Marine Tourism

The Bulgarian Black Sea coast is a wonderful place for a summer holiday. Cape Emine is the place where the Balkan Mountain ends at the sea shore, and this place conditionally divides the Black Sea coast into north and south part. The coast line is 378 km long and it has 209 beaches with total area of 16 square kilometers. A large part of them are wide, others are small and nested in picturesque marine bays. The beaches and the sea offer conditions for practicing various types of water sports (surfing, water ski, diving, underground archaeology) and fishing (including underwater). In 2011 with a blue flag are awarded the beaches in Albena, Bunite (Varna), Dyuni, Elenite, Pomorie (east beach), Harmanite (Sozopol), St. Vlas (central beach and Venid beach), Sunny Beach (north and south beach) and Sunny Day. The salinity of the Black Sea is low (in the coastal waters – 16-17‰), and the high and low tides are insignificant. During the summer, the average water temperature is 22-24°С, and in the shallow parts up to 26°С, which makes it particularly pleasant for swimming.

During the past few years a part of the elite marine complexes and resort towns acquired yacht ports. The ports in the resorts Rusalka, Tyulenovo, Balchik, Golden Sands and Varna offer serious opportunities for yachting along the northern Black Sea coast. Options for yacht tourism on the southern Black Sea coast are offered in Burgas, the resorts St. Vlas, Nesebar, Sozopol, Dyuni.

Besides the combination of sun, sand and sea, the Black Sea resorts offer hiking, biking and horse riding tourism, as well as eco tourism, photo safari, visiting of natural, cultural and architectural landmarks. In the northern part of the Black Sea there are 3 golf courses, offering conditions for world level practicing of this type of sport.

Some of the Bulgarian rivers flow into the Black Sea. Their mouths are surrounded by dense and breezy moist loving forests. A part of the rivers are floatable (Ropotamo, Kamchia, Veleka) for small motor boats and offer unforgettable trips along the currents for tourists. The unique dense forests of the rivers Batova, Kamchia, Ropotamo and Veleka are suitable for nature admirers. At the Southern Black Sea you can enjoy the coolness of Strandzha and the centuries old traditions in the villages, nested in the mountain. Tourists can also enjoy the wonderful Black Sea lakes: Alepu, Arkutino, Atanasovsko lake, Balchik Tuzla, Beloslav lake Burgas lake, Varna lake, Durankulak lake (where an Eneolithic settlement mound 4600 - 4200 years BC was found, as well as a temple of the goddess Kibela), the Ezeretsko lake, Nanevska tuzla, Orlovo swamp, Pomorie lake, Stomoplo (swamp) and Shabla lake. Multiple rare plants and animals can be seen in these coastal lakes (lagoons and firths), and deposits of medicinal mud (firth mud) had been found, based on which mud treatment is performed – Pomorie lake, Varna lake, Balchik Tuzla, Shabla, Rusalka and Atanasovsko lake.

Along the coast line there are also mineral springs, and the combination of these natural facts is the reason for the successful combination of spa, balneological and wellness tourism with sea holiday.

Tourists also have the opportunity to visit the five Black Sea islands – St. Anastasia, St. Ivan (where the relics of St. John the Baptist were found), St. Peter, St. Kirik and Yulita, St. Tomas.

The resorts, located on the Black Sea, are suitable for family vacation, as well as for individual holiday and entertainment: Albena, Rusalka, St. Konstantin and St. Helena, Riviera, Obzor, Elenite and Dyuni are some of the most preferred mostly for families with children.

Younger tourists prefer Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Primorsko, Kiten, Lozenets, because of the large number of clubs, bars, and entertainment options. Sunny Beach is the largest resort complex in the country and it is often a host to the parties of world famous DJs and performers.

Sozopol and Nesebar (UNESCO) are famous for their combination of beautiful coastal nature and historical landmarks. These two towns with thousands of years of history attract the romantic summer tourists.

Excellent conditions for relaxation are offered in the resorts Kranevo, Chayka, Sunny Day, St. Iliya, St. Vlas, Ravda, Pomorie, Chernomorets, Tsarevo, Ahtopol and Sinemorets.

The Bulgarian Black Sea resorts offer various accommodation options – from luxurious 4-5-star hotels to small romantic family hotels, which correspond to global standards.

