What foreigners and locals alike love about Bulgaria, part 3
Written and photos by Anna Kerezsi, edited by Andrea Vushkova and Lindsay Martin
If you consider yourself an active hiking type person rather than a sunbathing enthusiast, I have ideas for you in part 1 and part 2 of this series. But if you are ready to discover the best beaches and attractions of the Black Sea, you are in the right place!
I had the opportunity to visit the Bulgarian seaside twice last summer and made a video about my experience. I come from a country without a sea so this explains my enthusiasm towards everything connected to this big blue magic! In this video, I show you Varna, Kavarna, Cape Kaliakra, Balchik, Provadia, Aladzha monastery near Varna, Burgas, Sozopol, the pink Lake Atanasovo in Burgas, and St. Anastasia Island. These are the most popular tourist places by the Black Sea.
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Nessebar
My Bulgarian friends suggested that I visit Irakli, Chernomorets, Sinemorets, and the Shabla lighthouse.
Irakli (~17 km from Nessebar, ~32 minutes by taxi) is a good choice for those who prefer a less crowded, more natural coast. You can go camping, stay at a hotel nearby, or take a taxi from Nessebar or Obzor. It’s the perfect holiday plan if you need to disconnect from the noisy society.
Chernomorets (~5 km from Sozopol, 6 minutes by bus) is the nearest station if you go to or from Sozopol by bus. If you prefer a less busy place, but still close to society, bars and restaurants, you can find everything you need here. The main attractions are the ruins of a fortress at Cape Accra, the St. Nicholas church, and an uncountable number of beaches, villas, hotels, and restaurants with local food.
Sinemorets (~46 km from Sozopol, ~2 hours by bus) is a village next to the Veleka river. Veleka Beach is very popular due to its unique shape between the river and the sea. If it is already crowded, you can still go to spend a good time at Butamyata Beach.
Rezovo (~11 km from Sinemorets) is a tiny village, only one step away from Turkey. If you want you can take your own selfie with the Bulgarian and Turkish flags. Rezovo is the southeasternmost inhabited place in Bulgaria and the European Union!
Shabla (~61 km from Varna, ~1 hour by taxi) has two main attractions that make it worth visiting. We already know where the southeasternmost point of Bulgaria is, and here we can be proud of ourselves to find the easternmost point. The other attraction is the oldest operating lighthouse on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast from 1895.
I hope I was able to give you some suggestions for the directions you should take this summer. If you are the hardworking type with limited paid leave days, or you are simply not tempted to step out of your comfort zone, consider discovering Sofia a little bit more. The following list is perfectly made for you!
The Sofia to-do and must-see list:
Vitosha hiking
Art galleries
First and second parts of easily accessible parks in Sofia
Romantic places for a rendezvous
Our favorite gourmet and international shops
Our favorite restaurants
Most beautiful views of Sofia from rooftops
Events in Sofia
First and second parts of 10 most beautiful streets in Sofia
In these articles, I covered mostly touristic and cultural topics. But there are many more interesting facts about Bulgaria and Sofia, and our goal is to show you all of them! To close this article series I made a word cloud about the random things that Bulgarians and foreigners love about Bulgaria. Thank you for joining me on this journey!
