Escape to the Danube Delta

One of the places I wanted to visit for quite some time was the Danube Delta in Romania, my home country.

When I was in high school, I was a little bit of a geography nerd for a while. I loved learning about different places and I remember several things I learned about the Danube Delta. So, please allow me to share some of that nerdy info.

Because the river has been constantly bringing and storing sediments in this area and changing the landscape, the Danube Delta is considered the youngest piece of land in Romania. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and partially protected area.

Right around Tulcea, the Danube splits into three main channels- Chilia, Sulina and St. George. Sulina is the only navigable channel and it’s the one I visited.

Along the Sulina channel, there are little villages, resorts, a small town, where you can find accommodation, rent boats or book trips for bird watching.

Because spring is finally here (hopefully), it’s a great time to visit the Danube Delta. Around this time, everything comes back to life, flowers bloom and from what I understand, mosquitoes are not out yet.

So let me tell you a bit about my adventures there, so you know what to expect.

Since 2020 was the year of closed borders, I took advantage and finally visited the Danube Delta. Twice. I already had some plans to go there in September, but I got an invitation from a friend to stop by the Danube Delta on our way back from the seaside. I agreed and in July, I visited the Danube Delta for the first time.

Even though both my trips were on the Sulina channel, they were pretty different experiences, so it’s worth talking about both.

Depending on the experience you’re looking for, my two Danube Delta escapes show two different approaches: a DIY type and a more “luxury”, show up and enjoy type. I’ll explain.

1. Craft your own trip

The first trip was a spontaneous, self-directed experience. We didn’t have anything planned. We just drove from the seaside to Tulcea and figured it out from there. Our intention was to reach the small town of Sulina, which is accessible only by boat.

We were a group of 5 and we parked right by the Tulcea harbor. The parking fee is only 6 RON/day (1.5 USD), but depending on the season, it might be a bit more difficult to find parking spots. The hotels in the area provide private parking, but it’s way more expensive – 20-30 RON/day (5 -7.5 USD), especially in full season.

Then, we went to find a boat ride that would take us to Sulina, which costs about 60 RON/person for a one way trip (15 USD). There are several companies doing these rides, so it’s very likely you can find something just by going to the harbor anytime before 5 PM. Booking a ride in advance is also an option, though.

While waiting to depart, we started looking for accommodation. We were told that it should be easy to find once we get there, but because there was a big storm unfolding, we decided to start the search online.

The Airbnb offer was really unsatisfactory, so luckily, we found a phone number from a local host, who had two open rooms for us. He was amazing! Incredibly welcoming, with a very clean space and a chef wife. We were in for a treat!

They cooked some delicious traditional fish meals from the area and they surprised us with 3-course meals – soup, main dish and dessert – every time. For breakfast, we did our own shopping and cooking, as we had access to a basic outdoor kitchen.

_{Dinner on the first night captured by Corina Drăgan}

For two nights of accommodation and the 3 meals we had at the house, we paid around 200 RON/person ($50).

Because we had someone with a skipper permit with us, instead of going on guided tours, we decided to rent a boat and be on our own schedule.

Fortunately, our host put us in touch with another local who had a small boat available. The boat rental for about 24 hours was approximately 100 RON/person ($25).

_{Our boat for a day}

We picked the spots we wanted to see and spent pretty much the entire time on the water. On our first day, we went into the small channels of the delta and made our way to a small village called Letea, where we moored the boat.

_{Inside the Letea forest}

After spending a few hours visiting an old forest and chasing wild horses (which sadly, we didn’t see), we returned on the boat and came back to Sulina. On the way, we made a few short stops for snacks and chilling on the bank of the river.

_{And for taking pictures, of course.}

It’s so peaceful out there! I’d totally kayak or canoe through the lakes and channels if there weren’t so many motor boats around.

The second day, we took a different route. The town of Sulina is at the very end of the channel with the same name. Thus, one of the places we wanted to see was the spot where the river flows into the sea.

Because the current was pretty strong, we were hesitant to go out on the sea to the Birds’ Island, so we headed towards one of the bigger lakes around – Lacul Roșuleț. We did a lot of water lily watching and saw some gorgeous swans chillin’ on the lake.

_{Water lilies}

Then, we turned back and dropped off the boat to head over to the beach for a quick swim. Sulina has a really nice beach and the water was clean and warm.

After one last meal prepared by our host and a little mix-up with the reservation for our boat ride back to Tulcea, we finally made it back to our cars and set out for a long drive home.

2. Show up and enjoy

The second trip was a pre-planned weekend getaway. There were only two of us and we stayed at a 5-star resort, in Crișan, a small village on the banks of the same Sulina channel, but more inland than the town of Sulina.

_{Delta Boutique & Carmen Silva Resort captured by Criquet Golden}

Our accommodation was roughly 550 RON/person ($140 for 2 nights), with breakfast and dinner included in our stay. We also had access to the pool, as well as a 3-hour boat tour included.

For this trip, we did the same parking arrangements and took the same boat ride that dropped us off right on the dock of the resort (for the same price as in the previous trip). Towards the end of September, when we went, it is the beginning of the off season, so it was definitely a little cooler out, but it was super quiet everywhere around.

_{Accurate representation of the chill Crișan life}

If you’re looking for a chill experience, this tiny village is definitely a good spot.

For the few days we spent there, we certainly took it easy and enjoyed ourselves. We didn’t go out exploring too much, but we did take a guided tour to Mila 23, another small village on a channel nearby. A lot of rowing athletes are born and raised in this area. 

If during our first trip we didn’t see that many birds, going on a guided tour definitely had its perks, because our guide knew exactly where to take us. We saw plenty of birds while exploring several lakes and channels and truly appreciated not having to navigate in unknown wetland ourselves.

We just showed up and enjoyed the experience.

Besides this 3-hour guided tour, we mostly spent time around the resort, by the pool or walking around. Compared to the previous trip, we didn’t plan to fill up our schedule and be out and about the entire time.

_{The channel behind the resort}

A more laid-back experience for sure and just as wonderful in its own way.

Depending on your budget and preferences, I hope these two types of experiences can help you decide what to choose for your own Danube Delta escape.

Regardless of what you choose, this beautiful natural reservation is definitely worth visiting at least once.

Have you ever been to the Danube Delta? How was your experience?

If not, would you like to visit? Which type of experience would you choose?

Let me know in the comments.