The beach town of Mamaia loves to party. Its many cafes, restaurants, rooftop lounges, clubs, bars and pubs stay open until the sun comes up. A cable car affords visitors a bird's-eye view of windsurfers, sailors and water-skiers who make use of the water, as well as the paragliders who cruise around above it all.
Eforie, divided into north and south sections, is a much more peaceful and family-friendly beach resort than its sister Mamaia. Shallow, calm waters in the north section provide good year-round swimming for children. A health spa, built in 1894, offers warm baths in salt water concentrated from nearby Lake Techirghiol's healing waters. The even quieter south district, Eforie Sud, has bistro tables lined up almost to the waterline and regular waterfront performances in summer.
The fine white sands of Neptun Beach are deeply forested at the edges. On the water, visitors can splash into a range of water sports, swimming and boating. On land, the options are even more extensive: movies at the outdoor cinema, performances at the Summer Theater, hijinks at a small amusement park, golf, football, volleyball and tennis.
Olimp, considered the height of invitation-only luxury during the Communist era, is now open to anyone with a taste for calm, tranquil, highbrow surroundings. Tucked so close to Neptun as to be nearly indistinguishable from a distance, Olimp nevertheless maintains its sophisticated sense of self.
Another fitness-minded town, Venus, extends the menu of sporting options to include yachting, wind surfing, rowing, mini golf, handball and horseback riding. If the mere thought of all that activity exhausts you, don't worry: You can catch up on your rest at the sunny, powdery shoreline, the seaside spas and the outdoor movie theater. Venus is a favorite local spot for sea swimming as well as sunning.
Romania's attraction for shoestring travelers is very evident in Saturn, the streets of which bloom with colorful flowers and teem with thriving backpackers' hostels. Convenient to the activities in Venus and Mangalia, Saturn also has its own little spa resorts in the town and about a mile of sandy beach.
The lovely resort shoreline of Mangalia is bordered by a high cliff, popular with runners, dog walkers, bicyclists and couples strolling hand-in-hand. The city is full of the remnants of Greek and Roman civilization, often subsumed directly into the modern structures built over them, and hosts several summertime festivals and parades to fete that history. The sandy beach's eastern exposure puts the shoreline in sunshine for 12 hours a day during summer.
Cheap, cheerful Costinesti hosts constant parties all summer. Known to locals also as the youth resort, the town's long, wide beach clusters with college-aged revelers playing sports, practicing yoga and swimming in the warm water.
