Move Over Spain! This European Beach Destination Is Cheaper & Less Crowded
We all know Spain for its scenic Mediterranean coast, interspersed with vibrant resort cities and hugged by crystal-clear seas, however when you’ve been to the Iberian nation prior to now three or 4 years, you have most likely seen how shockingly costly and busy it is develop into.
From a mean overnight rate of $201 in Barcelona to unsustainable ranges of overtourism within the stylish trip island of Mallorca, the place anti-tourist sentiment has been dangerously brewing, we would not be the primary in line to board that flight.
Luckily, there’s an thrilling Spain dupe tucked away within the far more offbeat, lesser-known Southeastern nook of Europe inflicting fairly the commotion currently, and if we should add, it is way cheaper and fewer crowded:
Bulgaria Is All The Rage This Year!
When you consider Bulgaria, you most likely conjure up photos of wintry landscapes, Soviet-style concrete blocks, and Orthodox piousness.
While there may be some fact to that, one thing most individuals do not know is that it turns right into a summer season paradise within the hotter months.
Were you even conscious that Bulgaria’s shoreline on the Black Sea extends for an uninterrupted 235 miles and is lined with quaint seashore cities that simply could not be additional aside from the stereotypical grayed-out, war-torn model of Eastern Europe?
Or that, for example, it is about as heat because the Mediterranean, if not hotter?
We child you not:
Some cities alongside the coast have a mean each day most of 84.2°F and lows of 66.2°F, and when you’re pondering whether or not to pack an additional jumper or two ‘simply in case’ it will get chilly, child, you higher save area in your carry-on for some extra swim shorts as an alternative.
Not to brag, however no different journey information web site stays on high of journey tendencies like Travel Off Path, and we reported a few years in the past on how the Black Sea is a new Mediterranean in the making, and we’re glad to see others are lastly catching on:
Why This Lesser-Known Country Is So Trendy Right Now
- It’s cheaper
- It’s stunning
- It’s not as crowded
This 12 months, The New York Times featured this a part of the world in their listing of ‘greatest locations to journey’ in 2025, whereas CEO for Europe-based journey company TUI was recorded stating Bulgaria ‘might rival vacation hotspots akin to Mallory and Menorca’ in summer season.
Newcomers are additionally taking to social media in droves to showcase Bulgaria’s magnificence: on TikTook alone, the hashtag #bulgaria alone has racked up over 2.5 million posts.
Users will share their captures of sandy seashores, sleepy coastal villages that appear frozen in time, and beautiful nature but to fulfill the spoils of mass tourism.
Some of the preferred TikTook’s, nevertheless, discuss with Bulgaria’s affordability as a seashore vacation spot, in comparison with Spain, Italy or Greece.
This put up by TikTook consumer @heroiisa specifically highlights Varna as a cheap summer season getaway, the place lodging costs vary from solely $8 to $30-a-night, meals value between $5 and $12 in native eating places, and the seashores look untarnished, with crystal-clear waters:
@heroiisa BUDGET TRAVEL GUIDE TO VARNA, BULGARIA✈️ Varna is likely one of the greatest locations to go to if you find yourself younger and on a price range!✨ All costs are in USD and based mostly on a sensible price range for BUDGET vacationers in Varna, Bulgaria💸 🏨Accommodation: $8 to $30/night time per individual when you keep in a hostel dorm or share an condo or a double room in an affordable guesthouse/resort with somebody. This relies on the season, the decrease finish of the costs is for shoulder season (April-June or September-October) and the upper finish for top season (July-August). 🍛Food: there are many choices for $5 to $12/meal. If you prepare dinner, you are able to do it even cheaper than this! ☀️Activities: $0-20 relying on what you wish to do! I didn’t spend a lot cash on actions in Varna as a result of there are various free issues to do however there are additionally some paid actions you are able to do relying in your price range. 🚌Getting there: You can get to Varna by bus or practice from different fashionable Bulgarian locations and cities like Sofia, Burgas, or Plovdiv. Bus and practice tickets rely upon the route however are often very inexpensive ($2-12). ✈️Flights: When it involves flights, you may fly into Burgas, Sofia, Plovdiv, or Varna from many European cities with Ryanair or Wizz Air after which take public transportation to Varna. It’s additionally an choice to fly someplace else within the Balkans and take public transportation from there if in case you have time for an extended journey.
That’s an account by a single traveler, however Budget Your Trip, our personal most popular platform for monitoring costs throughout completely different nations, corroborates that Bulgaria is certainly on the cheaper finish on the subject of summer season locations.
More particularly, vacationers will spend a mean $27 on meals per day, until they’re touring luxuriously (in that case, they need to price range $73), and $72 on resorts, for complete week-long journey bills of $1,076 for 2 individuals (or the equal in Bulgarian lev).
Where To Go In Bulgaria In Summer?
- Sunny Beach
- Nessebar
- Varna
- Burgas
- Sveti Vlas
There are numerous world-class locations to select from when you’re skipping Spain and heading to Bulgaria this 12 months.
If you search Old World allure and tradition, go to the picture-perfect, cobbled Nessebar. This walled metropolis occupies the top of a slender peninsula and has a wealthy historical past relationship again a number of millennia and comprising durations of Thracian, Greek, and Roman rule.
Its ensemble of Byzantine church buildings and fortifications are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the hotel-lined South Beach, a brief drive from the Old Town, has been awarded Blue Flag standing, owing it to its cleanliness.
Looking for a conventional seashore getaway as an alternative, Mallorca-style?
Sunny Beach just isn’t an island, although it’s, because the title signifies, a sun-drenched resort improvement unfolding alongside an azure Black Sea full of seashore bars, the place beer prices as low-cost as $2, and a waterfront 3-star Hotel Zaara will solely set you again by $35-a-night.
Keen on an all-inclusive deal as an alternative?
HI Hotels Imperial Resort has nightly charges from a shockingly inexpensive $80 this June, all meals included, and entry to all resort areas, together with the pool and health middle.
We’re not going to misinform you: Sunny Beach can get a bit crowded in summer season, not as a consequence of an inflow of overseas vacationers however as a consequence of its reputation with Bulgarians (and the neighboring Romanians) themselves. So, for some peace and quiet and extra exclusivity, there’s Sveti Vlas to the northeast.
A laid-back yacht marina boasting a plethora of eating choices, and several other lengthy miles of untouched positive, golden sands, it has 5-star resorts from $66 per night time––try the Garden of Eden Complex.
For a metropolis break, our high picks are Burgas and Varna, the most important conurbations on the Bulgarian coast, and two bustling Black Sea ports well-known for his or her historical heritage––even the Starbucks in Varna is constructed on high of Roman relics!––and thriving nightlife.
They’re additionally the gateway to the coast, internet hosting low-cost flights from quite a few European locations within the excessive season, beginning in May.
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This article initially appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed listed below are the creator’s alone, not these of any financial institution, bank card issuer, resort, airline, or different entity. This content material has not been reviewed, authorized or in any other case endorsed by any of the entities included inside the put up.