Sunny Beach
Where to Stay in Sunny Beach: Areas Compared
Sunny Beach is not one place but a strip, and where you sleep on it decides what kind of holiday you have. The north end and the centre are two kilometres and one entire atmosphere apart, and Nessebar's old town, a short way south, changes the character again.
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Which area to choose in Sunny Beach
The north end
Newer complexes set back from the main alley, the quietest sand in the resort and most of the family hotels. You are a twenty-minute walk from the noise, which is precisely the point.
See stays hereThe central strip
The main alley and the clubs behind it, loud until dawn through July and August and cheap for exactly that reason out of season. If you book here, take a room facing away from the alley.
See stays hereThe south end
Calmer than the centre and close enough to walk to Nessebar along the sand. Most of the large all-inclusive blocks stand here, which makes it the best value for a family that wants the buffet included.
See stays hereSveti Vlas
A marina town on the hillside five kilometres north, with cooler evenings, a yacht harbour and no strip at all. Better value per star than Sunny Beach, but you will use the bus to reach the beach bars.
See stays hereNessebar old town
A UNESCO peninsula of wooden houses and old churches four kilometres south, with guesthouses rather than resorts. The most atmospheric place to sleep on this coast, though day-trippers fill the lanes until evening and rooms cost more in August than Sunny Beach's.
See stays herePlaces to stay in Sunny Beach
Browse all staysPer-night prices for a sample 3-night stay — enter your dates for real ones
3 guests · 1 bd · 1 ba
кв. Камелия 20, Sunny Beach Bulgaria, 8240
Hotel · 6 guests · 2 bd · 2 ba
Sunny Beach, Sunny Beach BG, 8240
6 guests · 1 bd · 1 ba
Кв.Камелия 104 Кв.Камелия 104, Sunny Beach, 8240, Bulgaria
3 guests · 1 bd · 1 ba
Sunny Beach F1 Apartment,Persani 2,6 floor,КВ.ПЯСЪЦИТЕ 58А, Sunny Beach Bulgaria, 8240
4 guests · 1 bd · 1 ba
ул. „Слънчев бряг“ 3, Sunny Beach Bulgaria, 8240
6 guests · 2 bd · 1 ba
кв. Камелия 180, Sunny Beach Bulgaria, 8240
Good to know
- Sunbeds and umbrellas are charged separately from your room almost everywhere on the central strip, and the daily rate for two adds up across a week. The public stretches at the far north and far south cost nothing and are far less crowded.
- All-inclusive means different things here. Check recent reviews for what the buffet covers — imported spirits and a-la-carte restaurants are usually extra, and the gap between a good and a bad one is wider than the price gap.
- Restaurants on the strip charge roughly double the same meal in Nessebar's new town or in Ravda, minutes away by bus. Taxis on the alley overcharge routinely — check the tariff sticker before you get in.
- Early September has the warmest sea of the year and a calmer strip; June is cheaper still, but the water is several degrees colder.
- Two big water parks are why many families pick Sunny Beach over Golden Sands: Action, in the western part of the resort, and the larger Aqua Paradise about ten minutes away towards Nessebar. Most hotels shuttle to one or the other — ask before paying for a taxi.
When to visit
The season runs from June to mid-September, and July and August are the busiest and dearest by a wide margin. Early September is the pick: warmest sea, calmer resort. June is cheaper still, but colder water. Outside that window most of Sunny Beach simply shuts — by November it is a building site of closed shutters, which is worth knowing before booking an off-season bargain.
Getting around
Burgas airport is about thirty kilometres away, some forty minutes by taxi, with a regular shuttle bus through the season. Inside the resort a small bus loops the strip constantly for about a euro and a half, and walking from the north end to Nessebar along the beach takes roughly an hour. A car is more nuisance than help in July, when parking on the strip is scarce and usually charged, but it earns its keep if you mean to see Sozopol or the villages south of Burgas. Buses to Burgas and to Nessebar leave from the main road behind the strip every half hour in season, cheaper and more predictable than a taxi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers to the things people ask before booking a stay in Sunny Beach.
Browse all staysSunny Beach or Nessebar?
Sunny Beach for the sand, the water parks and the nightlife; Nessebar's old town for atmosphere and quiet evenings. They sit four kilometres apart, so staying in one and visiting the other is easy whichever you choose.
Which part is quietest?
The north end, and Sveti Vlas on the hillside beyond it. The central strip is loud until dawn throughout July and August, and no amount of glazing fixes that.
How much does a night cost?
As a guide, for two people sharing: roughly EUR 110-115 a night in July, EUR 100 in June and EUR 95 in September. Sveti Vlas runs a little cheaper, while Nessebar's old-town guesthouses are the most expensive on this stretch in August.
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