Want to visit Romania’s Black Sea beaches? Head to Constanţa, a historical coastal town with many spa resorts, beach bars and lively parties. Founded by the Greeks, it is the largest port on the Black Sea coast.

I visited Constanţa in May 2018 after visiting the Danube River Delta and Bucharest. Actually there is a Constanta city and a Constanta County. The city is busy but you can get out and explore some smaller beach destinations and even a hippie village. If you have a little extra time on your hands, you can also make a day trip to the nearby Bulgarian beach destination – Varna.

How to reach Constanta

It is easy to reach Constanta by road from Bucharest and it will take you 3 – 3.5 hours. If you’re driving, you will have to take the A2 highway, also called the Sun’s Highway and cross the Danube River. There is a toll fee of RON 11, which is around 2.3 Euros.

You can also do this journey on a bus from Bucharest. I didn’t take the bus but my friends in Romania mentioned that the bus tickets can be bought directly at the bus station for RON 30 – 40, which is 6.5 – 8.5 Euros.

Constanta Day Trips from Bucharest:

If you’re short on time, then you can make a day trip to Constanta from Bucharest. I have handpicked a few tours for you that are between 80 – 99 Euros, where they will pick you up from the comfort of your hotel in Bucharest, take you to Constanta and then bring you back to your hotel in Bucharest. Check them out:

• 1 Day Tour to Constanta: Pick up and drop back to Bucharest, Constanta town, museums, cathedrals and mosque
• Day trip to Constanta: Pick up and drop back to Bucharest, Constanta town, cathedrals, mosque, Mamaia beaches
• A day by the Black Sea: Pick up and drop back to Bucharest, Constanta town, Mamaia beaches and more

Please read the terms of each tour before booking to see what is included.

Anyway, now that I have helped you understand how to reach Constanta, I’d like to help you decide what to do when you’re there.

Things to do in Constanta

1) Sunbathe on Mamaia’s Sandy Beaches

I get it – the main reason why you’re visiting Constanta is to enjoy the beaches. Mamaia in Romania has them in plenty for you. Book a hotel that’s right on the beach (Like Zenith) or head to a beach bar like Tan Tan beach.

Mamaia is a resort destination and it tends to get busy in summer because the sand is very white. Some say that it is the only “pure white beach destination in Europe”. I don’t agree with that statement because I did visit white sand beach Europe – Ireland’s Achill Island or Germany’s Reugen Island. Nevertheless, it is true that aren’t many white sand beaches in Europe. So make the most of it when you’re here!

2) Visit Vama Veche and Camp on the Beach

Vama Veche is a hippie village near Bulgaria border. Camping is not really permitted but is done as a sign of rebellion against the commercialization and over development of the Black Sea coast area. Due to this, it has always been considered as the outlaw’s beach or a hippie beach.

During the summer months, many music festivals and open-air parties are organized on the beaches of Vama Veche, such as the Stufstock Festival, Sunset Festival, VSLO Visual Arts Festival, etc. I was in Vama Veche for Vama Libre festival and saw Subcarpati band play. I have been a fan of that band ever since!

Here’s a little video of Subcarpati playing at Vama Libre festival in Vama Veche.

 

3) See Constanta’s Abandoned Casino

I know this building just doesn’t look like a casino but it was once upon a time. It is on Constanta’s main boardwalk and is a lovely sight. It is perched on a hill and is at a point where the coast forms a triangle.

Believe it or not, Constanta Casino has served not just as a casino and a club, but also a temporary wartime hospital. It last served as a “House of Culture” but is currently abandoned because of high operational costs.

You don’t actually have to go inside but you can enjoy an evening walk around it and watch how the seagulls fly very close to you.

4) Drive to Tuzla Beach

You cant reach Tuzla beach by public transport but only if you drive to it. Maybe that’s a good thing because this little strip of beach is unspoiled and hopefully it remains like this for long.

Tuzla beach is also the location of an underground psychedelic music festival called Dakini Festival. I did write about it in my post about top psytrance festivals to attend in 2017.

This beach is beautiful – there are rocks, a bit of light sand and turquoise blue water. There was no one else on this beach while we were there, except just one campervan.

5) Pamper Yourself in a Spa

Constanta has some of the best spas in Romania and they are surprisingly affordable. The spa rates were as low as they are in South East Asia and some of them are really good.

