# Sfântu Gheorghe Beach

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Dobruja](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/dobrogea) › [Tulcea County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/tulcea) › [Sfântu Gheorghe](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/locality/sfantu-gheorghe-tulcea)

> The wild beach where the Sfântu Gheorghe branch meets the Black Sea: 30 km of fine sand, 2 km from a Delta village that can only be reached by water.

**At a glance:** Seaside in Sfântu Gheorghe, Tulcea County. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: 5 lei. The visit takes 4½ – 5 hours. Information verified on 28 September 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The beach is open at all times, but your hours are set by the Navrom Delta ships, which leave Tulcea at 13:30 and Sfântu Gheorghe at 7:00, calling at Bălteni de Jos and Mahmudia. In season, between 19 June and 14 September, they sail six days a week: from Tulcea on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and from Sfântu Gheorghe on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Between 1 May and 18 June and in the second half of September the pattern is again six days, with different boats; from October to April three sailings a week remain in each direction. The timetable changes with the weather and water conditions, so check it on navromdelta.ro before setting off. The terraces at the beach entrance work in summer only.
- **Ticket:** 5 lei — the reserve access permit
- **Visit duration:** 4½ – 5 hours — as long as you stay on the beach
- **With kids:** Yes — a 2 km walk to the sand
- **Parking:** Yes, paid — in Murighiol, 25 lei a day
- **Best season:** June – September — come the day before, by boat
- **Address:** About 2 km east of the village, at the end of the track that leads out towards the sea, Sfântu Gheorghe, Tulcea County
- **Coordinates:** 44.8913, 29.6215
- **Phone:** +40 240 518 924
- **Website:** https://ddbra.ro/
- **Categories:** [Seaside](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/seaside), [Deltas](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/deltas)

## About Sfântu Gheorghe Beach

Where the southernmost branch of the Danube runs out into the Black Sea lies the widest beach on the Romanian coast. The commune's town hall puts it at 30 kilometres long and one to two kilometres wide, and along the whole of it nothing has been built: no promenade, no hotels on the sand, only low dunes, scrub and a waterline strewn with broken shells. The Danube pours its fresh water out alongside, so the sea here is less salty than further south and clouds over quickly after a storm.

The beach belongs to Sfântu Gheorghe, a fishing village some 123 kilometres from Tulcea that no road reaches: you come only by water. The settlement appears as San-Giorgio on a Genoese map of 1318 and is documented from the 14th century; the Turks called it Katârlez, the Greeks Aios Iorgos. The old fish-processing station, built between 1950 and 1953 and the largest in the Delta in its day, now stands derelict at the edge of the village.

From the village to the sea is about two kilometres eastwards. You walk it in 20–30 minutes, or take the *trocarici*, a tractor-drawn trailer with benches and a canopy that carries people to the beach for a few lei. All of this lies inside the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, so you need the access permit issued by the reserve administration.

### What you can see

The broad strip of sand running away to the north, emptier the further you walk from the end of the road, and the line of the waves, where small shells and whole rapa whelks gather. To the south, at the mouth of the branch, fresh water visibly mixes with the sea, and beyond it lie Sacalinul Mare and Sacalinul Mic, two recently formed sand islands that cannot be landed on. The lighthouse of 1967, 57 metres tall and built of iron and glass, is the landmark you see both from the sand and from the water. In summer a few drinks terraces work at the beach entrance; otherwise, nothing.

### Good to know

There is no lifeguard: the reserve administration classes the beaches at Sfântu Gheorghe and Sulina as wild, unmanaged beaches, and trading is banned within 150 metres of the waterline. Tents and caravans are forbidden inside the reserve outside authorised campsites. The Navrom ships leave Tulcea once a day, at 13:30, and return in the morning at 7:00, so a day on the beach almost certainly means at least one night in the village. In August the village fills up for the Anonimul film festival, held here since 2004.

## Don't miss

- The mouth of the Sfântu Gheorghe branch, where the fresh water of the Danube mixes with the sea, at the southern end of the beach.
- The empty strip of sand a few hundred metres beyond the entrance, where you meet nobody at all.
- The two-kilometre journey from the village to the sea, on foot or on the tractor-drawn trocarici trailer.
- The 57-metre lighthouse, built in 1967 of iron and glass, the landmark seen from the sand and from the water.
- The islands of Sacalinul Mare and Sacalinul Mic, watched from a distance, from the beach or from a boat.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** you cannot get here. The village has no road link to the rest of the county, so the car stays either in Tulcea or in Murighiol. Murighiol is about 330 km from Bucharest, on the A2 leaving at Drajna and then through Slobozia, Țăndărei, Hârșova and Tulcea, or about 360 km through Fetești, Cernavodă, Babadag and Tulcea. From Tulcea to Murighiol is roughly 40 km, by way of Mahmudia.

