Black Sea Coast

Limited in-between Capul Midia and Vama Veche, the Romanian Littoral zone of the Black Sea extends on 245 km. Along the European road E87, there are aligned the 15 resorts, offering the tourists over 250,000 accommodations.

This is Romanians’ favorite destination for holidays.

The most important resort is Mamaia, situated north of the city of Constanta, on a strip of land separating the Black Sea from the Siutghiol Lake.
Mamaia is a popular destination during summer time, for Romanians as well as for foreign tourists, as a result of major programs of investment.

Other important resorts are: Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Costinesti, Neptun, Venus, Saturn, Vama Veche.

Costinesti is the traditional resort for students, while Vama Veche, at the southern extremity, at the border with Bulgaria, is the place for fishermen, also known for the “hippie” atmosphere.

The beach, oriented east and south-east, has a width varying between 150 – 200 m, mostly covered by fine sand. The slope is smooth and easily accessible, the salinity of the sea is reduced and water’s temperature is approximately 24 C degrees during the summer season.
The climate is mild thanks to the sea breezes, rich in aerosols which alleviate the heat of summer days. During the season, one can sunbathe 10 – 12 hours a day.
The Black Sea is the third in size in Europe, and the second for what concerns its depth. Marine currents are weak and the tide is of approximately 10-20 cm. There lives a species of sharks (Squalus acanthias – “the sea dog”) of small dimensions, but harmless for humans and which does not approach the shore.

Moreover, for those who wish to follow medical treatments, there are different balnearic resources with mineral and mineralized waters, therapeutic muds, in the treatment bases near the lakes of Techirghiol, Tatlageac, Neptun, Belona, Siutghiol, Corbu, Sinoe, Navodari and Tasaul.
There are multiple possibilities for accommodation, from five stars hotels to boarding houses, campings or even in the houses of the natives. Usually, starting with the 1 of September, prices lower because it’s extraseason.
For entertainment, there are numerous bars, discotheques, casinos, one can play bowling or billiards, ping-pong, there are especially designed areas for playing sports like European football, tennis, volleyball, badminton, basketball, and for the most daring there is the possibility of practicing nautical sports.

MAMAIA

Mamaia is one of the most famous resorts from the Romanian Black Sea Coast. Situated north of Constanta, somewhere between The Black Sea and Suitghiol Lake, it is best known for its large accommodation possibilities. It has the greatest accommodation potential, better said. Mamaia is a resort with a very dynamic development; the tourists have got used to the fact that they are welcomed here with new surprises every year: palm trees, Aqua Magic (a water park), artesian wells, the Telegondola (a modern cable-railway), decker buses.
Mamaia is unique for the breadth of the beaches and also for their length (more than 8 km). The sand on the beaches is very soft and the tourists enjoy themselves when they bathe into the sea. Most of it, the beach is licensed, the tourists having the opportunity to enjoy the beach umbrellas and lounge chairs (paying a certain fee, of course). But there are large places on the beaches where the tourists may stay for free. The beach from the south (near the entrance place in Constanta) is narrow and pebbly. The beach from the center of the city is the most crowded one, as it represents the place where the most beach events are organized (contests, festivals etc.). The beach from the northern side of the city is the best taken care of and there the sand is the softest.
Here and there, there are lifeguard points. The lifeguards are well-trained and are on duty daily between 8:00 and 20:00.

One of the main attractions of the resort is the water park Aqua Magic, a place where the tourists have a lot of fun. Aqua Magic is situated at the entrance of the resort and can be visited by all tourists, as there are no age interdictions. The park itself can host up to 2500 visitors. Having an area of 4000 square meters of water, this amusement park includes slides, pools and water basins. The tourists may find restaurants, bars, fast-food services, sweetshops, as well as souvenirs and picture postcards. The tourists may choose to tan themselves while sitting on the lounge chairs or to swim into the pools. Aqua Magic is illuminated, so therefore, festivals or other various forms of entertaining may be organized during the night. For the first time, an outdoor dancing floor has been built here. The tourists can see various light effects and hear sound effects and also they can see water effects, namely the water moves or dances according to the rhythm and the intensity of the music.

EFORIE NORD RESORT

Eforie Nord is situated between Agigeea and Eforie Sud and almost 12 km away from Constanta. Tourists may arrive there either by train (following the route Constanta – Mangalia, route that is used permanently) or by common means of transport, which is various, both in type and quality.

