The Northernmost Part Of The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast Day Trip from Varna
Varna, Bulgaria
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 9 hours
This is a one-day slow travel guided tour along the northernmost part of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, from Varna, by car. You will visit the following places and will stay there enough time to fully enjoy the area: the archaeological and nature reserve of Yaylata, near the village of Kamen Bryag, the village of Tuylenovo, the Shabla Lighthouse and Karia fishing village, the town of Shabla and the Green Centre, the Shabla Lake complex and the protected area Durankulak Lake with Durankulak archaeological complex.
More About This Activity All Day Trips →
This is a one-day slow travel guided tour along the northernmost part of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, from Varna, by car. You will visit the following places and will stay there enough time to fully enjoy the area: the archaeological and nature reserve of Yaylata, near the village of Kamen Bryag, the village of Tuylenovo, the Shabla Lighthouse and Karia fishing village, the town of Shabla and the Green Centre, the Shabla Lake complex and the protected area Durankulak Lake with Durankulak archaeological complex.
The tour starts at 8.00 am from your accommodation in Varna. The first stop will be the archaeological and nature reserve of Yaylata, located at a distance of about 1 km south of Kamen Bryag. Rarely seen natural beauty reigns here, combined with multiple remains of ancient civilizations and mysteries of the past. Here visitors can see prehistoric cave residences, Thracian tombs, ancient cellars, a sanctuary, altar stones, necropolises, a fortified wall, semi-obliterated inscriptions, stone icons and crosses engraved along the cave walls.
The next place you will visit is the picturesque village of Tuylenovo. There is a fishing harbor and a small beach. Dolphins can be seen from the coast and they usually come nearer to the land in the early morning or late afternoon. The caves in the cliffs were used as dwellings, and nowadays backpackers set up camp inside for free accommodation.
You will continue your tour to Shabla Lighthouse, the oldest one on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, located at the country’s easternmost point, Cape Shabla. You will have a short walk around, enjoying the fishermen village of Karia and the abandoned pier, which currently looks like a surreal fine art installation. You can have lunch (at your own expense) at a local fish restaurant here.
After the lunch break you will continue to the town of Shabla and will have a short stop at the Green Center in the town. It is located in the culturally important municipal building known as the "Old School" or "pension". The massive stone building dates back from the early 20th century and is distinguished by its monumental architecture and high aesthetic value. The center has permanent exhibitions representing biodiversity and cultural heritage of the area.
You will continue your tour northwards along the sea coast, enjoying the wonderful seascapes and sand dunes. Soon you will reach the Shabla Lake complex - two lakes occupying former riverbeds and a lagoon, separated from the Black Sea by a wide sandbar. This is one of the best- preserved coastal wetlands in Bulgaria with international importance.
Your last stop for today will be the Durankulak Lake (The protected area “Durankulak Lake”) - a freshwater lake, separated from the Black Sea by sand dunes and a beach strip. As the habitat of 260 rare and endangered species, the lake is one of the most important and well-preserved coastal wetlands in Bulgaria.
The lake is also an archaeologically important area. The island inside the lake features a 1300–1200 BC fortified settlement, a Hellenistic rock-hewn cave sanctuary of Cybele (3rd century BC) and a Bulgar settlement from the 9 th-10 th century AD. Because of its age and importance, the archaeological complex has been dubbed the "Bulgarian Troy".
The tour starts at 8.00 am from your accommodation in Varna. The first stop will be the archaeological and nature reserve of Yaylata, located at a distance of about 1 km south of Kamen Bryag. Rarely seen natural beauty reigns here, combined with multiple remains of ancient civilizations and mysteries of the past. Here visitors can see prehistoric cave residences, Thracian tombs, ancient cellars, a sanctuary, altar stones, necropolises, a fortified wall, semi-obliterated inscriptions, stone icons and crosses engraved along the cave walls.
The next place you will visit is the picturesque village of Tuylenovo. There is a fishing harbor and a small beach. Dolphins can be seen from the coast and they usually come nearer to the land in the early morning or late afternoon. The caves in the cliffs were used as dwellings, and nowadays backpackers set up camp inside for free accommodation.
You will continue your tour to Shabla Lighthouse, the oldest one on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, located at the country’s easternmost point, Cape Shabla. You will have a short walk around, enjoying the fishermen village of Karia and the abandoned pier, which currently looks like a surreal fine art installation. You can have lunch (at your own expense) at a local fish restaurant here.
After the lunch break you will continue to the town of Shabla and will have a short stop at the Green Center in the town. It is located in the culturally important municipal building known as the "Old School" or "pension". The massive stone building dates back from the early 20th century and is distinguished by its monumental architecture and high aesthetic value. The center has permanent exhibitions representing biodiversity and cultural heritage of the area.
You will continue your tour northwards along the sea coast, enjoying the wonderful seascapes and sand dunes. Soon you will reach the Shabla Lake complex - two lakes occupying former riverbeds and a lagoon, separated from the Black Sea by a wide sandbar. This is one of the best- preserved coastal wetlands in Bulgaria with international importance.
Your last stop for today will be the Durankulak Lake (The protected area “Durankulak Lake”) - a freshwater lake, separated from the Black Sea by sand dunes and a beach strip. As the habitat of 260 rare and endangered species, the lake is one of the most important and well-preserved coastal wetlands in Bulgaria.
The lake is also an archaeologically important area. The island inside the lake features a 1300–1200 BC fortified settlement, a Hellenistic rock-hewn cave sanctuary of Cybele (3rd century BC) and a Bulgar settlement from the 9 th-10 th century AD. Because of its age and importance, the archaeological complex has been dubbed the "Bulgarian Troy".
« Go Back