**Public transport:** the Navrom Delta ships leave the port of Tulcea at 13:30 and run up the Sfântu Gheorghe branch, calling at Bălteni de Jos and Mahmudia; the return sailing leaves Sfântu Gheorghe at 7:00. Faster are the speedboats from Murighiol, from the landing stage in the car park of the Star 2000 petrol station: the transfer run by the village resort takes around 60 minutes and departs according to bookings. From the village harbour it is about 2 km east to the beach, 20–30 minutes on foot along an unsurfaced track, or by *trocarici*, the bench-lined trailer pulled by a tractor.

### Where to park

There is no car park at the beach, and nothing to park: the car stays on the mainland. In Murighiol you leave it in the car park at the Star 2000 petrol station, where the speedboats go from, at 25 lei a day per vehicle; the other option is to leave it in Tulcea, where the ship departs. Very few cars move around the village, and driving onto the sand and the dunes is forbidden. The reserve's vehicle permit, 10 lei a day or 100 lei until the end of the year, is valid only on public roads inside the reserve, and parking near natural banks and reed beds is not allowed.

### Fees & discounts

The beach has no ticket; what you pay for is the journey by water and the reserve access permit. The Navrom Tulcea–Sfântu Gheorghe crossing costs 70 lei per person each way on the classic boat and 80 lei on the semi-rapid, and tickets bought online at navromdelta.ro are charged at the classic fare whichever boat you take. Residents of the Delta and of the town of Tulcea pay a subsidised fare, 19 lei on the classic boat and 28 lei on the semi-rapid. Children under 7 and school pupils travel free, pensioners get 50% off, and people with severe or accentuated disabilities travel free; those tickets are issued at the ticket office or on board, on production of documents. The visitor access permit for the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve costs 5 lei for one day, 15 lei for seven days and 30 lei until the end of the year, and is free for pupils, students, pensioners, war veterans, former political prisoners, people with disabilities and anyone living inside the reserve or in the neighbouring communes. It is bought online at ddbra.ro, by SMS to 7494, at SelfPay terminals or, in cash, at the information centres in Sulina, Crișan and Murighiol — the one in Sfântu Gheorghe is temporarily closed. The recreational fishing permit is free but is issued separately; a boat permit costs 20 lei for seven days. Commercial photography costs 100 lei, filming for educational purposes 50 lei, and flying a drone under 500 g 50 lei. The trocarici to the beach costs a few lei per person each way.

### Rules

The beach lies inside the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, so you need an access permit, children included — theirs is free, but it still has to be obtained. Tents and caravans are banned throughout the reserve outside authorised campsites. Driving and parking cars or ATVs on the sand and the dunes is not allowed. The reserve administration classes this as a wild beach and provides no lifeguards, so you swim at your own risk; trading is banned within 150 metres of the waterline. The Sacalin islands and the strictly protected Sacalin-Zătoane complex are closed to visitors, and unauthorised entry is fined. Fishing needs the recreational fishing permit, with a limit of 5 kg of fish a day and no more than 10 kg per angler or 15 kg per family carried out of the reserve; pike, zander, catfish and carp must be released at once, apart from a single specimen a day. Drones and commercial photography need separate permits.

### Facilities

No lifeguard · a few drinks terraces at the beach entrance, in summer only · bins placed by the town hall along the track and on the beach · no natural shade · no surfaced road to the sand · trocarici transport from the village in season · accommodation, shops, the village museum and the cultural centre in the village, 2 km away · the reserve's information centre in the village is temporarily closed

## Details

- **Beach type:** wild, with shells
- **Beach length:** 30 km
- **Lifeguards:** No
- **Departure ports:** Tulcea, Murighiol
- **Access by boat only:** Yes
- **Bird season:** spring, autumn
- **Fishing allowed:** Yes
- **Access permit:** Yes

## Frequently asked questions about Sfântu Gheorghe Beach

**How much is a ticket to Sfântu Gheorghe Beach?**

A ticket to Sfântu Gheorghe Beach costs 5 lei (the reserve access permit). More under “Fees & discounts”.

**What are the opening hours of Sfântu Gheorghe Beach?**

Opening hours at Sfântu Gheorghe Beach: daily open 24 hours. More under “Opening hours”.

