Varna beaches: city beaches, quiet coves and wild beaches nearby
The best beaches in Varna from Golden Sands to Pasha Dere, plus Kamchia, Shkorpilovtsi and Karadere: access, facilities, unguarded sections and 2026 water quality.
The best beaches in Varna start right in the city: Central Beach lies directly below the Sea Garden, and a chain of sandy strips runs north to Golden Sands and south past Asparuhovo and Galata to the wild beach of Pasha Dere. Further south are Kamchia, Shkorpilovtsi and Karadere. Below we list them from north to south, using the descriptions of Visit Varna, the Ministry of Tourism list of unguarded beaches and the 2026 bathing water results of the Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI) Varna.
What kinds of beaches does Varna have?
- Resort beaches to the north: Golden Sands, Kabakum, Sunny Day and St Constantine and Helena, long and wide with full services. See Golden Sands and St Constantine for the resorts themselves.
- City beaches below the Sea Garden: the groynes (Bunite), Officers’, Fishermen’s, Central and South Beach, then Asparuhovo across the bridge.
- Quiet and semi-wild beaches in the south: Galata, the Romantika cove, Fichoza and Chernomorets, with rocks and clear water.
- Wild beaches: Pasha Dere at the southern edge of the city and, further on, Karadere near Byala.
A few beaches are not open to everyone. The four beaches of the Euxinograd state residence, between Cape St George and the Trakata fishing village, have no free access because of the status of the area, according to Visit Varna. Trakata itself is a small 200 m bay with a tiny fishing port and little parking, and Pochivka beach next to it has been shrinking in recent years.
Which beaches have lifeguards?
Each summer the Ministry of Tourism publishes a list of unguarded sea beaches. In the version of 13 July 2026, Varna Municipality had 15 such sections: Chayka – central 1 and 2, Chayka – south, Mineral Pool – south, Euxinograd 1–3, Officers’, Galata – north, Galata – east, Fichoza – north, Fichoza, Fichoza – south, Chernomorets hut – north and Pasha Dere. South of the city it adds Romantika and four Kamchia – north sections (Avren), Kamchia – south, Izgrev – Horizont and Shkorpilovtsi – north (Dolni Chiflik), and five sections in Byala. The ministry updated the list again on 20 August 2026; check the latest order before you go.
For 2026 the regional governor launched a tender for lifeguards on eight of these beaches, among them Fichoza section 2, Romantika, Shkorpilovtsi – north and Karadere, for a season expected to run until mid-September (Novinite). Anywhere else, look for a lifeguard tower before you swim.
What do the beach flags mean?
Under the Bulgarian water rescue rules, lifeguard posts fly signal flags (annex on flag signals):
- Green: swimming allowed.
- Yellow: swimming allowed with extra care; no inflatables or floating objects in the water.
- Red: no swimming.
- Red over yellow: start and end of the best-protected stretch of shore.
- Black and white chequered: zone where recreational boats come in and go out.
How clean is the water?
The RHI Varna monitors 23 bathing zones from Golden Sands to Byala, every two weeks during the bathing season, which in 2026 ran from 1 June to 30 September (schedule). In June 2026 it rated 21 zones excellent, Romantika in Kamchia good and Officers’ Beach satisfactory; 22 of the 23 zones have been excellent since 2021 (BNT). Officers’ Beach is the problem spot: in June 2026 the RHI recommended a temporary swimming ban there because of high E. coli and intestinal enterococci (BNT), and its samples were mostly higher than in the other city zones through September. Every sample is published in the 2026 results.
What does a sunbed cost?
Prices are set by each concessionaire or tenant. The Ministry of Tourism publishes an interactive map of sunbed and umbrella prices recorded during its inspections at the start of the 2026 summer season.
Tips for a beach day in Varna
- No car: Central, South and the groynes are walkable from the centre through the Sea Garden. Asparuhovo and Galata lie across the Asparuhov Bridge; the neighbourhoods guide explains the districts.
