Albena is a young but very popular resort in Bulgaria, considered the best for a quiet family vacation. It is located in a green area, on the territory of the Baltata nature reserve: there are pines and palms, and its own river, and sections of a regular park with flower beds, and a real protected forest. There are several ecological paths to the nature reserve around the resort. The season in Albena starts in July and lasts until mid-September.
Albena beach is a wide (up to 150 m) sandy strip with a length of 3.5 km, it is considered one of the best beaches in Bulgaria and is regularly marked with the "blue flag". There is all the infrastructure here: sun loungers with umbrellas, toilets, changing cabins, lifeguard towers, doctors on duty, places where you can go in for water sports, and free Wi-fi.
Albena is a town consisting entirely of hotels. There are no buildings of their own, there are no attractions, there is no infrastructure, except for the hotel and entertainment - this is not a place for shopping. But from here you can easily get to any place on the coast: Varna and Balchik are very close, where there are plenty of attractions and shops. In Albena itself, there are only two supermarkets and small shops with water and chocolates at hotels. Most of the hotels operate on an all-inclusive basis. There are several nightclubs here - but Albena is not a place for a noisy youth holiday, it is preferred by families with children.
There is no administrative division into districts in Albena, it is not officially considered a city. The resort is located on three levels: the beach and several hotels, located almost next to the beach. The second level (and in fact - the first), which houses the main large five-star hotels. Their territories are not separated from each other in any way, you can walk anywhere. The third level is even greener, and the hotels here are mostly bungalow-houses, detached in the forest, although there are exceptions.
The beach is divided into sections related to hotels and free zones available to all. Quite conditionally, Albena can be divided into the following parts:
- South part of the beach;
- The central part of the beach;
- The western part of the beach;
- Upper park area.
Upper zone
The upper park area of Albena is located right in the forest of the Baltata nature reserve, and is divided, in turn, into two levels, separated by a ledge. This is a real forest. There are 250 plant species in total. Poplars, black alder, maples, whole thickets of continuously blooming Potentilla and much more grow here.
It can be quite far from the hotels located in the park area to the sea, but in Albena everything is done so that this is not a problem. Free shuttles run from them, for those who walk, there is no need to climb the mountain on their own - there is an escalator in the center of the resort. In addition, even the guests of the upper hotels may be entitled to free admission to the water park and free sun loungers on the beach. There are also restaurants not only downstairs, but also here, for example, Horizont and Magnoliya, located actually on the third level of Albena, in a park area with views of the garden and the sea.
There are traditional hotels, and there are detached houses, cottages, for example, Gorska Feya or Vita Park - complexes located on the very edge of the park. It is in the upper zone, on the third line, that most tennis courts and a tennis stadium are located. Tennis is the most popular sport in Albena. There is also a summer variety theater, and - most importantly - a large water park "Aquamania", which occupies an area of 30 thousand square meters. m. It is located next to the PrimaSol Ralitsa hotel complex. The water park is open until September 15 - this is considered the end of the season in Albena. Albena is a young resort, so the water park is developing, and every year some new attractions and entertainment appear here.
On the third, highest level, there is a bus station, where regular buses arrive, from here you can get to neighboring Varna or Balchik. Near the bus station there is a supermarket "Lidi" with a large selection of alcohol. There is also a large hospital building in the park area - some hotels also provide wellness services.
Central part of the beach
The central part of the Albena beach area is located around the Laguna Mare and Laguna Garden hotels. Here, most of the hotels are located a little further from the beach, on the upper line, however, there are exceptions, for example, the Maritim Paradise hotel. Hotels Laguna Mare and Laguna Garden are located a little higher, but in a park area, and they themselves have large green areas.
The central part of the beach is accessed by an escalator from the upper levels between the Orchidea and Oasis hotels. It is here that the Bar Ganvie nightclub and restaurant are located, which hosts beach discos and parties. It is believed that there are the most delicious cocktails in all of Albena, and the section of the beach in front of the restaurant is the best. The only thing worth keeping in mind is that this restaurant always has music, and in general the central area is the most crowded and noisy.
The largest pool of water activities is also located here: jet skis, paragliders, bananas, anything you like for a fee.
South part of the beach
The southernmost part of Albena is a strip of golden beach almost immediately next to the park green zone. The nearest hotel is Gergana. It is in this part that the five-star All Inclusive hotels are located, which are not on the upper level, but on the first, right on the beach, a stone's throw from the sea. Hotel Gergana's beach is bounded by a chilly stream flowing down from the mountain.
The passage to the Baltata Nature Reserve also starts from the south. If you cross this stream, you can go to the ecological path to the observation deck above the wetland - waterfowl nest there. You can go up to the park area only from the third hotel - Mura. The largest free zone in this part of the resort is located near it, and above it, already in the park, the best restaurant - Slavyanski Kut, and even higher - the popular nightclub and restaurant Gorski Tzar. The closest coastal restaurants in the South are Old Oak and Rai. Each restaurant is in its own style, and in each in the evenings music is played and you can relax while looking at the sea.
In general, the southern part is much quieter and more comfortable than the central one. But the beach strip itself is narrower here, because the hotels are located right on the shore.
Western part of the beach
The western part of the beach is around the areas of the Kamilia and Omelia hotels. Here is the Aldo supermarket, the only major supermarket on the first line of the resort, and also the beach library. One of the largest beach playgrounds is also located here (at the Hotel Arabella Beach).
Hotels located in this part of Albena are simpler and cheaper, although this does not mean that they are worse, and in the westernmost part there are several not hotels, but individual "species" villas located quite high. This is the quietest and most peaceful part of the resort, there are few people here, there is almost no noise.
The beach strip goes almost a kilometer to the west of the hotels, this beach is not equipped in any way, "wild", but in itself - exactly the same sandy and wide as the beach in the village itself. In principle, you can walk along this beach even to Balchik, about five kilometers to it.