I tried two different spas when I was in Constanta. I highly recommend Zenith Spa in Mamaia and Ana Aslan Health Spa in Ana hotels Eforie Nord. They’re both spa hotels but they’re very different. Zenith Spa is flamboyant, while Ana Aslan Health Spa was more subdued.

6) Explore the Country Side

Get away from the busy beaches and head to Constanta’s countryside. The drive is really beautiful and depending on the season, you will see flower fields.

I was there in May and I saw wheat and poppy fields. I was told that in a few months there would be many sunflower fields.

7) Walk Around in Constanta’s Old Town

Constanta old town is full of historical buildings. I mentioned the abandoned casino from the old times but as you move into the city from the boardwalk, you will notice Ovidiu’s Statue, the Church of St. Anthony, Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, St. Nicholas Church and Kral Cami King’s Mosque. There is also a folk art museum here; it is called Muzeul de Arta Populara.

8) Explore Constanta’s Party Scene

Constanta is a party destination and there are many different kinds of parties that you can find every other night. I really enjoyed Acolo Bar in Vama Veche. This bar’s colorful decoration reminded me of Goa’s psychedelic bars. The music was not at all like Goa’s – it was mostly old school rock or even pop. But hey, it is a very good place for an old school hippy scene.

If you’re in Mamaia, you can check out Tan Tan Beach, which is directly on Mamaia beach. You don’t have to wait for it to get dark because a party can start early here. If not, you can chill on the bar because it is a fun place where you can spend hours at a stretch. It is colorful and there are many sand beds on the beach where you can enjoy the view. Tan Tan Beach

Alternatively, you can head to Café Del Mar in Mamaia for mainstream pop music party. I didn’t go there but many people in our group did and they enjoyed themselves.

9) Visit an Animal Farm – Ferma Animalelor Ograda Veseliei

This is one of those things that you can do in Constanta with kids because they will love it. There is an animal farm that’s near Vama Veche and it is called Ograda Veseliei. We saw many goats, chickens, pigs and many other farm animals.

In Ferma Animalelor Ograda Veseliei, they have a little educational tour for small children to give them information about farm animals. You can also stay here or eat traditional home cooked food here.

10) Go Sailing at Life Harbour, Limanu

Life Harbour is a sailing club in Limanu where visitors can go experience sailing. Even if you’re not into sailing, you can just visit this place for a lovely lunch by the water. The restaurant here is very good and I ate a delicious lunch of pesto pasta here. You can also stay here overnight if you book your accommodation in advance.

11) Make a Day Trip to Bulgaria

Constanta is very close to Bulgaria and Vama Veche is literally just a walk away from Bulgaria border. In fact, when we were in Vama Veche, my friend Hayley literally just walked for 15 mins and she was at the border check point.

You can make a day trip to the nearby Varna, a famous Black Sea beach destination.

Constanta Hotels – Where to Stay

I stayed in Ana hotels Eforie Nord and Zenith Mamaia and highly recommend both of them to you. They’re both a little different so I will mention a few things about them below:

Zenith Conference and Spa Hotel, Mamaia

If you’re going to spend most of your time on Mamaia’s beaches, then you should book Zenith. This hotel is right on the beach and my room actually faced the ocean.

Zenith also has a good spa inside, which was unexpectedly affordable for a hotel which is this size. I got a back massage here which I highly recommend. They also have beauty packages in the spa – such as facials, waxing, etc. If you need more information, you can click here to read the reviews about this hotel on TripAdvisor.

The restaurant in Zenith is really good and has an outdoor sitting area where you can watch the sunset. We had an amazing seafood platter here with fresh jumbo prawns, calamari and mussels from the sea. The dessert was memorable because it actually looked like a real flower pot but it was a chocolate pudding.

Ana hotels Eforie Nord

Ana Hotel Eforie Nord is high end and perfect for couples and families. The view from here was very good because I could see the Black sea, hotel’s swimming pool and also Techirghiol Lake. Eforie Nord is a quieter area as compared to Mamaia, so it makes sense to stay here if you’re looking for a “non party” kind of a vacation. If you need more information, you can click here to read the reviews about this hotel on TripAdvisor.

Ana Aslan Health Spa in this hotel is perhaps more famous than the hotel itself. It was fully booked but I managed to get a 30 minute massage slot which was very relaxing. The buffet breakfast here was excellent.

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Disclosure: I was invited to Romania on a sponsored trip by Experience Romania team but all silliness and thoughts expressed in this article are totally our own.

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