Eforie Sud Travel Guide, Romania

Eforie Sud- Beach resort- Romania

Located 20 km away from Constanta between the sea and Lake Techirghiol, it is one of the many resorts on the Romanian seaside which is lined with resorts close to each other. It is a quiet resort and has the narrowest beach on the Romanian seaside.

To understand a bit where Eforie Sud is situated in terms of position and importance, I shall present you a bit the resort in comparison with the others.

If you happen to be in the northern side of the seaside, the first big resort is Mamaia located about 2 km away from Constanta, it is the pearl of the Romanian seaside and the classiest resort, then more to the south after Constanta is Eforie Nord, a big resort with a nice beach that stretches for about 2 km. It is the second largest resort after Mamaia that has an 8 km long beach. After Eforie Nord there is Eforie Sud, its twin sister, at a distance of about 3 km. But Eforie Sud in comparison to Eforie Nord it is neither as big nor as popular.

The beaches are not as nice either. They all have an oval shape and the sand is not fine it is rough and it is full of shells making it difficult to walk without slippers and when you enter the sea you are “welcomed” by some rocks, not everywhere, but they are scattered along the place. This does not make the beach appealing for adults or for children. Of course more towards the centre of the resort (all resorts have a centre where the beaches are more crowded but nicer and more shaped up for touristic purposes), so when you decide on which resort you want to spend your time, you should also decide on where exactly you want to stay: in its centre or on the outskirts as this makes a big difference. So always make sure you know exactly where the hotel is positioned.

The advantages of staying in the centre are: more shops, more restaurants, a nicer ambiance, more bars, discos, a casino, more lights at night and a lively nightlife. Some would consider these advantages a disadvantage and would go for the quieter place, but then they should be satisfied with a low key atmosphere and sights and even beaches.

Here in Eforie Sud one advantage of the northern side of the resort is that there are about four 2 star hotels next to each other placed 50 m from the beach so you just step out of the hotel and you are on the beach. But this is about the only advantage, They are almost the same: Ancora, Riviera, Capitol, Excelsior. the conditions and services are very poor, Excelsior looks a bit better as it has air conditioning on one side. They are built in the same way, 4 floors, Balconies only on one side and they are positioned perpendicular on the beach. “Officially” you do not have to pay extra for a room with a balcony but a tip at the receptionwill solve the problem, as everywhere in Romania, you can solve a lot with tips, or better still, you can’t solve anything without them!

The so called “ immpossile” which is called so not to scare you off but to encourage you to put your hand in your pocket and pull out some money that will make it possible!

The centre of the resort has some 3 star hotels but no 4 star ones that says a lot about the importance of the resort. Still the prices for accommodation and food are similar to the ones in Mamaia, to compare it with the best resort, which does not seem fair. To pay for a room in a 2 star hotel in Eforie just as much as you pay for a room in a 2 star hotel in Mamaia and the conditions are far better.

Low key at the same prices! I wouldn’t go for it! Some say it is a cheap resort, well maybe this is the way they want to attract tourists! I wouldn’t recommend this resort unless you want a quiet place and you do not care much about high standards.

There are also a few stray dogs that venture sometimes on the beach and there are also the dogs of the holiday makers as pets are not forbidden on the beach. They are not forbidden next to the hotels either! This was a shock for me, to be “welcomed” by a stray dog in front of the hotel!

The promenade is right on the beach which is not to be found in many resorts not even in Mamaia where the view is blocked by shops or little snack bars. So it is quite nice to walk on the promenade or sit on one of the benches (There are plenty of benches right on the seafront facing the sea) and admire the sea.

In the centre of the resort there is a casino, some discos on the promenade, 2 discos on the beach(one for kids and another one for adults). There are few things to entertain kids like a carousel or battery operated little cars, so there is not much to choose from.

Near the main road that takes you to Costinesti and other resorts, there is a summer theatre that features shows every week or sometimes every other day; there is a little park for kids next to it.

The resort does not stand out with many things, but one of them is that it lies between the sea and Lake Techirghiol and there is an entrance to the lake that has been designed to give access to the tourists as the shores of the lake do not allow access, they are too abrupt. You have to pay about 3 euros for the entrance which in my opinion is too much for what they offer there, showers in poor conditions and toilets the same. The ticket is valid for one entrance only so if you want to go out and come back the same day you have to pay the fee again.

The lake is renowned for its therapeutic properties, it is saltier than the sea and it is an excellent remedy for gynecological problems, skin diseases and many others while the mud that is found on the bottom of the lake is used as a remedy for many diseases like rheumatism, or poor blood circulation. There are certain rules as to when and for how long you can apply the mud on your skin. If the doctor does not prescribe it otherwise you should put the mud on your whole body or only the aching parts or joints, leave it for 20-30 minutes to dry out in the sun then wash it of in the lake and stay another 30 min in the sun.

This mud is a true bliss and people from all around the country come here to enjoy this wonderful remedy. But better still to enjoy it in the little town called Techirghiol that is located on the other side of the lake and has a sanatorium where you can enjoy more treatments and the entrance to the lake is cheaper and you have better facilities.

Bottom line, Eforie Sud is a low key resort that is not even cheap. The only advantage is that it is quieter and not so crowded.