Eforie Nord is a non-stop balneary and climatic resort, well known for its balneary treatments and it’s a very popular holiday resort, as the tourist services are convenient for everyone, regarding the prices.
The beach of the resort reaches 3-4 km in length and 20-100 in breadth, being bounded by a high cliff in the northern side, place where tourists usually take long walks.


The beach of Eforie Nord Resort presents the following characteristics: the beach from the southern part, the one that leads towards Eforie Sud resort, stands as the best in this resort, as it is larger, easier to reach and includes many entertaining places. There is no cliff in the region of the resort. The beaches from the northern part and center part respectively, are, however, narrower, more crowded and the access to them is made from a high cliff by coming down several stairs.
The accommodation services are private and the tourists have the opportunity of negotiating the prices with the owners, according to the number of days they want to stay and the number of persons that want to get accommodation here.

EFORIE SUD RESORT 

Being one of the cheapest resorts on the Romanian seaside, Eforie Sud is a summery resort, situated between Eforie Nord (N) and Tuzla (S), between The Black Sea (E) and Techirghiol Lake (W). It is 18-20 km away from Constanta.
The beach here is the narrowest among all the beaches belonging to the Romanian sea-side, due to the water-erosion and the lack of investments for the protection of this environment. The cliff is very high and the access to the beach is made by walking certain stairs. It is worth mentioning that there’s a 2 km long high-quality beach in the northern part of this resort. There are also some large places where the sand is very soft. Eforie Sud is a very beautiful and peaceful resort, it offers a superb panorama and the prices are low.


The main attraction is represented by the “Baile Reci” (The Cold Baths) in mud, completely modernized. Here you can also find a Sanitarium for children suffering of rheumatism. Diseases such as physical weakness and rachitis are treated here. The resort stands out through a limy promontory and through a high cliff, on top of which the tourists may see a great panorama of the entire city. Outdoor theater, water sports and are also other entertaining activities for tourists.

COSTINESTI RESORT 

Known by everyone as the “youth resort” or “the capital of summer festivals”, Costinesti Resort lies on the shore of the Black Sea, 31 km away from Constanta. Its southern limit is the commune called 23 August, its northern one is the commune Tuzla and the eastern limit is The Black Sea.
The beach of this resort has two main characteristics/features: the beach from the southern part is large, but also very crowded and the place where the tourists usually enter the water of the sea is very pebbly (near The Obelisk and BTT). The beach from the northern part (towards the Wreck) is narrow, limited by a cliff, which is not too high. However, the water is very clean and the sand is very soft here.


For water sports lovers, there is Costinesti Lake (which has an area of 7 ha), where the tourists can sail the boat or hydro-bicycle. This lake is a very special one, being the only one that is not supplied from the underground.
Before entering the city of Costinesti (inhabited by 1300 people), the tourists may also visit the village of Schitu (inhabited by 1800 people). A children camp can be found here. Up to 200 children can apply for this camp.

NEPTUN RESORT

Neptun is situated between Olimp and Jupiter (two other seaside resorts), 35 km away from Constanta and 8 km away from Mangalia.
The main attraction of this resort is the beach called “La steaguri”, which is one of the best organized beaches on the Romanian seaside, together with the beaches from Mangalia resort. People can sail on the sea with the boats every day here (the open sea tour). The beach from Neptun is connected both with the ones from Jupiter (S) and Olimp (N), but as far as the connection with the latter beach is concerned, they are not directly connected, as there is an area that separates them, area that belongs to the Government. There, one may see the most expensive mansions from Romania. These mansions belonged to the State Protocol of the ex-Communist Regime.


The beach of the Neptun resort is 30-100 m broad, it contains fine sand, clean water and a lot of entertaining possibilities and other various services.
It’s one of the most luxurious resorts of the Romanian seaside. The beach is mostly covered by lounge chairs and beach umbrellas for which people have to pay. Hardly is there a place for the tourists that want to sit on their own sheets. Neptun-Olimp is a very changing resort, because it was built on the gulfs between the sea and Neptun Lake. As a consequence for that, the hotels are placed atypically. Neptun resort is somehow similar to Mamaia resort, as the prices are high in restaurants and bars, but the quality of the products is high.