- With children: choose Central, South, Asparuhovo or Sunny Day for shallow, calm water.
- For quiet: Galata, Fichoza and Chernomorets on weekdays; Pasha Dere and Karadere for wild beach days, but bring water, shade and a bag for your rubbish.
- When to come: the official bathing season is June to September; see when to visit Varna for the weather month by month. For empty beaches further north, read about Kaliakra, Tyulenovo and Durankulak.
Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Sources
- Visit Varna (Varna Municipality) – Varna beaches
- Ministry of Tourism – Concessions and lease of beaches (orders on unguarded beaches, beach prices map)
- Ministry of Tourism – Order T-RD-16-221 of 13 July 2026, list of unguarded sea beaches for summer 2026
- Regional Health Inspectorate Varna – bathing water monitoring
- Regional Health Inspectorate Varna – monitoring schedule 2026 (bathing season)
- Regional Health Inspectorate Varna – monitoring results 2026
- BNT – Seawater off the Varna coast is of excellent quality (18 June 2026)
- BNT – RHI recommends temporary swimming ban at Officers' Beach (19 June 2026)
- Novinite – Varna tender for lifeguards on unguarded beaches (22 May 2026)
- Water rescue ordinance – annex on flag signals (strategy.bg)
- Wikipedia (bg) – Kamchia resort
- Wikipedia (bg) – Shkorpilovtsi
- Wikipedia (bg) – Kara Dere
- Wikipedia (bg) – Galata (Varna)
- OpenStreetMap contributors (coordinates, ODbL)
The list 16
✨ Picked for the current time and weather in Varna
Golden Sands and Panorama beach✨ Good right now
The resort's wide beach of fine golden sand runs for more than 3.5 km from the yacht port to Riviera; north of the port, Panorama beach adds 1.5 km by a fishing village and campsite, with some cliffs and underwater rocks. The RHI tests three zones here (Panorama, Golden Sands, Riviera – Chayka).
Best for: A long sandy beach with full resort services
Chayka beach✨ Good right now
A quieter strip below steep slopes, reached by steps, for people who prefer to avoid the big resorts. The sections Chayka – central 1 and 2 and Chayka – south are on the 2026 list of unguarded beaches.
Best for: A calmer day away from the resort crowds
Kabakum and Sunny Day✨ Good right now
Kabakum ('crumbly sand') is a wide beach of more than 1 km from the Journalist hotel to the Sunny Day pier, with volleyball, jet skis and rides. Sunny Day next door is a sheltered east-facing bay, 1 km long and 20–80 m wide with shallow sandy water, open to outside visitors.
Best for: Water sports, and shallow water for children at Sunny Day
St Constantine and Helena✨ Good right now
About 3.5 km of beaches beside deciduous trees and healing mineral waters, where you can switch between sea and mineral water. The RHI samples four zones here; the zone below the Mineral Pool had several higher readings in 2026, and the Mineral Pool – south section is on the unguarded list.
Best for: Combining a swim with the mineral pools
The groynes: Third and Second Buna✨ Good right now
Northern city beaches below the zoo and the upper Sea Garden. Third Buna has convenient access by car or bike, a parking area, beach equipment for hire and restaurants nearby; Second Buna runs south to Officers' Beach. The RHI zone 'Briz – 3 Bunite' was mostly in the low range in 2026.
Best for: A city swim with easy parking
Officers' Beach✨ Good right now
The area around the First Pier, with the liveliest strip of bars, clubs and restaurants on the promenade and pedalos for hire. It is the weak spot for water quality: rated only satisfactory, with a temporary swimming ban recommended in June 2026, and its 'Ofitserski' section is on the unguarded list.
Best for: Bars and nightlife rather than swimming
Central Beach and Fishermen's Beach✨ Good right now
Central Beach, right below the main entrance of the Sea Garden, has fine sand, a shallow flat bottom, sunbeds, umbrellas and water attractions. To the north, the small Fishermen's (Ribarski) beach is edged with tetrapods along the promenade.
