Hello everyone. If you are interested in a holiday in the Albena resort in Bulgaria. Then the questions arise: How to get there? What kind of accommodation to choose? How much does it cost?
Albena. General information
Albena is a seaside resort in Bulgaria, the 3rd most popular among tourists. Albena is a closed resort complex, with barriers at the entrance. The Albena resort itself was founded back in 1966. The “green” mission of the Albena resort is an integral part of its philosophy.
There are also mineral springs in Albena, which have a temperature of up to 30° C. Treatment is carried out by balneotherapeutic procedures in the open air in pools with mineral water and baths with mineral water. At the end of 2018, Albena was chosen as a European sports resort.
Albena. Location
Albena is located on the Black Sea coast on the slopes of the Dobrudzha plateau, 30 km north of Varna and 8 km south of Balchik. You can order an individual transfer to Albena here .
Albena borders the Baltata Nature Reserve on the southern side of the resort.
Climate
The climate at the Albena resort is mild and pleasant. The warmest month at the resort is August. The average air temperature in August is about +29 °C. The average sea water temperature in May is +15.4, in June it is already +21.1, and the warmest sea water in August is +25.6 °C.
Transport
You can get to Albena by plane (38 km to Varna airport), by bus (buses from Varna leave for Albena every half hour).
Entry to the resort by car for up to 30 minutes is free, if more you will have to pay. 5 euros per day.
The cheapest parking is in the bus station area – 2.5 euros.
Of the features, in the season at the resort of Albena there is internal public transport – special small “trains”. They run on schedule along their routes inside the resort. You can see the schedule of such shuttles on the screen. Unfortunately, they do not run as often as we would like. So this year the number of trips from the bus station was reduced and the break between trips reaches one hour. In any case, it is not far to go to the sea, so from the farthest parking lot, from the bus station it is a 15-minute walk.
Albena. Accommodation
What about housing and hotels?
Albena is the most expensive resort in Bulgaria and the prices are appropriate, but there is demand and it is considerable. So in pre-coronavirus times, many hotels in Albena sold out in winter long before the start of the season. Now the availability is a little better, there is even something available for booking. But there will most likely be no places if you want to book, for example, a week before arrival.
That’s the demand. We found the cheapest offer on booking, a three-star hotel Dobrudzha for 55 euros per night for a 2-bed room with breakfast (without a balcony and air conditioning). And 88 euros if everything is included (breakfast, lunch and dinner). I wonder what it really looks like. According to the map, it is located near the sea.
It turns out this is the highest hotel in the resort. It’s not far from the sea, a maximum of 5 minutes’ walk.
Found a more expensive option Flamingo Grand Hotel & Spa 5 stars half board (breakfast and dinner) at a price of 172 euros for a 2-bed room per day. And this price includes a 10% Genius discount. There is a spa and wellness center, a great fitness center, its own beach (first line), 2 swimming pools, one of them indoor. Reviews on booking – 8.4 is a good rating. I wonder what it really looks like. Judging by the map, it is located near the sea. In appearance, this hotel looks newer than other hotels.
The sea is not far away, a maximum of 3-4 minutes walk.
Nutrition
There are catering establishments in Albena, but not as many as in other large resorts. Some cafes operate right on the beach.
There are hotels that offer their own meals, including full board. If you prefer to eat on your own, you can buy food in small shops, but the prices there are resort prices. Therefore, probably the best solution in terms of price would be to choose a hotel with at least partial meals and eat in a cafe.
Beach
The length of the beach is more than 5 km, the beach is very wide, similar to the ocean coast, the width of which is about 150 meters with fine sand.
In our opinion, the beach in Albena is, if not the best, then at least one of the best beaches in Bulgaria. The entry into the water is gentle, which is suitable for children.
The beach has been awarded the Blue Flag since 1996. Prices for umbrellas and sun loungers are free for hotel guests, for other guests 50 cents per umbrella and 50 cents per sun lounger.
You can take them together or separately. In the season you may not find any free umbrellas. We have never seen such a price anywhere else in Bulgaria. A unique situation when the paid areas of the beach are completely occupied, and there are no people on the free ones.
Resort infrastructure and entertainment.
There is a small new water park of its own – “Aquamania”. Prices in the water park.
There is an asphalt road along the coast, like a promenade, where you can walk or ride a bike.
The resort has infrastructure for sports: volleyball, tennis, badminton, etc. Among the special features, there is a free beach library.
You can see the rental prices on the screen. So, a bike rental for 1 day costs 20 euros. That’s probably why we hardly saw any cyclists. For children, inflatable toys – 40 minutes – 4.50 euros.
In Albena you will find a whole range of water attractions. So a regular banana costs 10 euros. Parachute (parasailing) 2 miles – 45 euros. Jet ski 20 minutes 30 euros.
The Albena resort offers children the opportunity to engage in sports activities: swimming pools, skateboard tracks, water karts, go-kart tracks, water bikes, bouncy castles, water slides, mini golf courses and archery courses, and horse or pony riding. Under the guidance of instructors, children can also try water sports – water skiing, surfing, jet skiing. Albena also offers entertainment for children: an amusement park and race track, inflatable children’s trampolines, a children’s railway and swings, and slot machines. A variety of services are offered, including a kindergarten and children’s clubs with educators.
Directly from Albena you can take many excursions. Some of them. Yacht ride. Quad bike safari. Visit to Balchik and Cape Kaliakra.
There are more than 40 sports available for people of all ages.
Prices for sports activities:
Use of the hall – equipped for volleyball
1 hour – 1 playground 40 euros.
Use of the hall – equipped for tennis/badminton
1 court for 1 hour (maximum 4 players) 17 euros.
Table tennis
1 hour 5 euros. (For one tennis table)
For those who are not used to lying on the beach all day long, we recommend visiting the Balata Nature Reserve, which opened in 1978. It is located in close proximity to the resort. Here you can see a rare combination of liana forest and the sea. The Balata forest is considered the northernmost liana forest in Europe. It is located along the valley of the Batova River. The reserve, located near Albena, is of exceptional interest to science, but its visit will also be remembered by ordinary lovers of beautiful nature.
Health improvement
The air in these places is rich in salts, ozone, iodine, bromine and calcium, its humidity is optimal and averages 63 – 65%. Therefore, many combine their vacation in Albena with health improvement. The medical balneological center uses everything that is given by the nature of this area: the ecological situation, mineral water and the sea climate. Balneological centers work all year round regardless of the season. To restore health, you can come in the fall, winter or spring, during this period there are fewer people at the resort and there is no heat.
Pros of the Albena resort
Nice nature, forest reserve nearby. Good resort infrastructure. Good and accessible transport links. Clean and warm sea. Gentle entry into the sea. The sea is great for the little ones. There is a water park and numerous attractions. There is an opportunity for excursions. And a flat surface, no elevation changes, you will not have to go down to the sea from a height and then climb back if your hotel is far from the sea. The resort has a fairly calm atmosphere for relaxation, suitable for people looking for a quiet holiday.
Disadvantages of the Albena resort
The highest prices for accommodation and food compared to other Bulgarian resorts. In Albena, there is a fee to enter the resort by car if the time is more than 30 minutes. Electric shuttles from the bus station go at long intervals, it would be ideal to have 10-minute breaks between flights during the season.
I wonder if you have been to Albena and what you liked or not, write in your comments?
I hope this information was helpful. I wish you all the best.
