Sveti Vlas & The Black Sea Coast / Bulgaria
Sveti Vlas ( Saint Vlas ) is a fast-developing town-resort, located on the Black Sea coast, 10 km north of the town of Nesebar and 2 km from the popular Sunny Beach resort. The nearest airport is Burgas ( 35 km away ).
Sveti Vlas is a popular high-end, seaside resort with a unique combination of clean mountain air, marine climate, and wonderful golden sand beaches and breathtaking vistas.
The small town has a long and rich history.
The settlement was founded in the 2nd century by the ancient Thracians. At that time it bore the name of Larisa, and as late as the 14th century it adopted the name of Sveti Vlas – patron of tradespeople, stock-breeder and healer.
A monastery had existed in the 14th – 18th centuries named after the saint. It was set on fire during the multiple raids of pirates.
In the area of the town, there were four more monasteries. They were all destroyed in the 18th century, but individual remains of them can still be found.
The resort offers a wide range of accommodations - hotels and private properties, as well as several beautiful beaches, equipped with loungers and parasols, and good infrastructure.
You can enjoy watersports activities such as windsurfing, yachting, banana riding or rent a pedal boat or a jet.
The beaches of Sveti Vlas are relatively smaller in comparison to other beaches on Bulgaria's Black Sea shore, but this creates a more cosy atmosphere.
Sveti Vlas-new beach, Sveti Vlas-East beach and the Marina Dinevi yacht port have been awarded Blue Flag certificates.
The marvellous Venid Beach, that is part of Dinevi Resort, has been ranked among the world's top 20 beaches for a classic vacation for 2018 by the world's first comprehensive information platform for evaluation and comparison of beaches: beach-inspector.com
You can make yourself comfortable here on large rocking beach beds under palm umbrellas while soaking up the sun and listening to the sea waves crashing.
Adjacent to Venid Beach is the largest yacht port in Bulgaria - Marina Dinevi, founded in 2007 with a capacity to house 300 yachts and boats.
The yacht area is the favorite place for walks for the guests of Sveti Vlas. Here you will find one of the best restaurants, the 5-star “Palace” boutique hotel, casino, chic boutiques and impressive yachts.
The marine has become an attractive and sophisticated center for relaxation and entertainment. Over the years it became a preferred pier of numerous business, cultural, sport and secular events.
With the Dinevi mark is also built the large Dinevi Resort, which unites thousands of apartments and dozens scenic complexes, nestling in the nature as a unified architectural ensemble.
Bulgaria is mostly known for its mass tourism and large, very touristy resorts like Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and Albena, that have hundreds of hotels and attract millions of tourists every summer. While these purpose-built places are quite popular and offer very good facilities for family holidays, they're also very crowded and there's so much more beyond them to discover.
Bulgaria's Black Sea coast offers indeed quite diverse conditions for your holiday suited to your own preferences - from large All-inclusive resorts and vibrant nightlife to more secluded and private places, camping sites or luxurious villas.
The coastline is 378 km long and has in total 209 beaches, many of which are large and wide with fine golden sand, while others are small and nestled in picturesque marine bays.
You can still find a good number of pristine places along the whole coastline left untouched by mighty investors.
Durankulak, Krapets,Kara Dere and Tyulenovo in the north, Irakli,Arkutino and Ropotamo Reserve in the central part, Silistar, Sinemorets,Strandzha Nature Park and Veleka river in the south, are wild and scenic areas, little known to foreign tourists where you can dive into the beautiful, clear sea and enjoy the beauty and serenity of nature.
If you're holidaying at resorts south of Burgas is highly recommended to book the one-day excursion Strandzha Mountains Safari & Boat Trip. You'll get the opportunity to explore Strandzha National Park ( the largest protected area in Bulgaria spanning a territory of 1,161 square kilometres ) and see the Thracian megalithic temple Beglik Tash dating back to the 14th century B.C.