**How long does a visit to Sfântu Gheorghe Beach take?**

A visit to Sfântu Gheorghe Beach takes about 4½ – 5 hours (as long as you stay on the beach).

**Can you visit Sfântu Gheorghe Beach with kids?**

Yes, Sfântu Gheorghe Beach is suitable for children (a 2 km walk to the sand).

**Where can I park at Sfântu Gheorghe Beach?**

There is paid parking at Sfântu Gheorghe Beach (in Murighiol, 25 lei a day). More under “Where to park”.

**How do I get to Sfântu Gheorghe Beach?**

Sfântu Gheorghe Beach is located at About 2 km east of the village, at the end of the track that leads out towards the sea, Sfântu Gheorghe, Tulcea County. More under “Getting there”.

**When is the best time to visit Sfântu Gheorghe Beach?**

The best season for Sfântu Gheorghe Beach: June – September (come the day before, by boat).

## Nearby attractions

- [Sfântu Gheorghe (Danube Delta)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sfantu-gheorghe) — Villages and traditions · Sfântu Gheorghe, TL · 5 lei/day · 3½ – 4 hours · 3 km
  A fishing village where the Sfântu Gheorghe arm meets the Black Sea, with no road in: you arrive by water, and the village has its church, the 1967 lighthouse and a 30 km beach 2 km away.
- [Caraorman Forest](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/caraorman-forest) — National parks and reserves · Caraorman, TL · 5 lei/day · 3½ – 4 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · 31 km
  A strict nature reserve in the heart of the Danube Delta: oaks more than 400 years old, including the Kneeling Oak, and the highest sand dunes in the delta, on the Caraorman sand bank.
- [Sulina Beach](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sulina-beach) — Seaside · Sulina, TL · 5 lei · 3½ – 4 hours · 37 km
  Romania's easternmost beach, where the Sulina branch meets the Black Sea: very fine alluvial sand, an unusually wide strip and water that stays shallow for tens of metres.
- [Old Lighthouse of Sulina](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/old-lighthouse-of-sulina) — Museums and memorial houses · Sulina, TL · 20 lei · 45 min · 38 km
  The white tower of the European Commission of the Danube in the middle of Sulina, now a museum about the town called “Europolis”, the writer Jean Bart and the conductor George Georgescu.
- [Sulina](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/sulina) — Deltas · Sulina, TL · 5 lei/day · 3½ – 4 hours · 39 km
  Romania's easternmost town, at the mouth of the Sulina arm, with no road to the rest of the country: a port with an international past, the Old Lighthouse, the European Commission of the Danube palace and the maritime cemetery.
- [Crișan](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/crisan) — Villages and traditions · Crișan, TL · 5 lei/day · 1½ – 2 hours · 47 km
  Fishing village on the Sulina branch in the middle of the Danube Delta, with no road: a call for the Navrom Delta ship, with an ARBDD information centre and the launches to Mila 23 and Caraorman.

## Featured in the guides

- [The Danube Delta: map, what it is, the villages and what to see](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/danube-delta) — The Danube Delta on the map: the Chilia, Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe branches, villages and sights. A 580,000 ha reserve, UNESCO since 1991. Water in 2026.
- [Danube Delta trip: one, two or three days, where to start and how to get to Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/danube-delta-trip) — From Tulcea, 300 km from Bucharest: a day by boat to Mila 23, the Navrom ship to Sulina (66 lei, 3 h 30) and Sfântu Gheorghe. Murighiol, Mahmudia, Jurilovca.
- [Birds and wildlife of the Danube Delta: pelicans, where and when to see them](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/birds-of-the-danube-delta) — 365 bird species, according to the reserve, including the great white and Dalmatian pelicans. Where to see them, when (May–June, migration) and what is closed.
- [Visiting the Danube Delta for the first time: the access permit, mosquitoes and when to go](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/visiting-the-danube-delta) — The ARBDD permit: 5 lei/day, 15 lei/7 days, 30 lei/year, free for children and pensioners; online or by SMS to 7494. May–June is best, before the mosquitoes.
- [Sulina or Sfântu Gheorghe? The beaches of the Danube Delta (and Gura Portiței)](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/guides/sulina-or-sfantu-gheorghe) — Sulina: a port town with an old lighthouse and a 5 km beach 2–3 km away, with terraces in summer. Sfântu Gheorghe: a village and 30 km of wild beach.

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Last updated: 28 September 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania