Top 10 Marinas in Bulgaria
The Black Sea is the Mediterranean's forgotten sibling — warmer in summer, less saline, ringed by ancient cultures, and almost entirely devoid of the charter fleets and superyachts that crowd the western basin. Bulgaria's stretch of coast runs for 400 km from the Romanian border near Durankulak to the Turkish frontier south of Ahtopol. It encompasses rocky headlands, ancient Greek colonies, golden sand beaches, and a string of rapidly improving marinas. Since EU accession in 2007, Bulgarian port infrastructure has been transformed, and the marinas around Varna and Burgas now offer facilities comparable with those in Croatia or Greece, at significantly lower prices.
Marina Dinevi, St Vlas
The largest and most modern marina in Bulgaria, Marina Dinevi sits in the small resort town of St Vlas, immediately north of the isthmus connecting the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Nesebar to the mainland. The marina has over 750 berths on floating pontoons, a 100-tonne travel-lift, electricity and water to all berths, a fuel dock, chandlery, restaurant, and hotel. The approach from the north is straightforward; depths at the entrance are 4–5 m. Nesebar's Old Town — a peninsula of Byzantine churches, medieval towers, and wooden Bulgarian National Revival houses — is a 10-minute drive or an hour's walk.
Varna Yacht Club and Port
Varna, Bulgaria's third-largest city and principal Black Sea port, has a large harbour whose inner basin is shared between commercial traffic and a substantial leisure fleet. The Varna Yacht Club, one of the oldest in the Balkans, occupies a section of the inner harbour with around 200 berths. The city of Varna itself — with its superb Archaeological Museum (home of the world's oldest gold treasure, found near Varna in 1972), the Sea Garden promenade, and Dolphinarium — is one of the most worthwhile urban stops on the Black Sea.
Yacht Club Port Rousse, Rousse
On the Danube rather than the Black Sea, the Yacht Club Port Rousse in the northern city of Rousse operates on the Bulgarian side of the river opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu. This freshwater sailing club is important for Danube passage-making sailors: it provides berths, diesel, and a social base for crews crossing between the Black Sea and central Europe via the inland waterway route.
Яхтено пристанище Балчик (Yacht Harbour Balchik)
Balchik, 40 km northeast of Varna, is a charming small town of white limestone buildings cascading down a hillside to a small yacht harbour. The harbour has around 150 berths and reasonable shelter from the prevailing northeasterly summer winds. The Queen Marie Palace and Botanical Garden — built for the Romanian queen who fell in love with the town in the 1920s — are directly above the marina and contain one of the largest cactus collections in Europe. Balchik hosts regular regattas throughout the season.
Пристанище Дуранкулак (Durankulak)
Near the Romanian border at the northern end of the Bulgarian coast, Durankulak is a small fishing harbour beside one of Bulgaria's best-preserved freshwater lakes, Lake Durankulak. The lake is a Ramsar wetland and a key staging post for migratory birds on the Via Pontica flyway. The harbour is shallow and basic, but the natural setting is extraordinary. Offshore, the seabed at Durankulak contains Chalcolithic (5th millennium BC) traces of submerged prehistoric settlement.
Liman Yachting Sozopol
South of Burgas, the ancient Greek city of Sozopol (ancient Apollonia Pontica) occupies a rocky peninsula and two islands. Liman Yachting operates a marina in the inner bay between the old town peninsula and the shore, with around 100–150 berths in a well-sheltered basin. Sozopol is one of Bulgaria's most atmospheric towns, with wooden National Revival houses lining the cobbled lanes of the old town, and the Apollonia Arts Festival filling the streets every September.
Пристанище Бяла (Byala Harbour)
Byala is a small resort town between Varna and Nesebar with a modest harbour used by local fishing boats and leisure craft. Depths at the quay run to 3 m. The beaches at Byala — including the famous Byala Beach — are among the longest and least developed on the Bulgarian coast, and the town's cliff-top location gives exceptional views north and south along the coastline.
Burgas Marina (Morska Gara)
Burgas, Bulgaria's largest Black Sea port city, has a leisure marina inside the commercial harbour known informally as the Morska Gara (Sea Station). With around 200 berths in a well-protected basin, it serves both the local sailing club and visiting yachts. Burgas is a city of contrasts: a petrochemical industrial port on one side, and the Black Sea Garden promenade, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Burgas Lakes (a vast wetland complex visible from the marina) on the other.
Рибарско пристанище Сарафово (Sarafovo Fishing Harbour)
The village of Sarafovo is incorporated into greater Burgas and has a fishing harbour that accepts small visiting yachts alongside the quay wall. Depths are limited — generally 2 m or less — but the harbour provides a useful backup when the main Burgas marina is full. The bird life in the adjacent Burgas Lakes, particularly in spring and autumn migration, is spectacular.
Яхтено пристанище (Yacht Club Obzor)
The resort town of Obzor, midway between Varna and Nesebar, has a small yacht club and harbour. Obzor was the ancient Greek Naulochos and later the Roman Naulochos Castellum. The harbour is not large but the town is pleasant — a quieter alternative to the major resort strips — and the approach from the sea is clean.
Sailing Bulgaria: Practical Overview
The Bulgarian Black Sea sailing season runs from May through October, with July and August being the most crowded months at the main resorts. Summer winds are predominantly northeasterly to northerly. Entry to Bulgaria from non-EU states follows standard EU procedures; Bulgarian waters are Schengen zone since 2024. Fuel is cheaper than in Western Europe. The Bulgarian Yachting Federation registers about 1,500 active sailing vessels, and the national regatta calendar includes offshore races and inshore series throughout the season.
Explore on the map
Bulgaria's Black Sea coast runs 400 km from north to south, passing ancient colonies, golden beaches, and UNESCO-listed old towns. Use the interactive map to locate every marina, yacht club, anchorage, and harbour across the Bulgarian coast. Search Bulgaria on the map to plan your Black Sea itinerary before you set sail.