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Photo: IzoeKriv, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Black Sea coast of Bulgaria forms the eastern edge of the country. It's the destination of most summer tourists in Bulgaria, boasting both sandy beaches and windswept cliffs, modern hotels and quaint traditional architecture, ancient ruins and mineral springs, brackish lakes and salty lagoons that attract waterfowl. At the same time, wood-covered heights are often also close at hand, in either the Balkan Mountains or Strandzha.
Borth Varna and Burgas have international airports, and many European airlines offer flights catering to the summer tourists.
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The best way to get around the entire coast area is by bus.
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Hitchhiking is always an option and was well practised in Communist times.
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Dubbed "the sea capital" of Bulgaria, it's the nation's third most populous city and one of its two main ports. In addition to being the gateway to the northern resorts, the city itself boasts Roman ruins, hot springs, and a large seaside park. It's the administrative centre of Varna Province.
A resort town notable for the palace-villa of a Romanian queen (long story) with its pretty green park, and the adjacent botanical garden. Nearby are also the mud baths at Tuzlata and the Albena resort, as well as three large golf resorts that sprawl on the cliffs overlooking the sea between Balchik and Kavarna.
A small village between Kavarna and Shabla. The high rocky coast has been popular among Bulgarian hippies.
The fourth most populous city in Bulgaria and the other of its two main ports. Popular with tourists, it's the gateway to the southern resorts, with its international airport by the outlying neighborhood (suburb) Sarafovo. The city also hosts the popular music festival "Spirit of Burgas".
A resort town, the anchor of the resort area in the Bay of Nesebar. Famous for its picturesque Old Town built on a barely connected peninsula that is a due to its traditional architecture and ancient churches.
A resort town on a cape jutting out into the Black Sea, mostly frequented by Eastern Europeans. Primorsko has two of the best natural beaches in Bulgaria with a pleasant long fine-sand coastline to the north and to the south of the cape. The town is a popular destination for the young generation because of the abundance of accommodation offers and night clubs and bars.
Another resort town with an ancient origin built on a peninsula. Notable for its salt works, its pools of mineral-rich mud, the brine lagoon attracting water birds, and the nearby ancient "Bee-Hive Tomb" with its unique (for Bulgaria) architecture.
Like Nesebar, it's a resort town famous for its picturesque Old Town with traditional architecture and ancient ruins. Sozopol is somewhat quieter than Nesebar, though, as it doesn't have a large international resort nearby.
A small town with a nice beach and lots of hotels, if you are in search for a bargain. But probably not much else.
A border village in Strandzha Nature Park, lying at the mouth of Rezovska River. It's the southernmost point of the Bulgarian sea coast, which makes it the most south-eastern settlement in Bulgaria and the European Union mainland. Rezovo directly overlooks the Turkish bank of the river and the Turkish village of Beğendik.
The largest beach resort in Bulgaria, in the central part of the semi-circular Bay of Nesebar and the almost uninterrupted resort area that surrounds it (Aheloy, Ravda, Nesebar, Sunny Beach, Sveti Vlas).
A coastal town on the edge of the Strandzha mountain a few hours south of Burgas, combing the freshness of the mountain with the beach opportunities of the coast.
A small resort village. The beach is small and peaceful. Nearby is the Dolphin camping site (kamping Delfin) and a nude beach with the same name.
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