Ravda — the beach between Aheloy and Sunny Beach
A resort village in Nessebar municipality, 4 km from the old town of Nessebar and about 30 km from Burgas. A wide sandy strip that continues north towards Sunny Beach, and a name as a quieter, cheaper place for a family holiday.
The village between two resorts
Ravda is a resort village in Nessebar municipality, right on the shore between Aheloy to the south and Sunny Beach to the north. It is 4 km to the centre of Nessebar, 7 km to Sunny Beach, 21 km to Burgas Airport and about 30 km to Burgas. The village lies almost at sea level, around 5 metres above it.
Ravda's beach continues north and merges into the 8 km sandy strip of Sunny Beach — one of the longest on the Black Sea. Thanks to the shallow, calm water Ravda has long had a name as a quieter and cheaper place for a family holiday than its neighbour; its hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and clubs appeared mostly after 1989.
The village is also known for the children's, school and student camps and holiday bases that have operated here for decades. In 1924 refugees from Aegean Macedonia settled in Ravda — mostly from Kufalovo and Bozets; on 29 July that year a Macedonian cultural, educational and charitable brotherhood was founded here on the initiative of Dimitar Palchev, commemorated today by a memorial plaque.
The beach
Ravda's beach is a wide sandy strip with a gentle slope into the water — which is why families with small children favour it. To the south the shore continues towards Aheloy, about 2 km along the seafront promenade; to the north it runs into the beaches of Sunny Beach.
The old town of Nessebar is about 4 km north and, in good weather, reachable on foot along the coast or by bus — the peninsula with its UNESCO-listed churches is the shortest excursion from Ravda.
Getting there
Ravda is about 30 km from Burgas — 30–35 minutes by car via Pomorie and Aheloy. The intercity buses from the South Bus Terminal towards Sunny Beach stop in Ravda; the departure times are on the public transport page.
The neighbours are close: Aheloy is 3 km to the south, Nessebar 4 km to the north and Sunny Beach 7 km away. Burgas Airport is 21 km off.
Spend a day in Ravda
Morning — a swim on the beach; lunch by the shore; afternoon — a walk along the promenade towards Aheloy or a bus to the old town of Nessebar; evening — sunset over the bay.