Best for: A quick swim from the centre
Asparuhovo beach✨ Good right now
One of the widest and most comfortable beaches in Varna: more than 1 km long and over 100 m wide in places, with very fine sand, shallow calm water and a view of the city. It runs from the sea–lake canal to the Karantinata fishing port.
Best for: Children and long, lazy beach days
Galata beach and Romantika cove✨ Good right now
Galata beach is over 1 km of coarse, clean sand among greenery with clear water. Nearby, the 500 m 'Romantika' cove, which Visit Varna calls Varna's secret beach, is sheltered by forest and rocks and harder to reach. Galata – north and Galata – east are on the unguarded list.
Best for: Clear water away from the city crowds
Fichoza✨ Good right now
More than 2 km below the Priboy area, bounded by rocks and boulders, with clear water, diving spots, secluded corners and a wide section with places to eat. Its sections are on the unguarded list; Fichoza section 2 was among the beaches for which the regional governor sought a lifeguard post in a 2026 tender.
Best for: Snorkelling and quiet coves
Kamchia✨ Good right now
A resort 25 km south of Varna in Avren Municipality, with spacious, clean and partly hard-to-reach beaches by the longoz forests at the mouth of the Kamchia river. The Romantika zone was rated good rather than excellent in June 2026, which the RHI linked to the river and heavy rain; Romantika and several Kamchia – north sections are officially unguarded.
Best for: Beach plus a walk in the longoz forest
Shkorpilovtsi✨ Good right now
A village about 28 km south of Varna with a beach of about 5 km of golden-yellow sand and a seaside climatic resort status since 1963. Its central beach had some of the cleanest results in 2026; the Shkorpilovtsi – north section is unguarded.
Best for: A long, uncrowded sandy beach
Karadere✨ Good right now
The southernmost wild stretch of the Varna coast, between Byala and Goritsa: a clean, sandy beach backed by forest and scrub, with no infrastructure, popular for camping and surfing. The Ministry of Tourism lists Byala – Karadere as a beach for nature-friendly tourism. Take all your rubbish with you.
Best for: Camping and a truly wild coast
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best beach in Varna city?
It depends on what you want. Central Beach below the Sea Garden is the most convenient, with a shallow, flat bottom and sunbeds for hire. South Beach is the widest of the city beaches, and Asparuhovo, across the bridge, is over 1 km long and over 100 m wide in places with fine sand and calm, shallow water. For a resort feel, Kabakum and Golden Sands to the north are long and wide.
Is the sea water in Varna clean?
Mostly, yes. The Regional Health Inspectorate tests 23 bathing zones on the Varna coast; in June 2026, 21 were rated excellent, Romantika in Kamchia good and Officers' Beach only satisfactory. In June 2026 the inspectorate recommended a temporary swimming ban at Officers' Beach after high E. coli and enterococci readings, and later samples there stayed higher than elsewhere. The full 2026 results are on rzi-varna.com.
Are there wild beaches near Varna?
Yes. Pasha Dere, south of Galata, is more than 4 km of undeveloped beach in a protected area, and Fichoza has rocky coves and diving spots. Further south, Karadere near Byala has no infrastructure at all. These sections are on the Ministry of Tourism list of unguarded beaches, so do not count on a lifeguard.
When is the beach season in Varna?
The official bathing season in 2026 ran from 1 June to 30 September, when the RHI samples the water every two weeks. Lifeguard posts that the regional governor put out to tender for unguarded beaches were planned until mid-September. Outside these dates you swim at your own risk.
Which Varna beaches are best for children?
Those with shallow, calm water: Central Beach (shallow flat bottom), South Beach, Asparuhovo and Sunny Day, all described as shallow and calm by Visit Varna. Pick a section with a lifeguard tower and watch the flag.