great way to spend a few hours in Burgas. The two main streets Alexandrovska and Aleko Bogoridi intersect at the town hall and characterize the centre of Burgas, forming the longest pedestrian zone in Bulgaria. Along and around the pedestrian zone you’ll find not only numerous shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, but also the majority of the city’s attractions – such as the Archaeological museum, Ethnographic Museum and the History Museum. Although they are quite small museums, you can give them a go if you are a culture vulture and like learning more about the local history and traditions.

Another staple of Burgas is the Helikon (Google Maps link) – a bookstore that’s been around for the last 30 years or so. It has a huge variety of books, board games and puzzles, with quite a lot of them in English, as well. It is located on the most famous square in Burgas – Troikata and across the courts of Justice. Around you’ll also find a very good pub if you’re interested in trying out some local craft beers or having a quick lunch – Mezetto.

Another famous landmark for your ‘to visit list’ is the Burgas Clock (Google Maps link). Every local knows about it and is a common and beloved meeting point.

Saints Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Cathedral is the biggest one in the city, and you could go in if you are interested in Orthodox temples. It’s next to the main pedestrian street, so you could quickly pop over before continuing your walk.

Go to the beach

The city beach is very accessible from the city centre. It stretches for about 4 km and during high season it is usually very busy. As a city beach, it has its downsides, like no crystal clear water and many pedestrians walking by. Nevertheless, it is a great way to refresh yourself by dipping in the Black Sea or maybe just to relax with a glass of beer or cocktail in hand. And if you are willing to drive for half an hour or more to get to a better beach, there are many beautiful places up and down the coast. You can find out more about them at the end of this post.

Try the seafood at some of the beach restaurants

On the beach, as well as along the beach alley, you will find countless bars and little restaurants, called kapani. Some of them have a more modern approach to their dishes, and some of them offer traditional food for a very affordable price. Both options are good in my opinion, depending on what kind of experience you like. For me, the best one is just at the end of the alley, called Kapana (click here for a Google Maps link). It looks a bit shabby, but the food is great, and it is where most locals go to. Another one you can try that offers traditional cuisine is The Mill (Google Maps link). It has a very nice Summer garden and is a stone’s throw away from the beach, too. I highly recommend having some fish, because many of them are freshly caught, just ask the waiters for recommendations. It could be fried sprats with fries or a grilled sea brim, sea bass or mussels. The local beer that you could try is Burgasko (a light lager beer).

Best day trips from Burgas

Burgas is not only worth visiting, but it is great as a starting point or base for your trips along the coast. Many coastal towns and beautiful beaches are less than an hour away. Here are some highlights:

Nessebar

Nessebar is an ancient city, 35 km north from Burgas. It has an old town, beautifully situated on a narrow island, now connected with the mainland by a man-made isthmus, a new town with many residential houses and hotels, and of course a few beautiful sand beaches.

The small city has a rich and long history, as it was one of the most important strongholds of the Eastern Roman Empire from the 5th century AD. Nowadays, you can still see very well-kept fortifications at the entrance of the old town. Because of its abundance of historic buildings, it is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Nessebar is sometimes said to be the town with the highest number of churches per capita (40 churches – from medieval ones to basilicas and Eastern Orthodox churches).

Sozopol

Sozopol is another ancient seaside town, 35 km south from Burgas. Its old town is situated on a little peninsula. A walk around it offers a stunning view over the bay and the beach. Sozopol is one of the oldest towns on the Bulgarian coast, with the first settlement dating back to the Bronze Age.

I love spending a day in Sozopol, strolling around in the cobblestone streets, looking at the old houses, sitting in a restaurant on the cliffs overlooking the bay or just going for a swim on one of its beaches.

Beaches

The beaches I list below are all linked to Google Maps.

There are many beautiful sand beaches on the Bulgarian coast. However, the ones that are very close to Burgas (under 30 minutes driving) are limited. To the north, my top pick is the South beach in Pomorie, that is around 18 km from Burgas. And to the south, the nearest good beach is the long Camping Gradina beach. It takes 30 minutes by car to get there from Burgas, but it is worth it. If you are willing to go some further, I highly recommend Arkutino beach, Perla beach and Veleka beach.

For a more detailed guide on the best beaches and resorts on Bulgaria’s Coast, check out our detailed article.