BLACK GOLD
From birdwatchers to party animals, Romania’s Black Sea Coast has something for everyone
Testo di Craig Turp
The Danube Delta offers outstanding birdwatching from hides such as this
Photo: Corbis
Habitats such as
willow forest thrive
in the rich soils of
the Danube DeltaRomania has never been much good at tourism. Yes, there are beautiful painted monasteries in the far north of the country, and the central Carpathian mountains boast some stunning fortified churches. But these have always been just too hard to reach. The only part of the country that has ever been exploited with any kind of success is the Black Sea Coast, a three-hour drive east of the capital, Bucharest.
In many ways the changes seen in this region highlight just how far the country has come in the 19 years since the fall of communism. Back in the 1980s, when it was a cheap destination for sun-starved western Europeans, visitors were subject to many of the same deprivations as the locals: discos would mysteriously close at 10pm (to save electricity); the food was unvaryingly awful; and, beyond lying on the beach, there was precious little to do. Fuel shortages meant that motorised water sports were a non-starter, while restrictions on the movement of foreigners meant that travel outside the confines of carefully designated tourist areas was impossible. In 1988, on a trip to Mamaia — then, as now, Romania’s premiere beach resort — I asked the reception staff at my hotel about hiring a car to explore a little. They laughed.
The Delta
A red-breasted gooseBack in those bad old days, what I really wanted to see was the Danube Delta, a nature reserve so full of bird life that it has been dubbed the “Twitchers’ Disneyland”. I did eventually make the half-hour drive north of Mamaia to get there — but only after the 1989 revolution which toppled Nicolae Ceausescu’s despotic regime.
Those who want to spot rare birds will need patience and a local guide with a good boat. If you, like me, are more of a casual ornithologist, you can still expect your fair share of jaw-dropping moments if you visit the Delta in late summer and early autumn, when flocks of pelicans, swans, herons, spoonbills, larks, and starlings fill the sky.
Holidaymakers in their
natural environmentBut there is more to this far eastern fringe of Europe than birds alone. If you want to explore but your time is short, then jump on one of the daily ferry services which run along the three channels — the Chilia, the Sulina and the Sfantu Gheorghe — from Tulcea, the Delta’s main town and effective gateway.
If you take the ferry to the end of the line and back you will get a good introduction to Delta life and an idea of how remote the area is. Some villages are inaccessible from the land and if you want to explore the backwaters, you have the choice of joining an organised tour or simply hiring a boat from a local fisherman. There are special bird-watching observation points around the Delta, but most birdwatchers crowd around Lakes Furtuna and Gorgova on the Sulina Channel.
Mamaia
Holidaymakers enjoy
Mamaia beachMamaia is set on a long, narrow strip of land between a lake and the Black Sea immediately north of Constanta, Romania’s main port and second-largest city. It is easily the most expensive beach resort on the Coast but the high prices don’t seem to put many people off. From June to August — the season is short because May and September can be chilly — the resort is booked out and finding a room at any price can be all but impossible.
Many people end up staying in Constanta, where hotels are cheaper and more likely to have vacancies. Unfortunately, they lack the awesome sea views of Mamaia’s best establishments.
Pelicans on the Danube
DeltaPopular with both locals and foreigners, Mamaia’s defining characteristic is its sheer extravagance: the beautiful people come here to see and be seen. They can drive their Hummers directly on to the beach safe in the knowledge that nobody — the police included — will dare to challenge them. Constanta’s infamous mayor, Radu Mazare, likes to windsurf in Mamaia, and to party at weekends in the resort’s many beach bars with his glamorous entourage.
For the foreign visitor, Mamaia’s charms are primarily nocturnal. Its two best-known clubs — La Mania and Ultima Playa — attract superstar DJs throughout the summer. You can guarantee a big name will be spinning the vinyl every Friday and Saturday night in July and August.
The daytime distractions are centred on Mamaia’s wide, sandy beach which slopes gently down to the sea — you just have to try and ignore the oil refinery at its northern end. There are plenty of places to try out water sports (no fuel restrictions these days) and at the southern end of the beach is an enormous outdoor water park. There is also a slightly incongruous gondola lift of the type you’d expect to see on a ski slope. This carries visitors from one end of the resort to the other in about eight minutes, offering great views of the lake to one side and the vast expanse of the Black Sea to the other.
Practicalities
Mamaia, playground of
the beautiful people —
and their friendsTo get to the Delta or to Mamaia from Bucharest, it’s best to hire a car, as trains can be quite slow. Hiring is now quite cheap, as local players have entered the market to spoil the monopoly of the big international brands. CarTrawler (www.cartrawler.com/myair) is MyAir’s partner and comes highly recommended.
Staying in the Delta used to mean slumming it in a local’s spare room or parting with an inordinate amount of cash to stay in some dull, dreadful hotel in Tulcea. Now you can answer the call of the wild in comfort by staying at the Delta Nature Resort (www.deltaresort. com; tel: +40 (00)21 311 4532), a one-stop shop where you can enjoy all the Delta has to offer without ever leaving your hotel.
In Mamaia, those for whom money is no object should head to the Rex (www.grandhotelrex.ro; tel: +40 (00)241 831520) which has doubles from €180 in high season. Slightly cheaper (and better value) is the Majestic (www.pmg.ro; tel: +40 (00)241 831005).