Vama Veche Beach

Located near Romania’s southern border, Vama Veche Beach – also known as Plaja Vama Veche – is a popular and wide beach with light brown sand in the tourist town of Vama Veche on the Black Sea coast.  The name of this beach and the village – Vama Veche – means “old customs” in Romanian – this beach and the village received this name because there used to be many old custom houses nearby.  Some portions of Vama Veche Beach, including the southern end, are also used as a nude beach.

Vama Veche Beach has lifeguards on a seasonal basis.  In addition to lifeguards, Vama Veche Beach offers a few other public amenities including nearby restrooms, volleyball courts, and rental facilities for sunlounges, beach chairs, and water sports equipment.  

Vama Veche Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, wildlife watching, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, paddleboarding, kayaking, volleyball, windsurfing, kitesurfing, boating, canoeing, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, and parasailing.  

The water near Vama Veche Beach is ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, canoers, snorkelers, and paddleboarders because of its considerable clarity and gentle lapping waves.  If you are planning to kitesurf or windsurf near Vama Veche Beach, the best time to kitesurf and windsurf is during early spring and late autumn because of stronger winds.  Scuba divers and snorkelers also visit this beach to explore a nearby underwater shipwreck.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, canoe, snorkel, paddleboard, kitesurf, windsurf, or snorkel near Vama Veche Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents.

If you like reading, there is a library on the beach named Plaja De Carte that offers many interesting books in various languages including English, Romanian, and German – you can borrow the books from this library and have a peaceful oceanfront reading experience on Vama Veche Beach.  If you like shopping, there are many fun and interesting shopping stores near Vama Veche.

Vama Veche Beach does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Vama Veche Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible from a Romanian national highway named Drumul Național 39 (also known as DN 39) and it is also easily accessible from a road named European route E87.  There are multiple free street parking spaces near the beach.

We recommend visiting Vama Veche Beach early during the summer season – particularly during the months of July and August – because the beach can get crowded quickly during this time.

This beach is known for having a festive ambiance because many nearby cafes, nightclubs, and bars organize fun beach parties here.  The beach also hosts a fun annual music festival named Sunset Festival.

There are many attractions near Vama Veche Beach.  Esmahan Sultan Mosque is a beautiful historic mosque that was built in the 16th century – this amazing mosque is made of stone and its ceiling has interesting woodwork.  Muzeul Marinei Mangalia is a museum that has interesting exhibits on local maritime and naval history, particularly between the 1950s and the year 2000 – the museum’s exhibits include maritime navigational equipment, a collection of underwater weapons, and displays of naval and anti-aircraft artillery.  Mangalia Lighthouse is an exquisite lighthouse that was built in the mid-20th century and it is a popular local landmark – the area around this lighthouse has a walkaway that offers amazing views of the Black Sea and the south-eastern Romanian shoreline, particularly during sunset.  If you are looking for another attraction near Vama Veche Beach, Paradis Land is an adventure park that offers many fun activities and rides including rope swings, ziplining, chain bridges, escape rooms, ropes course, biking, skateboarding, roller skating, archery, and airsoft.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Vama Veche Beach.  Bolo Steakhouse is known for serving excellent steaks and it also serves many other dishes including seafood, chicken dishes, pork dishes, burgers, salads, and sandwiches.  Povestea Ceaunului serves many delicious dishes including Romanian cuisine, pork, seafood, salads, pastas, and soups.  Cherhana is known for serving amazing seafood including seafood soup, grilled fish, and shrimp.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Vama Veche Beach, Panini - also called Fast Food Panini - offers many delicious dishes including burgers, sandwiches, salads, tortillas, hot dogs, and shawarma.

If you are looking for a hotel near Vama Veche Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Mera Resort offers many amenities including a restaurant, multiple bars, multiple pools, a gym, a spa, playgrounds for kids, a private beach area, and a kids’ club.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Hotel Melodia that is a 20-minute drive and offers many amenities including a spa, a gym, a hot tub, multiple pools, a bar, two playgrounds for kids, a private beach area, a salon, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Elektra Hotel & Resort that offers many amenities including two pools, a restaurant, a bar, and a private beach area with sun loungers and beach umbrellas.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Vama Veche Beach, the 3-Star Hotel Jakuzzi offers many amenities including a garden with sunloungers and hammocks, and a playground.