by Lonely Planet author Leif Pettersen

Doi Mai & Vama Veche

Black Sea Northern Dobrogea

Doi Mai & Vama Veche (‘old customs point’) are the last bits of Romanian coastline before you hit Bulgarian immigration.

Both were formerly bohemian paradises, with little more to offer than desolate stretches of sand and nudism. The Communists, of all people, generously set Vama Veche aside for staff of Cluj-Napoca university and it inexorably developed into a haven for hippies, artists and intellectuals.

Hello capitalism! Vama Veche’s parking lot is now packed with expensive cars desperate for nonexistent parking spots. The days of free camping are gone, and loud beachside bars have taken root. Nudists are still around (and really, the "swimsuits" the Romanians favor are little more than flat out nudity anyway), but a visible, distinctly non-bohemian construction boom foretells of big plans for the future.

Alternately, Doi Mai has also been built up in the last few years, but not as obviously as Vama Veche. Its beach is smaller and offers views onto, erm, a shipyard. Yet, it has retained a small village charm and can make a pleasant base.

Sarcasm aside, both towns are good alternatives to the more standard, noisier resorts to the north if you want a less debauched atmosphere with your seaside break.

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