Letea Forest
Oaks growing on sand dunes between the Danube's arms, hung with wild vines, with free-roaming horses among them. A strictly protected reserve inside the delta.
- How long to allow
- A full day from most bases
- Best for
- Anyone who wants the delta's strangest landscape rather than its best-known one
- Seasonality
- Reached by boat and then overland; conditions and access are seasonal and permit-controlled.
The background
Letea is the delta’s oddity. Between the Chilia and Sulina arms, on old sand dunes, there is a forest of oak and ash growing in ridges — with lianas climbing through it. The combination of sand, water table and shelter produces something that looks subtropical and is not.
It is one of the oldest natural forests in Romania and it is strictly protected: entry is regulated, and parts are closed to visitors entirely.
The horses are the other thing people come for. They range freely through the area, and their status and management have been the subject of long argument — which is worth knowing, because “wild horses” is a simpler description than the situation deserves.
Getting there
By boat, then overland. That means a guide or an organised trip from one of the delta bases rather than a drive, and it means a day rather than an afternoon.
Prefer to have the route organised for you?
Guided private trips and custom itineraries are arranged externally, with a local driver-guide.
View private tours