View of Mangalia Resort in Romania
Hello, guys!
This summer was very busy for me, in regards to traveling, work, everything. I managed to make plenty of trips across my country and also went abroad a few times. One of my trips I want to share about is my visit to the Romanian seashore (the Black Sea) which I made last month.
But first, let me tell you how the idea for this destination came to my mind. A couple of months back I received an email for an event hosted in Mamaia. It was one of those random emails I receive from different companies, events or news agencies, and I was lucky I decided to open it because usually, I don't. Now, I can't even remember what was it all about, some festival or a concert if I recall that correctly, but what impressed me about this email was the place where the event was hosted - the Romanian seaside resort Mamaia. As Mamaia is in Romania, and Romania is a neighboring country to mine, it was strange to me I've never heard of this location before.
So, I checked it and it appeared to be a popular summer destination at the Romanian northern seashore, and the photos from the location, which I found online, were awesome. This day I decided that I should go and check for myself. In fact, I didn't expect I will be going the same year; I was thinking about visiting next year or maybe in two years. However, after checking the distance from my city to Mamaia, I realized it's not so far - around 600 km by car - and I eventually changed my mind. But... anyway, enough with this story...
Vama Veche
The central alley in Vama Veche Resort
But first, I'll start with the beginning of my trip. Actually, Mamaia was not the only resort in Romania I visited during my holiday. After crossing the border, the first available beach is in Vama Veche, only 8 km away from Durankulak (the border point). It's really small, more like a village type, but the beach is nice and it offers cheaper accommodation compared to Mamaia and the other beach resorts. There's not much to see in Vama Veche; it has all the usual stuff - souvenirs, lots of fast food restaurants, coffee shops. I find it good for a relaxing and quieter holiday since fewer tourists choose to spend the summer months there.
The beach in Vama Veche
Mangalia
The beach in Mangalia, Romania
My next stop was Mangalia, which is another resort on the seashore, with several beaches along the main walking alley. I'm not exactly sure if those beaches are named differently or they share the same name, but they are clearly separated by stones, and by the shape of the seacoast. On one of the beaches, I saw swans, and they didn't look like they were afraid at all, allowing me to get close enough. Even one of the restaurants next to the birds was called The Swan. As a matter of fact, I first saw the restaurant and was just wondering why would they name it this way, and then I saw the swans. It was surprising for me to see so many of those beautiful birds at the coast because most of the times I saw swans they were living next to rivers or lakes. But, I guess they are just part of the scene in Mangalia; if they named a restaurant after them probably the birds have been living in this place for a long time.
The Swans in Mangalia
On the way to Mamaia, I saw lots of smaller and bigger resorts. They were so many, I believe I saw beaches in almost every location, like Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, many complexes and recreation zones, etc. Before actually entering Mamaia, the route goes through Constanța. I couldn't see much of it because I was just passing, but I noticed two huge ships, one at the entrance of the city and one in the central part, welcoming the tourists. Maybe next time, if I go there I will spend more time in Constanța, but my time was limited and I really needed to make the best use of it.
The ship in the central area of Constanța
Mamaia Resort
I couldn't find a lot of relevant information about Mamaia online, but I don't even need it now because I know the things from the inside, so to say. Even their official website doesn't give any details; it just mentions some general information. One of the reasons is that you need to go there to know exactly how it feels. No pictures or words can show the atmosphere at this travel destination.
... Mamaia is situated immediately north-east of Constanţa's city center. It has almost no full-time residents, being populated mostly during the summer.
Mamaia is a summer resort situated on an isthmus right next to the bigger city of Constanța. The length of it is 8 km and it's very narrow, only one main highway and two roads going alongside. And being an isthmus it is surrounded by water, on the inner side is the Lake Siutghiol, and the Black Sea is on the outside. For me, the most amazing thing about Mamaia is its endless shore. The sandy beach stretches along the entire location.
video source: www.youtube.com
The infrastructure of Mamaia is... how to say it... diverse. I counted six or seven options for transportation - cars, taxis, coaches, rental bicycles, a lift and that's if I don't count those other motorized vehicles made for fun, which you can take from the entrance of the resort and leave at another spot. Yeah, but my favorite was the lift. It really contributes to the great atmosphere and is kind of unique. Because I've never seen before in my life a lift which is not in the mountains but on the seacoast, right above the main walking area. It actually passes above the people who are walking in the alley and in front of many of the windows of the taller buildings/hotels. So, if you are staying in a hotel, it must be a lot of fun to go out on the balcony and watch the cabins of the lift passing meters away from you.
View of the lift and the central beach walk in Mamaia
Beaches in Mamaia
One of the beach areas in Mamaia
As I said, the beach area is 8 km long. As the biggest resort on the Romanian seaside, Mamaia has lots of opportunities for tourists. Hotels, attractions, games, unique atmosphere and design, basically they don't miss anything. Each hotel has designated a separate area of the seashore and named the corresponding beach after their brand or something similar. So, there are many tiny beaches, part of the same long beach, but with a different name. The one I visited was called the White Beach. And between those areas, they have enough space, intended for visitors, who are not guests of any of the hotels.
The White Beach in Mamaia
Another thing I want to mention is that before I went for my holiday my friends warned me that the seawater might be colder than the one in my country because Romania is in the north. To be honest, I didn't notice anything like that. The weather was great and the water nice, refreshing and warm. In Mamaia, they also have several bridges going deep into the sea and providing a view of the resort from a distance.
Free Wi-Fi is available everywhere across the isthmus. Some of the hotels allow visitors to use their internet, and they didn't protect it with a password or anything; you can get a connection even on the beach. It felt very strange, that I saw one of the hotels, which had placed a handwritten note directly on its front door with the network name and password. I never saw this in my country, but I guess they don't care much who uses their internet.
The Cuisine
Along the beach walk, plenty of restaurants are available, including fast food restaurants. They have pancakes, Mexican food, Italian food, Turkish, etc., a mixture of many cultures. There was also a Bulgarian restaurant with its typical for our culture wooden/red style and design. They tried to combine everything in one place so that it's more attractive, and it reminded me of the Old Town in Bucharest, where the variety was quite similar. There are plenty of options, I didn't notice anything missing, in fact, there is too much of everything which makes the choice harder. The only thing I didn't like was the ice cream I bought. It didn't have enough sugar for my liking.
The walking alley in Mamaia
I can't even describe the feeling you get when you are in Mamaia. It's a place for entertainment and vacations, lots of tourist attractions, lots of events, music everywhere, bars, restaurants, everyone smiling and looking happy... It's amazing! :)
Overall, it was an awesome and fun day by the seaside for me. I managed to visit the place I wanted and experience it to the fullest. Romanian beaches are a travel/holiday destination I highly recommend.
Mamaia Resort, Romania
Thanks so much!
- NinaB
