Bulgaria

According to a Bulgarian legend, the sand at Golden Sands is actually pirate treasure.

Pirates are said to have gone ashore north of Varna and buried a great hoard of gold. But nature punished their greed by turning the treasure into fine golden sand.

The legend is not entirely detached from history. Old records describe ships, including pirates, stopping along this part of the Black Sea coast to take on water during their journeys.

Today, the place is called Golden Sands. The treasure is gone. The sand remains.