Varna, Burgas and Sunny Beach Weather by Month
Varna weather by month, plus Burgas and Sunny Beach: official air temperatures, sea temperature, rain, what is open in each season and what to pack.
Varna weather, like the rest of Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, means hot, sunny summers and mild, damp winters. In July and August Varna averages about 29°C by day and 19°C at night, and the sea warms to around 25°C. Burgas and Sunny Beach are almost identical. The comfortable swimming season runs from roughly late June to mid September. In January the coast sees about 6.5°C by day and around freezing at night, milder than Sofia, but most resorts are closed. Below you will find a month by month table of air and sea temperatures for Varna, Burgas and Sunny Beach, then what is open in each season and what to pack.
In this guide9 sections
The air figures are the official 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Varna and Burgas weather stations, as published through the World Meteorological Organization. Sea temperatures are the 2016 to 2025 average of NOAA's daily satellite data. We use the last decade because the sea has warmed: it now runs about a degree warmer on average than in 1991 to 2020. These are averages, not a forecast, and any given year can run warmer or cooler. For the days ahead, the most reliable forecast comes from Bulgaria's National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (in Bulgarian).
Varna and Burgas weather by month
All figures in °C: average daily high, average nightly low, and the number of days in the month with at least 1 mm of rain.
| Month | Varna high | Varna low | Burgas and Sunny Beach high | Burgas and Sunny Beach low | Rain days Varna / Burgas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.6 | minus 0.5 | 6.6 | minus 0.1 | 6 / 6 |
| February | 8.1 | 0.3 | 8.8 | 0.9 | 5 / 5 |
| March | 11.2 | 3.1 | 12.2 | 3.7 | 6 / 7 |
| April | 15.5 | 7.2 | 16.2 | 7.8 | 6 / 6 |
| May | 21.2 | 12.3 | 21.7 | 13.0 | 7 / 7 |
| June | 26.1 | 16.7 | 26.5 | 17.3 | 6 / 6 |
| July | 28.9 | 18.9 | 28.8 | 19.5 | 5 / 5 |
| August | 29.4 | 19.2 | 28.8 | 19.6 | 3 / 3 |
| September | 24.8 | 15.2 | 24.7 | 15.6 | 5 / 5 |
| October | 19.0 | 10.5 | 19.2 | 11.1 | 6 / 6 |
| November | 13.2 | 5.9 | 13.5 | 6.3 | 6 / 5 |
| December | 8.2 | 1.3 | 8.1 | 1.7 | 6 / 7 |
Sunny Beach has no official weather station of its own. The nearest is Burgas, about 35 km to the south, so the Burgas columns are the best guide to Sunny Beach weather, as well as to Nessebar, Sveti Vlas next door and Sozopol south of Burgas. For Golden Sands and Albena, read the Varna columns: Golden Sands is about 17 to 18 km from Varna and Albena about 40 km north by road. The two cities differ very little: Burgas is half a degree to a degree warmer in spring, while Varna is slightly warmer in August.
Black Sea water temperature: when is the sea warm?
| Month | Sea at Varna | Sea at Sunny Beach, Nessebar and Burgas |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8.2 | 8.7 |
| February | 6.9 | 7.4 |
| March | 7.6 | 8.0 |
| April | 10.6 | 10.7 |
| May | 15.7 | 15.7 |
| June | 21.8 | 21.8 |
| July | 25.0 | 25.1 |
| August | 25.6 | 25.7 |
| September | 23.5 | 23.8 |
| October | 19.2 | 19.6 |
| November | 15.1 | 15.6 |
| December | 11.1 | 11.6 |
For most swimmers the sea becomes pleasant in late June, once it passes 21°C. It peaks at about 25 to 26°C in late July and August, and in September it is still around 23 to 24°C. Daily readings from recent years show the water at Sunny Beach at 25 to 26°C in early September, falling to 22 to 23°C by the end of the month. In May the sea is still about 16°C, too cold for most people even on a hot day. In the satellite data, the sea off Sunny Beach and Nessebar and the sea in Burgas Bay are never more than 0.1°C apart, so we show a single column for all three; on any given day one beach can differ slightly from another. Varna is practically the same in summer, within 0.3°C, and about half a degree cooler in winter.
Sunny Beach weather in June, July and August
July and August are the height of summer: about 29°C by day, 19°C at night, and around 318 hours of sunshine a month in Varna, more than ten hours a day. August is also the driest month of the year, with only about 3 rainy days. June is already warm at 26°C, but it gets about twice the rain of August, around 50 mm against 24 to 29 mm, and the sea only warms up towards the end of the month.
