Breakfast at the Aqua Nevis Resort seems to be a continuation of dinner – with the addition of pancakes and omelettes cooked to order. Fresh honeycomb is an interesting novelty.

After breakfast we visited the spa to swap our ‘towel cards’ for a green towel that can be used at the hotel pools. These towels can only be collected between 9am and 12pm, or returned between 4pm and 7pm. Your towel cards must be returned at some point during your stay or you will be charged at checkout.

We decide to take a trip into the centre of Sunny Beach and use the free shuttle bus provided by the hotel. It quickly becomes apparent that Flower Street – the centre of the town – is like a Bulgarian version of Magaluf, so we head back to the hotel after a quick walk on the beach.

Top tip: You can find the free shuttle bus timetable on the desk at reception. 

The weather is very hot, but despite this we have no problems finding a sunbed by the hotel pool. Later we decide to check out the Action Aquapark next door. Apparently rated as one of the top 25 waterparks in Europe, Aqua Nevis Resort guests have free access for the duration of their stay. By now the sky is clouding over and a breeze has picked up. We risk a few laps of the lazy river and head back to the hotel.

Later in the afternoon we visited the “sports” section of the resort and play a few games of pool in the arcade. Each frame costs 4 lev and there is a machine to buy the necessary tokens mounted on the wall.

Today’s observations:

  • The Aqua Nevis Resort is extremely popular with families
  • The WiFi system requires you to re-login frequently – make sure you take a picture of the tiny slip of paper you are given at reception because the password is not memorable.
  • There are a couple of chilled water dispensers located around the hotel building so you can refill your own bottles.
  • The “Animations Team” organise activities for kids, teens and adults almost continuously throughout the day beside the hotel pool or on the sport pitches located behind the hotel.
  • There is a stage at the back of the hotel which hosts a range of entertainment at night, including a kids disco, bingo and karaoke.

Top tip: Entertainment runs until 11pm most nights. If you have young kids (or prefer early nights) consider asking for a room at the front of the hotel which tends to be quieter.