Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve covers the Romanian part of the Danube Delta in Tulcea County, where the river empties into the Black Sea. The delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and the best preserved on the continent; most of it lies in Romania and a small part in Ukraine. The lagoons of Razim–Sinoe to the south are geologically and ecologically related to the delta proper, and the combined territory is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The modern delta began to form after 4000 BC in a bay of the Black Sea, when the sea rose to its present level and a sandy barrier blocked the bay.

Visiting the Delta

Tulcea is the main entry point. Sulina and 28 villages can be reached only by water, and the ferry from Tulcea to Sulina takes almost four hours, with speedboats faster; book transfers in advance in peak season. A visitor's permit is needed when exploring by boat; ask about the cost and where to buy it. Local boatmen in Crișan, Maliuc and Sfântu Gheorghe run 3–6 hour trips into the narrower channels in small wooden or fibreglass boats, and spray can soak phones and cameras. ATMs are scarce (only in Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe), so carry cash. Sfântu Gheorghe has one of the last wild beaches in Romania, and Caraorman is a remote village in the forest. April to June is peak birdwatching, with pelicans, pygmy cormorants, glossy ibis and herons breeding; late spring and early autumn are recommended, and the sea is warm enough for swimming only in the warmest months. Check the reserve's official pages for permits.