A part of the hotels in the Black Sea resorts work all year long and offer options for congress tourism, conducting of various events and incentive undertakings. Visitors of the Bulgarian Black Sea shore have the opportunity to enjoy multiple cultural events, including Kavarna Rock Fest, Varna Summer, Apolonia, Spirit of Burgas, the International Folklore Festival in Burgas, fire dancing shows, etc.

Congress Tourism

Owing to the strategic location of Bulgaria in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, its crossroad location between three continents, and its four international airports, Bulgaria is located at a distance of two hours from most of the European capitals and the large international airports, which perform flights to the whole world. This, together with the fact that the country offers multiple three, four and five-star hotels, located in the large city centers, as well as along the Black Sea coast and the mountain resorts, is a precondition for its increasing international authority in the area of congress tourism.

Excellent conditions for congress tourism are offered by the capital – Sofia. It offers multiple hotels with suitable halls, as well as congress centers, such as the National Palace of Culture and INTER EXPO center. Almost all hotels and hotel ranges offer equipment for conducting business meetings and seminars. In the city there are multiple higher education establishments, which also offer options for similar types of events. Additional options are offered in the Central Army Club, Boyana Residence, Universiada Hall, as well as the just finished multifunctional sports hall Armeets Arena - Sofia. The guests of business events can make use of the wonderful possibilities for cultural tourism in the city, as well as the conditions in close proximity to for mountain tourism, country and eco tourism, and golf tourism.

The city of Plovdiv, located in the central part of South Bulgaria, not only provides opportunities for congress and cultural events, but it also offers possibilities for science tourism. The city is famous for its international fair.

The Black Sea resorts offer wonderful combination of congress tourism, sea relaxation and spa. The resorts at our Black Sea coast offer the option for organizing similar events outside the summer season as well – Varna, Burgas, the resort complexes Albena, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, St. Konstantin and St. Helena, Dyuni, the towns of St. Vlas and Primorsko. The guests of the resorts on the North Black Sea have the option to practice golf on some of the best European and world golf courts. The town of Dobrich also offers options for business meetings.

The mountain resorts Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo combine all year long options for mountain and eco tourism with business events. In them the participants in congresses have the opportunity to enjoy some of the best ski tracks on the Old Continent.

A wonderful combination of congress tourism and spa is offered by the town of Kyustendil and the spa resorts Hisarya, Velingrad, Devin and Sandanski.

The Danube towns of Vidin and Ruse, as well as the towns of Montana and Pleven also offer opportunities for congress forums. The former capital of Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo – offers the combination of congress and cultural-science tourism. A combination of unique nature and options for business meetings is also available in Vratsa, Sevlievo, Ribaritsa, Teteven and Troyan. Good conference halls are also offered in the towns of Pazardzhik, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Dimitrovgrad, Haskovo, Yambol and Kazanlak.

Camping Tourism

Bulgaria offers well equipped camping sites, which attract tourists from the country and abroad, seeking for alternative recreation in touch with nature. They are mainly located along the Black Sea coast, in close proximity to some of the most beautiful Bulgarian beaches. Such are the camping sites Arapya – a favorite place for admirers of vacations under the stars, Gradina, Zlatna Ribka, Yug, Delfin, Silistar, Aheloyska Bitka, Smokinya, Koral, Zora, Oazis, Kavatsi, Kiten, etc.

On the north Black Sea coast there are also pleasant spots, where you can pitch your tent or park your caravan under the shady forest near the beach. There the most popular camping sites are located near the resorts Albena and Golden Sands (camping site Laguna), in the region of Kamchia river, village of Shkorpilovtsi, Shabla (camping site Dobrudzha), Irakli, Durankulak (camping site Kosmos).

The internal part of the country also offers good camping sites, a part of which are managed by foreign entrepreneurs. In North Bulgaria such ones are: the camping sites Madona, Tangra, Srebarna, Veliko Tarnovo, Kamenovo, Chumerna, Strinava, etc., and in South Bulgaria: Predel, Gorski Kat, Batak, Atolovo, Borovets, Zodiak, Lyubovishte, SBA, Bor, Verila, Kransko, etc.