In summer everything is open: beaches, promenades, water parks and restaurants, and lifeguards are usually on the managed beaches from 1 June. Our guide to Bulgaria's water parks covers the coast's parks from Aquapark Nessebar to Aquamania in Albena, and the Sunny Beach guide covers the resort itself. Summer evenings are the time to get out on the water: the sunset cruise from Nessebar spends an hour off the old town of Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Pomorie and Ravda, with fishing rods on board, for €78 per guest. It depends on the weather, is guided in English and Bulgarian, and you pay 20% online and the rest to the host at the end of the cruise.
Burgas and Varna weather in September
For most of September it is still summer: about 25°C by day, 15 to 16°C at night, around 5 rainy days and a sea of about 23 to 24°C in both Burgas and Varna. It is an excellent month if you want the sea without the crowds and heat of August. By late September the evenings turn cool and the resorts start to thin out, with fewer lifeguards, beach bars and open hotels, so if you are travelling in the last week of the month, check that your hotel and beach are still operating. In the cities of Varna and Burgas, life carries on as normal.
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October brings about 19°C by day and 10.5°C at night, with the sea down to around 19°C: fine for a quick dip on a sunny day, not for a full beach day. It is also the wettest month by volume, with about 56 mm of rain in Varna and 65 mm in Burgas, but spread over roughly 6 days, so most days are dry. November is full autumn: around 13°C by day, 6°C at night and only about three and a half hours of sunshine a day on average. It is a season for city walks and spas rather than the beach.
April and May: spring on the coast
April averages about 16°C by day, with a cold sea of around 10.5°C. By May daytime highs reach 21°C, the promenades slowly fill and the resorts begin opening for the season. May is pleasant for walking and usually cheaper, but plan your swimming in a pool rather than the sea.
Winter on the Black Sea coast: what is open from December to March
Winter on the coast is mild: about 6.5°C by day in January with nights around freezing, and the sea bottoms out in February at about 7°C. Sunshine is scarce, around three hours a day in December. The big difference is between the cities and the resorts. Varna and Burgas are lived in all year, with restaurants, museums and promenades open. Sunny Beach is a summer resort: many of its hotels, restaurants and attractions run from about May to September or October and close for the winter, with dates varying from place to place and year to year. According to Bulgaria's National Statistical Institute, Burgas province, which includes Sunny Beach and Nessebar, had about 925 places to stay with 10 or more beds operating in July 2026, only 123 in October 2025 and 72 in January 2025. Nessebar's old town is very quiet in winter; our guide to Nessebar old town has the details.
In winter, a hotel with warm water indoors makes all the difference. Ensana Aquahouse in Varna has 11 indoor and outdoor pools filled from a mineral spring, about 25 metres from the beach, and the hotel publishes packages for the winter months too. In Burgas, the indoor pool, jacuzzi and saunas at Grand Hotel & SPA Primoretz are open all year, while its outdoor pool and beach area only run from June to September. See all our hotels in Varna and hotels in Burgas; we do not list hotels in Nessebar or Sunny Beach yet.
What to pack for the Black Sea coast, season by season
June to September
- Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen: these are the sunniest months of the year.
- Sandals or water shoes, and swimwear for several days.
- A light layer for the evening: even in August nights drop to 19°C, and there is a breeze on the promenade and on the boat.
October, November, April and May
- A light jacket and a sweater: the gap between afternoon and evening is 7 to 9°C.
- A compact umbrella or a hooded jacket.
- Swimwear for the hotel pool.
December to March
- A warm coat and closed shoes that will not soak through.
- Hat and scarf for the seafront, where the wind off the sea bites.
- Swimwear if your hotel has an indoor pool or spa.
Getting to the coast from Sofia
If you land in Sofia, a private transfer takes you to the coast in a car for up to 4 passengers. Prices in our system in mid October 2026: a private transfer from Sofia Airport to Varna from €342 per car, about 5 hours 20 minutes; a private transfer from Sofia Airport to Burgas from €296 per car, about 3.5 hours; a private transfer from Sofia Airport to Nessebar from €317 per car, about 3 hours 50 minutes. We do not have a separate Sunny Beach stop yet; Nessebar is the nearest point you can book. Prices are in euros, Bulgaria's currency since 1 January 2026, and they change, so the price shown when you book is the one that counts.
Torn between Varna and Burgas, or looking for quieter beaches? It is all in our guide to Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. If you are combining the sea with the capital, our Sofia weather by month guide has the inland figures.
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