Fun in the Sun

Sofia News Agency

Who would balk at swapping domestic routines for a taste of self-indulgent downtime in a luxury resort? The major resorts on the Bulgarian Black seacoast, with their relaxed way of life, stunning beaches and high-class accommodation, are a powerful draw for tourists, fans of both the short and long break.

We take you on a short trip to the coast, looking forward to the summer.

Golden Sands and Albena are all holiday addresses, destined by nature. Located in the northern part of the Bulgarian Black Sea, natural conditions in them favour bathing and basking in the sun from May through October.

The resort of Golden Sands (Zlatni Pyasatsi) is the largest one on the northern Black Sea coast as it is built on more than 1,800 hectares of land. The area is famous for the purest sand on the Black Sea coast and also abounds of trees and bushes. Accommodation is not that easy to find so one should better make bookings in advance.

As Golden Sands is situated on a hillside, the hotels (except those on or very near to the beach) are reached by sloping paths or steps. Albena takes its present-day name after the female protagonist of the great Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov, gifted with extraordinary beauty.

Albena is quieter, smaller and less busy than Golden Sands, yet its is one of the most expensive places in terms of accommodation. Under the watchful gaze of the beach guards and along the streets that crosses the resorts, serenity is what strikes the traveller the most until dusk falls and the place bursts into an explosion of colours and sounds.

One of Bulgaria's hottest tourism spots, Sunny Beach did not get its name by chance. Eleven hours of sunshine every day from May to September make the place a sunny one indeed. But what has probably become hotter-than-the-sun is the Action Aquapark, attracting people from the entire coastline. Stretching over 24,000 square meters in the western part of Sunny Beach, the park takes at least a day long to be explored. The stunning water slides would fascinate adrenaline-addicts. And if you are just looking for lower-key entertainment and relaxation for your family, try the Ice-Cream House, Fast Food Restaurant and BBQ. Sunny Beach also offers spacious park land, more than 100 hotels and plenty of outdoor catering.

Just a few kilometers down the coastline in Nessebar - an Eden to modern people, still craving to feel the spirit of antiquity. A narrow causeway connects Nessebar's mainland with the island part. In a few minutes it takes you from one world to another. From the typical small-town atmosphere, spiced only by the countless street-stalls with inflatable toys, to a settlement of ancient fortress walls and Greek and Roman street pavements, in the middle of the sea. Climbing up the stones to gaze at the sapphire surge could turn into your dearest holiday memory.

Huddled some 60 km south from Burgas and perched almost on the Bulgarian-Turkish border, the town of Tzarevo is like a pearl on the southern Black Sea coast. Famous for its pure-sand and clear-water beaches, enjoyed by many holiday-makers for its well-equipped camping sites, Tsarevo is an attractive place to visit for the rare combination of sea and mountain. The natural reserve of the border-located Ropotamo and Veleka Rivers, is one of few moistest regions in Bulgaria, where verdure and water blend in oasis-like scenery. Here and in the roundabout villages, people still nurture the old-times tradition of the Nestinari games (dances on ashes).

Sozopol is the oldest town on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. History says that ancient Greek colonizers saw a sign by god Appolos to found their settlement on this site, as the god himself found it the place where health, sun and beauty have mixed in one. The symbol of the town - the anchor - present on all coins minted throughout century is proof of the importance as naval and trade center, deserving its name of Appolonia Magna (the Great). It is still clearly evident that past glory is pulsating along the cobbled streets and sunny-lit beaches of the south-coastal town.