bigfootwanders
Where to go in December / Bulgaria in December / Burgas & the southern Black Sea coast / December

Bulgaria · Countryside

Burgas & the southern Black Sea coast
in December.

Illustration of Old Sozopol across Central Beach from the New Town
Old Sozopol on the Black SeaDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.

December averages 49°F afternoons and 53°F seas, with about 9 rain days. Check seasonal openings.

Afternoons
49°F
Sea
53°F
Visitor demand
3%of August peak

Historical Yugoiztochen regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Sunny Beach, Nessebar, Sozopol and Burgas; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

6.3/10 · scores & priorities

Coming for the beach at Sunny Beach and Sozopol? The weather score rates sightseeing conditions. Beach weather rates poor (1.7/10).

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#11 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather5.5/10Good
CrowdsOff seasoncheck seasonal openings; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, quieter than most of Europe this month
CostCheapfor Europe; Bulgaria-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your December

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 49°F (9°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 34°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 9 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 53°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 9 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 07:36Sunset 16:4234°F49°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 07:36 and sets about 16:42 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 34°F (1°C); afternoons reach about 49°F (9°C). Expect rain on about 9 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
49°F (9°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
34°F (1°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
53°F (11°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
9h 06m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early and late December have similar afternoon averages. The afternoon high averages 50°F on the 1st, versus 48°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 33% to 20% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

50°F

Typical afternoon high

33% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

49°F

Typical afternoon high

27% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

48°F

Typical afternoon high

20% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2026: 24 Dec Christmas Eve; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec Christmas Day; 28 Dec Christmas Day (Observed).

Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

December 2026 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
150°250°350°450°550°650°
750°850°950°1050°1149°1249°1349°
1449°1549°1649°1749°1849°1948°2048°
2149°2249°2348°2448°2548°2647°2748°
2848°2948°3048°3148°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons cool from about 50°F (10°C) in the first week to 48°F (9°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 17–35%.

School-holiday dates for December 2026 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 24 Dec Christmas Eve; 25 Dec Christmas Day; 26 Dec Christmas Day; 28 Dec Christmas Day (Observed). Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Off season. December averages 3% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings.

Overnight stays across Yugoiztochen do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, quieter than most of Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

A little below usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Bulgaria as a whole
Well below EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 53 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

Year-to-year variation

How much does December vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 43°F (6°C) and 53°F (11°C); in 10 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 49°F (9°C). Rain days ranged from 1 to 14; half the years had 5–11.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 9 rain days920112012: 11 rain days112013: 2 rain days22014: 14 rain days142015: 1 rain days12016: 4 rain days42017: 10 rain days102018: 9 rain days92019: 6 rain days62020: 10 rain days102021: 14 rain days142022: 7 rain days72023: 7 rain days72024: 12 rain days122025: 5 rain days52025
Rain days
9
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 13 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
7 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
10 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201148°F9
201244°F11
201346°F2
201448°F14
201551°F1
201643°F4
201751°F10
201845°F9
201951°F6
202051°F10
202149°F14
202252°F7
202353°F7
202449°F12
202551°F5

Checked against official climate averages for Burgas. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs August peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons57°F49°F46°F
Sea60°F53°F47°F
Rain days798
Overnight demand4%3%3%

November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than December. More overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. Less overnight demand. Check seasonal accommodation and activity openings. January guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.

March to April and October to November have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, without a substantially busier visitor season.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 4% of the busiest month; check seasonal openings.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons49°F57°F
Nights34°F42°F
Sea53°F60°F
Rain days97
Visitor seasonOff seasonOff season
Overall / 106.36.9
Month rank#11#9
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January6.2#1246°F30°F47°F85.3Off season
February6.4#1050°F32°F45°F65.7Off season
March6.9#857°F37°F46°F76.7Off season
April7.7#565°F44°F51°F88.3Off season
May9.3#173°F52°F61°F99.3Low season
June8.2#382°F60°F71°F98.6Moderate season
July7.1#787°F65°F77°F48.1Peak season
August7.2#687°F65°F78°F48.3Peak season
September8.9#279°F59°F74°F39.5Moderate season
October7.9#467°F49°F67°F68.8Off season
November6.9#957°F42°F60°F76.7Off season
December6.3#1149°F34°F53°F95.5Off season

Near here

Nearby places in December

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better December weather than Burgas & the southern Black Sea coast

Burgas & the southern Black Sea coast's weather ranks 14 of 117 countryside regions this month. These countryside regions outside Bulgaria have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Burgas & the southern Black Sea coast.

All of Bulgaria in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's off season, 3% of the busiest month and 89% below its average month. That means about 3,300 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 89% of them from Bulgaria itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 510 more: 16 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)63
How our weather was checkedOfficial climate averages for Burgas from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 2°F (1.3°C), night lows within 1°F (0.5°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day3
Busiest month hereAugust · 111
Visitors as share of people present0.3%
Rank among Europe's regions this month12th percentile
Domestic share of nights89%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights16
Visitor share if every platform night were extra0.4%
National hotel-price seasonBulgaria historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used952,000
Statistical regionBG34 · Yugoiztochen

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.