Mamaia  Romania's Top Beach

It's YOUR Vacation!

Honestly, it matters little if you are younger, more mature single, couple or family, because Mamaia has a slice of what you like waiting for you!

Even for those seeking a quiet corner with a world-class espresso, liveried and experienced waiters, and a calm haven away from the screams of fun outside, Mamaia will cater to your every need.

You are here to spend your free time doing what you like best, such as lying in the sun, swimming in the ocean, going to the spa for some pampering, or playing a game of beach soccer on the perfect golden sands. 

 The Holiday Village Fun Park

For such a funny little carnival type park (at the "Satul de Vacanţă", or Holiday Village), the rides on the south end of Mamaia really do have something for everyone.

For a bit of air-conditioned inside fun, you can try out the bowling alley, recently refurbished and popular amongst the Americans based nearby at one of the NATO air bases. 

An over-the-top (literally) swinging hammer type ride offers alot of screams, and a few carousel type rides are clearly adored by the kids. 

A series of quick-bite type eateries cluster near the northern opening of the rides area, so a mici or beer are easy to access. Keep your suitcase size in mind as you shop here for odd and silly trinkets, some of which can indeed be alluring.  Our last Australian writer there went home with a big crazy plastic water flower which waters your garden as it whips about like a demented sunflower in a hurricane!

 Kids Playtime

The fountains about half way up at the entrance to the Casino complex are great fun for kids, spurting up and down from the wide concrete base sporadically, resulting in squeals of delight.

Several fun rides are aimed at the wee ones too in the Fun Park on the southern end.  Most days however, the kids will enjoy the sand and the surf.  Due to the Black Sea's gently sloping base, and on most days, lack of any serious wave action, the undertow risk is minimum for kids. The main beaches are Mamaia are patrolled by a lifeguard service, but look for the stations if you're particularly wanting to be near one.

Some of the larger hotels do feature kids zones, either limited playgrounds, or fully fledged staffed play rooms. Ask before booking if you'd like these features.  Otherwise, the hotel pool always offers a nice area for the wee ones, supervised, of course.

The AquaMagic Water Park

The Aqua Magic water park offers good value, and specials after 4pm for families.   Let the kids splash and slide whilst you take some time to relax by the pool at Mamaia's top attraction. 

The mayor's office in Constanţa with the national tourism ministry pushed for the Romanian Riviera's premier water park in 2003.  About half-way between the Casino zone and the southern entrance to the Mamaia fun strip, it can serve over 2000 guests with 9 rides and features, with a few designed for the younger kiddies.  Whilst in the park, Mum and Dad can catch a bite at the restaurant, or get something cheap at one of the food kiosks.

 The Cable Car Ride

The Mamaia Cable Cars run two kilometres from the southern entrance end up to just north of the Casino Complex, about half-way up the most built-up areas of the strip.  

Called a "telegondola" by the Romanians, this gondola lift type of cable car (by Austrian manufacturers Doppelmayr) has multiple cars on a loop cable, similar to those at Disney resorts, Taronga Zoo in Sydney, or Alton Towers in England.

You can get on at either end, and the seven minute ride offers a great overview of the resort, the lake, and the long golden sands as you float 50 metres over the beach.

 The eight-person cars have tinted blue glass which cast a curious aqua glow on the resort, making photography a little weird.    It's a fun ride and helps to orient you to the places (and parts of the beach) which you'd like to be!

Water, Water, Everywhere

Most of the water sports and rental companies are clustered around eight "points of service", or kiosk stations on the long sand strip, each named after a nearby attraction or feature. 

On the ocean side, you can get rentals and check out the fun at the service points at the Parc Zone (at the Parc Hotel), the Flora Zone, the Iaki-Riviera Zone opposite the Iaki hotel, and the Lido Zone, near the Lido hotel.   On the lake side, check out the Tic-Tac point for hires on the lake, as well as the points at Capitanie, Pinguin, and Caraiman.

While specific vendors and available water fun does vary slightly from year to year, generally you'll at least find hydrobikes (little boats with those big wheels which paddle through the water), para-sailing, scuba diving, and windsurfing

For a bit more varied fun, check out the yacht school, scream through the waves on a towed inflatable banana boat (a wild ride), or have fun hanging onto a  towed giant inner tube.  You can also hire ski-dos (water scooters), as well as sailboats, catamarans, and caravelle boats, with boat rides fully crewed.

Restaurants

 The Romanian Restaurant

One of the more amusing phrases across the Romanian foodscape is the curious need to reinforce that the restaurant serves "Romanian" food. Whilst we in the west would never dream of saying that we have "specifically Australian food" or "Canadian Restaurant", in Romania, it is not considered strange.

The Specific Romanesc (really meaning more "rustic" or traditional styule) offering of restaurants are frankly, just great at Mamaia.  Usually arranged in delightful open-air terraces so you can watch the world go by (although some are in more sheltered grotto-esque type places), the fun-strip dining experience nonetheless has authentic cuisine to match all price points.

Almost all of the major hotels also have reasonable restaurants attached, and can offer some rather good deals on 3-course dinners. 

 The Terasa

Walk around and read the boards for specials before choosing. Pick a place with good views for people-watching and a few flowers.

Mamaia does offer some of the best "terasa" style restaurants with open-air eating and great barbecued foods, something that Romanians do almost as well as the Australians or Californians (sorry New Zealand!). 

The Vacation Village on the south end of the resort has over 30 of these terasa/rustic style eateries, all competing to offer great value and traditional fare.   There are even restaurants offering regional specialties, although frankly, most of the stew type dishes seem rather familiar. 

 Kiosks

In a rather pleasing Romanian custom, you can simply pick up some fruit from one of many vendors alongside the main promenade.  

Whilst a surprisingly simple solution for families on a budget, it's a pure joy to just pick up some nectarines, peaches, watermelon, bananas, or citrus fruit at one of the little kiosks.  Yes, indeed, you will be paying almost double the market square price, but it's still so much cheaper than the other deep fried and processed snacks in the busier areas.

 Top Picks

One fun choice is a trip out to restaurant of the same name on Ovidius' Island in the middle of the big lake which forms the western border of the Mamaia strip.

Events

local clubs