Underrated EU seaside town with £1.31 beers just like Spain's Costa del Sol

2025 travel will focus heavily on finding alternatives to the most popular—and crowded— holiday destinations. Spain’s Costa del Sol is a difficult destination to dupe, given its year-round sun and seemingly endless stretch of beaches, but one European seaside town presents an enticing alternative.

Sunny Beach is a seaside resort on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. While Bulgaria may not be immediately synonymous with ‘beach’ for most Brits, that’s not for lack of natural abundance. In fact, Bulgaria is rife with bustling beach resorts and charming coastal towns, and Sunny Beach is certainly the most popular.

Sunny Beach is the biggest holiday resort in Bulgaria, encompassing more than 200 hotels and 130 restaurants. Like many beach holiday hotspots, Sunny Beach is notorious for its bustling nightlife, attracting partygoers with a thriving club scene.

Parties go early into the morning at Sunny Beach as international tourists crawl the bars of Flower Street—known for their low-price pints—and dance from disco to disco. But the town is more than just a party resort and has plenty to offer vacationing families as well.

The resort’s massive water park, karting track and sand dunes make it a popular holiday destination for British families. The 36,000 square metre Action Aquapark was the first water park in the country and is home to over 30 water attractions, thematic bars and restaurants.

The real draw of Sunny Beach though is its eight kilometres of beach, including Sunny Beach Central, Sunny Beach South and Sunny Beach North. Central Beach is largely considered to be the heart of the town, and naturally, the most crowded.

Despite being so popular among Bulgarians and foreign tourists, Sunny Beach maintains a sterling reputation for its water quality and sustainability. In fact, Sunny Beach was the first Bulgarian resort to be awarded a coveted Blue Flag eco label for environmental awareness, classifying it as one of the region’s cleanest beaches.

The average temperature of the sea in the summer is between 20 to 26°C, rivalling that of the Balearics. Additionally, Sunny Beach’s location near the Eastern Balkan Mountains allows beachgoers to enjoy fresh mountain air.

Central Beach has all the modern amenities of sunbed and parasol rental, and water sports like paragliding, jet skiing and wakeboarding are also available to try. One of the most popular—and highly recommended— ways to enjoy the water is on a “banana boat”.

You’ll likely see these large banana shaped boats stacked with tourists ripping through the sea. Boat rides typically last 30 minutes and include one drink per person.

Keep in mind, Central Beach can get quite packed during the busy season between June and September. Consider visiting closer to May or even September, as most summer attractions will still be running and the temperatures are still mild thanks to Mediterranean influences tempering the climate.

If you are visiting during the busy season but want to get away from the crowds for a while, a trip to the nearby ancient city of Nessebar is a great idea. At this UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitors can marvel at ruins over 3,000 years old.