You will also enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the Ropotamo River and savour regional Bulgarian cuisine in a traditional Strandzha house.
Kamchia biosphere reserve is another great place to admire nature especially if you are a fan of kayaking or boating. It's located 25 km south of Varna. The last part of the Kamchia River, where it flows into the Black Sea, is lined with a dense forest of trees and hanging lianas, and it's a beautiful and scenic place to explore.
The Black Sea coastline is also dotted with plenty of camping sites that will take you away from the hectic large resorts and will relax you in a peaceful, simple atmosphere: Some of the most popular camping sites are: Gradina, Oasis, Zlatna Ribka, Smokinya, Delphin, Nestinarka, Coral, Cosmos, Kavatsi, and more. Irakli is also a great place for wild camping.
Going to the north, you will find Cape Kaliakra resorts ( Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort, Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort, BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas resort ) that boast not only spectacular scenery, but also offer upscale hotels and luxurious villas alongside top-class golf courses and small picturesque beaches.
Here is also located the town of Balchik known for its magnificent botanical garden and palace.
The 10 hectares garden hosts a Palace completed in 1926 by King Ferdinand I of Romania for his English wife, Queen Marie, when Balchik was under the control of Romania.
Varna and Burgas are the two largest maritime cities, main seaports and transportation hubs for tourists going to the resorts along the coast.
The cities are famous for summer festivals and nightlife, beautiful beaches as well as many museums and galleries.
From both cities, you can go on a one-day Birding tour and explore the diverse birdlife on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast with thousands of pelicans, storks, rare birds of prey and passerines. The tour will take you to the picturesque Bourgas wetlands: Atanasovsko lake, Vaya Lake and Mandra Lake, or to the northern area of Lakes Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra and Srebarna Nature Reserve ( UNESCO site ).
A great idea is also to visit Euxinograd, a late 19th-century Bulgarian former royal summer palace and park, located 8 kilometres north of Varna. The palace is currently a governmental and presidential retreat hosting cabinet meetings in the summer and it's also open for guided tours.
If you want to visit ancient places that bring authentic Bulgarian atmosphere you should visit the old towns od Sozopol and Nessebar ( UNESCO heritage site ). Both places have thousands of years of history and attract visitors with remarkable historical sites, picturesque little streets, traditional ancient houses, art shops and many cosy cafes and restaurants.
Very popular events held in Sozopol are the Apollonia festivals (September 1-10) and the July Celebration (June 30-July 1).
You can go on a lovely sailing trip along the Old Town of Sozopol and St. Ivan and St. Peter islands, as well as to St.Anastasia island and enjoy beautiful landscapes.
You may also visit the magnificent fairytale Castle of Ravadinovo, which is situated very close to Sozopol.
Read here more about Nessebar:
Bulgaria is also a popular spa and balneological destination.
The Black Sea coastline is rich in thermal mineral water springs and curative firth mud lakes, that can be found in some of the most popular beach resorts.
There is a whole variety of facilities like baths, kinesitherapy, mineral pools with healing water resources, electro and light treatment, electrophoresis and etc.
These services, as well as world-class health programs, are offered in Pomorie, Varna, Balchik Tuzla, Shabla, Rusalka, Albena, Golden Sands, Sunny Day complex, St.Constantine and Elena complex, and more.
Besides the combination of sun, sand and sea, the Black Sea resorts offer also hiking, biking and horseback riding, as well as ecotourism, photo safaris and excursions to natural, cultural, and architectural landmarks.
The list of places and resorts worth visiting can go on. When choosing your holiday on the Black Sea coast you may also consider booking: Elenite, St.Constantine and Elena, Dyuni, Rusalka, Primorsko, Pomorie, Kiten, Ahtopol, Balchik, Shabla, and more.
The best time to visit for a summer holiday is from mid-June to mid-September when there's plenty of sunshine and temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius.
More Photos of Sveti Vlas: ( Pictures are made during the beginning of Covid-19 crisis )
