Hotels in Golden Sands, Bulgaria
357 Reviews
Traveller Rating
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Excellent95
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Very Good162
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Good63
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Average23
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Poor14
Review Overview
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Eating Out
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Nightlife
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Beaches
14 years 8 months ago
This is a lovely area, and we highly recommend it, and all of the Varna region for those wanting a very affordable European style seaside vacation. We live in Kiev, Ukraine, so it was interesting to compare this area to Yalta and the other well known Black Sea resorts of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. It compares very favorably.
We found the city of Varna to be interesting, with fantastic, reasonably priced seafood restaurants and great shops offering discount level prices on fashion goods, along with some places of history and other interesting sites to see. During our visit we noticed billboards saying that Varna was a finalist in the contest for the EU's "Center of European Culture" competition. We didn't go to any of the clubs or theatres, but there is a Dolphinarium there, as well as many museums, concerts, and free craft exhibitions.
In our opinion, the seashore there is one of the best in Eastern Europe with clean, large sandy beaches (over 20 kms long), and warm, relatively clear waters usually good for snorkeling and diving for seashells. A word of reminder, too, for any Americans that European swimsuit standards are NOT the same as the USA and topless bathing is quite common throughout. Temperatures during our mid-August stay were very pleasantly around 30C. We also found the Bulgarian people to be equally as warm, friendly and welcoming as their city and its beaches.
We found the city of Varna to be interesting, with fantastic, reasonably priced seafood restaurants and great shops offering discount level prices on fashion goods, along with some places of history and other interesting sites to see. During our visit we noticed billboards saying that Varna was a finalist in the contest for the EU's "Center of European Culture" competition. We didn't go to any of the clubs or theatres, but there is a Dolphinarium there, as well as many museums, concerts, and free craft exhibitions.
In our opinion, the seashore there is one of the best in Eastern Europe with clean, large sandy beaches (over 20 kms long), and warm, relatively clear waters usually good for snorkeling and diving for seashells. A word of reminder, too, for any Americans that European swimsuit standards are NOT the same as the USA and topless bathing is quite common throughout. Temperatures during our mid-August stay were very pleasantly around 30C. We also found the Bulgarian people to be equally as warm, friendly and welcoming as their city and its beaches.
14 years 8 months ago
the shops were very poor however you were not heckled into buying apart from the large amount of prostitutes, plenty of shops and bars on way to beach which was not very clean,which we were to find out that we had to pay to put a towel down on the beach.
14 years 8 months ago
The resort is excelent.very clean and cleaning staff always sweeping the paths and roads.Good and veried entertainment in the restaurants and in the clubs.The beaches are very clean with soft sand. A resort I will be visiting next year.
14 years 9 months ago
Golden Sands has really changed not only since I started going in 2002 but since last year ....Captians Table restaurant is no more as is the aldo supermarket also the bank just over from the Aldo across from the Chinese restaurant also the two restaurants Stochi & the one behind it are gone all demolished the aldo,bank & Cap's table were only up a few years .
The Wind Bar is also closed.
McDonalds Plain Cheese Burger,Chips,Coke Plain Burger,Chips,Coke & 1 small ice cream 25.56 leva Golden Sands the above in Varna 17.56 leva.
Golden Sands restaurants,shops,ect are having a terrible season as was predicted on these boards months ago .
Best exchange for cash was at the bank behind the Admiral 2.20 lv - £1
Best I saw in a booth that was ok was 2.15 at the Ten Bowling next to Bonkers.
Some booths are offering 2.31 but this is what they sell at so don't be kidded.
In Varna you can get 2.27 ....just down from the New Yorker department store .
Bars & Restaurants in Varna are all still cheap.
Visit the sea gardens lots of things to see & do in it also some great restaurants including Rado an Italian place lovely.
Lots of pubs offering happy hours 2 for 1 ...beers & cocktails ...& 1 free drink with meals.
We went (when eating in GS) to Izbata on party street just down from the Perunika on the other side with the tall grey headed guy trying to lure you into it ....we found the food good & reasonably priced
The Wind Bar is also closed.
McDonalds Plain Cheese Burger,Chips,Coke Plain Burger,Chips,Coke & 1 small ice cream 25.56 leva Golden Sands the above in Varna 17.56 leva.
Golden Sands restaurants,shops,ect are having a terrible season as was predicted on these boards months ago .
Best exchange for cash was at the bank behind the Admiral 2.20 lv - £1
Best I saw in a booth that was ok was 2.15 at the Ten Bowling next to Bonkers.
Some booths are offering 2.31 but this is what they sell at so don't be kidded.
In Varna you can get 2.27 ....just down from the New Yorker department store .
Bars & Restaurants in Varna are all still cheap.
Visit the sea gardens lots of things to see & do in it also some great restaurants including Rado an Italian place lovely.
Lots of pubs offering happy hours 2 for 1 ...beers & cocktails ...& 1 free drink with meals.
We went (when eating in GS) to Izbata on party street just down from the Perunika on the other side with the tall grey headed guy trying to lure you into it ....we found the food good & reasonably priced
14 years 9 months ago
The resort used to be spotless now there is rubbish lying about every where.And the pavements are dangerous as they all of them are broken and hard to walk on.Also to many cars in the resort now
14 years 10 months ago
Golden Sands is a lively resort and probably more suitable to the under 30's. Numerous bars and restaurants all vying for your trade sometimes aggressively. A lovely beach but you had to pay the equivalent of £15 a day to use sunbeds and umbrella otherwise it was nearly impossible to use the beach. Overall we found the resort commercialised and brash.
14 years 10 months ago
Golden Sands was very very quiet this year compared to 05 and 06 with many stall holders really desperate for your spending money. Clean and tidy as usual, with some new attractions, sadly a few older 'bars/shops' seem under new management and most of the familiar faces have moved on it seems. The bank opposite The Admiral has moved too...30 mtrs further north on the left. The hotel/exchange booths still offer a poor rate compared to the bank too.
14 years 10 months ago
the resort is gorgeous we adore it just wish there were more uk based tour operators
14 years 10 months ago
We got a little lost getting to the hotel, so we drove through much of Golden Sands. Some parts desperately need to be fixed up. But the area near the Hermitage was impeccable! There is a little train that takes you up and down the resort, there is a ferris wheel nearby, the Eiffel Tower bar with views of the Black Sea, all kinds of fun places for kids, all kinds of little stores, boutiques, restaurants, bars... The one thing that really diminished our pleasure was the incessant harassment by the sellers, who approach you as you are walking down the street, minding your own business, and try to sell you stuff. Very annoying. I hope they figure that out soon before the tourists decide to go somewhere else. The beach is not terribly wide, and you have to pay for an umbrella and a chair, but we just went swimming in the ocean. When we were done swimming we just crossed the boardwalk and went to the hotel pool. We were not able to find a movie theater nearby. That would have been nice. But overall, I was delighted with Golden Sands and our hotel.
15 years 8 months ago
Lots of shops/stalls around. Little land train runs between centre and passes most hotels which was great when tired. Beach lovely apart from most of it is privately owned so be prepared to pay for sun lounger (around £5 per day with mattress). You'll find it difficult to find a spot that isn't private due to there's just one strip along sea available all along beach but locals tend to grab them quick.
Location
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