Sunny Beach is located on the southern part of the Black Sea coastline of Bulgaria. The resort is widely regarded as the best beach resort in Eastern Europe and benefits from an 8km long sandy beach which is up to 60m wide in places.
The resort was originally made popular in the communist period with Russians and other eastern Europeans visiting the warmest beach resort behind the iron curtain. Since the turn of the century the face of Sunny Beach has dramatically changed with major renovation and large amounts of new construction making this a modern, lively and very popular resort. Now the main groups of visitors are from Western Europe, Scandinavia and Germany as well as from Bulgaria and Russia.
The summer season officially lasts from early May through to early October with many bars and restaurants only opening during this period however with the increase in apartment ownership and emigrants now living in the area, an increasing number are staying open all year round adding to the appeal of the area.
The Central Part of the resort consists of shops, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and apartments. This is the centre of activity and covers an area that is approximately 4 miles (6km) long and 1 mile (1.6km) wide at its widest point. The bars and nightclubs in the busiest areas are open 24 hours per day and restaurants vary from fast food outlets through to 4/5 star dining.
Many of the apartments on offer are located around the edges of this area which makes them within easy walking distance of the beach as well as being close to the entertainment. The developments vary from those with only a few apartments to others that have several hundred in the same complex.
Sunny Beach runs into the World Heritage Town of Nessebar to the south. Nessebar is a direct contrast to Sunny Beach being one of the oldest towns in Europe with a rich history. With the increase in population it now comprises of 2 areas, the New and the Old with the ancient part of the town being situated on a peninsula (previously an island) that is connected to New Nessebar by a narrow man-made isthmus.
The Old part of the town is a magnet for tourists in the summer months having not changed much over the years. Many of the old houses almost touch over the cobbled streets, most have not been touched for hundreds of years but those that have been renovated have been kept in the style of the general area. This part of Nessebar also houses many fish restaurants and good quality hotels as well as the marina, fishing port and harbour. In the summer a short boat journey links Old Nessebar and the pier in the centre of Sunny Beach.
The New part of the town is more commercial with everyday shops alongside tourist shops. Here you will find the post office, supermarkets, butchers and furniture shops as well as some smaller apartment developments. To the south of the new part is another large sandy beach called South Beach, again this provides a safe bathing area which is very popular in the summer.
To the north of Sunny Beach is the marina town of St Vlas. Originally a smaller resort in its own right, development has almost joined the town to Sunny Beach. The square is the centre of the original town of St Vlas but the main focus of the new area is the 300 berth marina that dominates the coastline. Natural and man-made beaches flank the marina on both sides and views from the coastline take in the wide arc of Sunny Beach as well as the Nessebar peninsula. Developments are generally larger here than in Sunny Beach and the far end of the resort becomes the all inclusive resort of Elenite.
Running for approximately 6 kilometres inland from the north end of Sunny Beach is Kosharitsa. The large hillside immediately inland provides the natural backdrop to the area known as the new villa zone. Many of the new villa and apartment developments located in Kosharitsa can be found here with almost all offering superb panoramic views across Sunny Beach towards Nessebar. The new villa zone runs into the old villa zone which is primarily populated by individual villas many of which are lived in all year round by Bulgarians and expatriates.
Further inland again is the original old town of Kosharitsa which is home to the old church, school and house which have stood for many years. Bulgarians make up the majority of the inhabitants of the old town although some expatriates have also settled amongst them.
All of the areas of Kosharitsa are served by a regular bus service that links it to Sunny Beach therefore reducing the need to hire a car.
To the south of Nessebar is the smaller resort of Ravda. Ravda is home to many small sandy beaches as well as a couple of larger ones. Generally smaller apartment developments are found here with a couple of notable exceptions. Ravda has its own shops, bars and restaurants but is also connected to Sunny Beach and Nessebar in the summer months by a tourist train that runs along the coast road.