Things To Do in Sunny Beach

There’s usually a queue at this popular haunt, which is apparently the best restaurant in the resort. The menu serves up plenty to please everyone, with everything from spaghetti Bolognese to Caprese salad making an appearance. The charcoal-grilled meat is a particular hit with customers. And for those used to UK prices, the bill will come as a pleasant surprise.

Wide-paved Flower Street is the only road in Sunny Beach with a name. Here you can scour the street stalls for beachwear, mats and inflatables. But retail wise that’s all no more than a warm-up for the Royal Beach Mall – a mammoth shopping centre that features brands like Lee Cooper and Adidas.

Folded into the hills above the resort, Khan’s Tent is big on kerb appeal – the building is shaped like a tepee. The big draw here – apart from the panoramic views – is the cabaret show. It’s a Las Vegas-type extravaganza of colourful belly dancers and a resident circus-style contortionsist called ‘Bendy Wendy’. The local liqueur, rakia, helps with the party mood.

Bulgaria’s biggest waterpark serves up the whole package. Here you’ve got the complete line-up of pools, tunnels, rides and slides, including a lazy river and the 22-metre high Kamikaze ride. There’s even a life-sized castle with slides jutting from it. Free shuttle buses are on offer from lots of hotels.

There’s a horse-riding club on the northern edge of the beach, on the road to Kosharitsa. Even if you’ve never done it before, you can join an instructor-led trek along the sand. And, once you’ve got the hang of it, you might want to saddle up for a trip into the rugged countryside. It costs about 10 lev for an hour’s ride – day-long trips are also available.

There’s no shortage of restaurants along the front, but for the real deal – and cheaper prices – head to the market area in town. Here you’ve got a clutch of Bulgarian bistros clamouring to get you through the door. On the menu you’ll find everything from kavarma – a spicy pork stew – to moussaka and spit-roasted pig. And seafood lovers should try the locally caught lobster.

Sunny Beach sure knows how to keep the party pumping. The big clubs in town lay on top-name DJs til 6am. These places don’t cut corners, either – one even comes with 12 bars, a pool and a waterslide. And if smaller venues are your thing, you’ll find cocktail bars and cosy pubs dishing up live music and karaoke.

This dance music funfest brings all the best bits of Ibiza to the Black Sea coast. You’ll see 10,000 people dancing under the stars to famous DJs – Fatboy Slim and Fede Le Grand have played in previous years. The party kicks off on Cacao Beach, in the southern part of the resort.

Sunny Beach takes a pin-in-the-map approach to cuisine. Bulgarian specialities share the menu with dishes from Hawaii and Bombay, all along the busy waterfront. Round here you always find a local drusan kebab, or borek – sesame-topped pastry filled with cheese. Walk uphill to the locals’ haunts, though, to find the really genuine article – spicy kavarma stew and lamb that’s been roasted for days.

The gentle curve of the bay here keeps the waves in check, so it’s really calm for swimming. It’s also great for all the watersports that are on offer. Pedalos and banana boats start things off, then waterskiing, jet-skiing, paragliding and scuba diving pick up the pace. Back on the sand, you can join in a game of volleyball – or tune up your swing on the mini-golf course.

After dark, the prom switches its focus from eating out to full-on partying. Come early evening, you’ll sometimes see a fire dancing show on the sand – a traditional ditty performed on hot coals. Irish pubs sort out the live music and Guinness, while stylish beach bars mix cocktails to match the sunset. And if you have the energy, huge multi-level clubs keep the party going ’til sunrise.

This swanky beach bar dishes up king-size beds and white parasols arranged around a pool. It attracts well-heeled locals who drink cocktails and frappuccinos, which all arrive with a bowl of fruit. When the sun sets, the place becomes a club, attracting top-name DJs like Paul van Dyk, who play house and dance hits to an appreciative crowd.