VENUS

Situated at 3-20 m above the sea level, 3 km away from Mangalia and 41 km away from Constanta, Venus resort is an ideal destination for relaxation, fun, but also for treatment, as well. The resort includes a large natural beach (1, 2 km in length between Venus and Saturn resorts and 200 m in breadth) with soft sand used for heliotherapy and thalasso-therapy. There are also hypothermal sulfuric mineral springs, which are fixed in such a manner that they look like showers. For party lovers, there are restaurants, bars, discos, clubs, pools, various shops, cinemas, playgrounds, an amusement park etc. There is a pavilion in the Southern part of the resort, place that is specially designed for sulfurous baths, mud treatments and a very important stud farm.

SATURN RESORT

Saturn resort is situated in the vicinity of the town Mangalia, 43 km away from Constanta. It is bounded on the north by Venus resort. Together with the entertaining programmes that are provided here, the main attraction of the resort is the existence of the sulphurous mesothermal water springs and of the therapy mud. Both the spring water and the therapy mud are used for the treatment of the gynecologic affections and affections regarding the locomotor system (musculoskeletal system).
The beach is situated between the beaches of Venus and Mangalia. The southern side of the beach, which leads to Mangalia, is indented by several artificial gulfs that have an easy access to the sea, but they are less broad than the breadth of the beach. The northern side, which leads to Venus, is almost 2 km long and 100-150 km broad. There are no impediments on the beach that might bother the tourists while going into the sea (stones, glass shards etc…).


In Saturn, tourists may find two holyday villages (Dunarea and Delta), a camping site, restaurants, bars, many swimming pools, summer gardens, discos, playgrounds for minigolf, tennis, an outdoor cinema, an amusement park. For water sports and horse riding lovers, there are many possibilities to practice them. For the adventurous types, the tourist routes include the ancient town of Callatis, the other holyday resorts and even some close regions of the Dobrudja plateau.

VAMA VECHE RESORT

It is a small town, situated several km away south of 2 Mai. It has become lately a popular spot for tourists, due to the atmosphere of nonconformity (similar to Costinesti), and low prices.
The beach is pretty much ok, it is approximately 200 m broad. There is also an old wreck placed several hundreds of m away from the coast, just like in Costinesti.


The tourists can find private accommodation (there are many villas and mansions). Tourists can also find accommodation in the camping sites where they can put up tents.

Points of Interest:

The Casino from Constanta stands for a guide mark on Constanta’s touristic map. It was built in 1909 following the plan of the architect Daniel Renard, and it represents the only element of the “art nouveau” style.

 The Casino in summer

The Casino in winter

In front of the casino there is the Aquarium from Constanta, inaugurated in 1958 which offers the tourist a fascinating incursion in the sea world. There can be admired different species of fish both of fresh waters and also of salt waters, exotic fish, the thornback ray, the seahorse, the dragonfish, the scorpionfish, a collection of sturgeons, all the species living in the Black Sea being represented, and innumerable species of invertebrates.
We mustn’t forget about the Genovese Lighthouse, octagon shaped, 8 meters high, situated on the sea-wall in Constanta, built between 1858 – 1860, in memory of the Genovese merchants

Transport possibilities
In order to reach the Romanian seaside by car, you have at your disposal the Bucharest-Fetesti-Constanta National Road or the European Road E60 Urziceni-Slobozia-Constanta, or the European Road E87 Tulcea-Constanta, with derivation for Braila and Galati, or the National Road Calarasi-Ostrov-Constanta.
On the railway, you ca choose direct routes to Constanta from almost any corner of the country. Or, there is the possibility of changing the route in Bucarest. During the season, the numver of trains going to the seaside is increased. In between Constanta and Mangalia, there are train stations and flag stations from where one can reach any of the resorts. This way, from Constanta’s station, one can reach Mamaia and Navodari; the following stations are Agigea, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, flag station Tuzla, the station of Costinesti, the flag station Costinesti and the flag station Neptun, in order to reach the resorts Neptun, Olimp, Jupiter, the station of Mangalia for Mangalia, Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, Cap Aurora, Neptun, Olimp, 2 Mai and Vama Veche.
For those who want to use air routes, The International Airport “Mihail Kogalniceanu” is situated only approximately 20 km away from Constanta. This airport serves the entire Romanian coast of the Black Sea and it is connected to the main European capitals through charter flights during the summer season.

Winter on the Black Sea Coast