Guide to Bourgas Region

Beaches

Your swimming gear, a bumper bottle of sun cream and a stack of best-selling reads. You supply that and Bulgaria's Black Sea coast will provide the rest. Sands as soft as silk. Balmy waters seducing you in for a swim. Beach bars churning out cool-down cocktails. Bulgaria's shores are spot on if you're looking to spend most of your holiday horizontal. In fact, its clutch of gently sloping beaches are more akin with the Caribbean than Eastern Europe. Ozbor Beach, Nessebar and Sveli Vlas are all blessed with blonde sands and crystal waters. The perfect ingredients for sun-drenched days of sandcastle building, sunbathing and swimming. But for the best beach breaks in the Bourgas area, Sunny Beach is where it's at.

Eating out

• When it comes to food, it's fair to say Bulgaria's yet to make a name for itself in the world's culinary kingdom. It's not a name that trips off the tongues of the world's foodies like, say, France or Italy. But that's not to say you won't find plenty to send your tastebuds into overdrive. Bourgas and Sunny Beach both have a good selection of restaurants, ranging from cosy, folk-style affairs serving local dishes to Western-style fast-food joints that are ideal if you're just looking to grab a quick bite in between sunbathing. One thing's for sure, they like their stews here, rich concoctions baked in earthenware pots. Keep an eye out for 'gyuvech', a tasty stew stuffed with meat, peppers, aubergines and beans. 'Kavarma' is another one to try, a spicy meat stew that's a bit like Hungarian goulash. Fancy something a bit simpler? Then go for easy-to-find grilled meat served with good-old fashioned potatoes and vegetables and a basket of oven-fresh bread. It's real no-nonsense fare in Bulgaria. If you've got a sweet tooth, nibble on syrupy 'baklava' or get your mouth round some of that delicious, sugar-dusted Turkish Delight. Just don't forget to save room for the local wine. Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet – the list's impressive so get sampling…
  
  
  
  
• Hanska Shatra, Sunny Beach Built to look like the tents of the Bulgarian Khan with a mosaic decorated interior, this restaurant is the place to go for live entertainment.
  
  
• Caribby, Sunny Beach Tasty, traditional dishes are the order of the day at this Bulgarian favourite.
  
  
• Mamacita's, Sunny Beach Margaritas, Mariachi and plenty of Mexican spice are always on the menu at the only authentic Latino restaurant in town.
  
  
• Djanny's, Sunny Beach Skewered meats, shopska salad and freshly baked bread are what Djanny's is all about – don't be surprised if you have to queue to get in.
  
  
• Raphaello, Sunny Beach Get a taste of traditional Italian at this pizza and pasta house.

Nightlife

• Make no mistake about it, the cat's creeping out of the bag as far as Bulgaria's concerned. And the further out it comes, the more bars and discos pop up to give it somewhere to party. Unsurprisingly, the beach resorts are where it's at in terms of nightlife. Sunny Beach and Bourgas certainly know how to have a good time, with a great selection of bars, restaurants and discos to keep the holiday vibe lively. As night falls, the coastline lights up like a line of neon fireflies. Big club beats spill into the night, disco glitter balls light up the sky and, if you listen carefully, you can hear the distant clatter of the roulette wheel. And if you fancy something out of the ordinary, you're bound to stumble across some Russian dancing while you're here. Away from the bigger towns and beach resorts, nightlife centres on small handfuls of bars and restaurants that pepper the seafronts. Low-key or lively, your holiday is what you make it.
  
  
• Beach Bar, Mania Chill-out to the sounds of Deep House at this trendy bar.
  
  
• Amigos Fire shows, cocktails and plenty of cheesy pop music – that's entertainment.
  
  
• Iceberg A disco with a difference – it's live music all the way with bands covering the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
  
  
• Lazur With 2 floors and 8 bars and an outdoor terrace, this is the biggest club in Sunny Beach.
  
  
• Disco Orange 80's tunes, retro rhythms, RnB, commercial dance and chart – you're spoilt for music choice at this party place.

Shopping

The outdoor markets are the perfect place to begin your shopping. From fruits, nuts and spices to religious icons, rose oil and Turkish delight, you can buy all manner of souvenirs and keep sakes. And remember, they'll expect you to haggle so get ready to bargain them down. Souvenir shops, tiny boutiques and village stores jostle for space beside more modern, western-style shops. But, the place to go if you want to shop till you drop is Troika Mall in Bourgas. Not only will you find the likes of Wrangler, Nike and Puma here but there are also restaurants, beauty salons and jewellery stores spread over several floors.