Sofia Airport → Golden Sands

Golden Sands (Zlatni Pyasatsi) sits just north of Varna, wedged between a fine sand beach and a protected nature park of dense oak forest that climbs the hills behind the hotels. It has a slightly more upmarket, family-oriented feel than some of the southern resorts, with a strong concentration of spa and wellness hotels drawing on the area's mineral springs, plus a golf course and riding stables nearby for those who want more than the beach.

Because it sits right next to Varna, Bulgaria's third-largest city and unofficial 'sea capital', guests get the best of both worlds — a quiet, green resort setting during the day and easy access to Varna's restaurants, museums, opera house and shopping streets in the evening. The rock-hewn Aladzha Monastery, carved into a cliff inside the nature park, is one of the most atmospheric short excursions on the whole coast.