In the natural parks there are also places, which are intended for camping. In this way tourists can follow their route and pitch their tents on a different place every day. This way of camping requires good preparation, equipment and responsible attitude towards Bulgarian nature.

Bulgarian Multiple resorts

Multiple resorts are located on the territory of Republic of Bulgaria, which are exceptionally diverse in their profile. The following resorts are located along the Black Sea Shore: Rusalka, Albena, Kranevo, Golden Sands, Riviera, Chayka, Sunny Day, St. Konstantin and St. Helena, St. Iliya, Obzor, Sunny Beach, Elenite, Dyuni, Nesebar, Ravda, Kiten, Pomorie, Chernomorets, Sozopol, Lozenets, Tsarevo, Ahtopol and Sinemorets.

The holiday settlement Rusalka is an inheritor of the French club “Mediterrane”. It is located in the natural park Tauk Liman.

In Albena tourists can enjoy more than 5-kilometer long coast line and water temperature of 24 ˚С during the summer.

Golden Sands possesses a 3.3-kilometer long coast line, reaching up to 100 meters width, with water temperature of 24 ˚С during the summer, and average summer air temperature of 27 ˚С.

The holiday club Riviera possesses a wonderful beach and is located in a park with centuries old trees.

St. Konstantin and St. Helena and Sunny Day are resorts, distinguishing with mild climate, tranquility and quietness.

The larges one of the Bulgarian Black Sea resorts is Sunny Beach. It has a 5.5-kilometer long sand stripe, where water temperature in the summer is 26 ˚С, and the average summer air temperature is 28 ˚С. The resort St. Vlas is located nearby.

Mediterranean is the style of the villas built in the resort Elenite, and the resort Dyuni is located amidst a pine forest on the sea shore.

A part of the hotels in the Black Sea resorts work all year long and offer options for congress tourism. The Black Sea beaches are divided into large ones (over 100,000 square meters) – Durankulak, Albena-Kranevo, Golden Sands, Kamchia-Shkorpilovtsi, Obzor, Sunny Beach, Pomorie, Atanasovo, Alepu, Primorsko south beach; medium sized (from 50,000 to 100,000 square meters) – Krapets, Shabla, St. Konstantin, Varna city beach, Asparuhovo, Shorpilovtsi-south, Obzor-south, Irakli, Burgas, Kavatsi, Stomoplo, Nestinarka, Ahtopol, etc.; and small ones (from 10,000 to 50,000 square meters) – they are mainly located along the south Black Sea coast.

The Black Sea coast is also famous for its mud deposits: Pomorie, Varna, Balchik, Shabla, Atanasovsko Lake, Taukliman. Also famous are the mineral waters in Krapets, Tyulenovo, Rusalka, Kavarna, Balchik, Albena, Golden Sands, St. Konstantin and St. Helena, Varna, Lower Kamchia, Emine, Medovo and Burgas.

Globally famous are also the mountain resorts Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko. Pamporovo is located on 1,650 meters above the sea level in the Rhodope Mountain. The snowy days are more than 150, and the tracks are from 800 to 3,800 meter long. In Rila, on 1,350 meters above the sea level lays the resort Borovets. It offers excellent tracks, and the biathlon track is one of the best in the world. The fastest developing mountain resort in Europe is Bansko. Besides offering world level ski tracks, in Bansko there are also more than 140 monuments of culture. The renowned Bansko icon painting school originates from there. Good conditions for skiing are also offered in the mountain resorts: Malyovitsa, Panichishte, Batak, Beklemeto, Ribaritsa, Osogovo, Momchilovtsi, Chepelare, Kom-Berkovitsa, Uzana, Yundola, Belmeken, Bodrost-Kartala, Predel, Semkovo and Aleko.

Bulgaria also offers excellent spa, balneological and wellness resorts: Hisar, Velingrad (the spa capital of the Balkan Peninsula), Sandanski, Banya, Kyustendil, Narechen, Pavel Banya, Kostenets, Varshets, Burgaski Mineralni Bani, Momin Prohod, Slivenski Mineralni Bani, Starozagorski Mineralni Bani, Haskovski Mineralni Bani, Sapareva Banya, Teteven, Tryavna, Apriltsi, Kotel, Elena, Govedartsi, Dryanovo.