The Danube Delta is an exotic area sheltering more than 1200 species of trees and plants and housing EusopeΓÇÖs richest colony of birds (more than 300 species, including unique pelican colonies) and fishes (about 100 species, most notably the Danube herring and the sturgeons, which produce valuable caviar).
The Danube Delta is the largest wet-land reservation in Europe. It extends over 2,681 sq km. Because of the 67 million tons of alluviums deposited by the river, the Delta grows larger by 40 m every year.
In 1990, UNESCO placed the Danube DeltaΓÇôthe youngest part of Romania and an area that is well-guarded against the ΓÇ£progress of industrializationΓÇ¥ΓÇôamong the reservations of the biosphere.
One can go through the Danube Delta by ship, following the three main branches. However, the majority of the channels linking the lakes can only be accessed by boat, especially by local fishermen. The DeltaΓÇÖs population is less than 16,000 inhabitants who live in villages established on tops of bank ridges.
The Black Sea shore, 215 km long, extends from Chilia branch of the Danube to the Bulgarian border. South of the sandy shores of the lagoon lakes Razim ΓÇö Sinoe, 15 spas and holiday resorts are concentrated on a distance of about 100 km along the gently-sloping shore of the Black Sea.
BeachesΓÇÖ exposure to sun is exceptional due to their eastward orientation. There are about 220 sunny days a year, the average annual temperature is 11 degrees C and nebulosity and rainfalls are small (375 mm/year). In summer, the heat (25 degrees C on average) is moderated by a gentle continuous breeze, rich in aerosols.
As there are no tides, the beaches of fine sand are never flooded; they advance progressively into the sea where no dangerous fish live. In summer, sand temperature can reach 45 degrees C and the average temperature of seawater is 20 degrees C. The Black Sea resorts are successors to those port towns that formed, in antiquity, the community of the five Pontus cities (Tomis, Callatis, Histria, Dionysopolis and Odessos) and they preserve beautiful archaeological vestiges.
Newly built resorts provide for nautical and recreational sports practiced both in the sea and on the many natural or artificial lakes along the seashore. Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud and Mangalia are also known for bathing and specific health treatments they offer.
