Sozopol - Bulgaria's Hidden Splendour

Sozopol

The Bulgarian Black Sea coast has been known for years for its cheap package holidays and its party atmosphere. Resorts like Sunny Beach began as ideal places for a low cost getaway, but have gradually become notorious and less than family friendly.

But what if you want to experience the 'real' Bulgaria in a place that's a little more refined, elegant and historical?

Sozopol is the answer.

Around six years ago, when one of us was about to embark on a new career and we needed a short, cheap break, Sozopol popped up during a search. We were intrigued, so we checked it out further.

What we found was a charming little seaside town, away from the places normally frequented by British tourists. At its heart was a stunning old town, perfectly pleasant to walk around, well preserved, with budget-friendly stores and restaurants and good connections to nearby attractions.

This pretty place is also pretty ancient, dating back to Greek antiquity. It has the feel of a small Greek village, but without the incessant crowds that most similar places in Greece would attract.

Our self-catering resort, while it had many amenities, was mostly populated by Russian tourists, and was quiet, unlike its rowdy neighbour along the coast.

This place is a little more off the beaten track. There are fewer package tours to it from the UK. However, it absolutely rewards the adventurous with a brilliantly restful holiday, plenty to see and explore, and a lot to learn about this fascinating country.

How to get there

Sozopol

The nearest airport is at Burgas, which has flights with Jet2 and Ryanair from various airports in the UK and around Europe. It's possible to get a bus from Burgas Airport to Burgas South bus station, and then from there to Sozopol. However, many of the public transport buses to the smaller resort towns like Sozopol have destination boards that are only in Cyrillic, so you would need to look out for 'Созопол' on the front of the bus.

It is, however, worth the journey, with splendid views on the coast on the way south.

If you can book a package holiday with transfers included, it would definitely make things easier for you.

Important note: As of 1st January 2025, Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area in the European Union. What this means is that if you get a visa for one of these countries (like Bulgaria), you can also visit twenty-eight other European nations, which makes it tremendous value. However, Bulgaria has not adopted the Euro.

Sozopol

How we did it

We flew from Glasgow on a TUI package tour, with transfers. TUI wasn't offering hotels in Sozopol the last time we checked, so if you want to see this charming place, the only company that seems to be offering package tours is Jet2.

Flights: TUI Airways (no longer flying to Burgas from anywhere in Scotland)

Hotel: Santa Marina Holiday Village, around a 2.5km walk from Sozopol

Tours: We didn't use any tour companies and were brave enough to strike out on our own to Burgas, Nessebar, and the surreal, but quite wonderful Ravadinovo Castle.

Click here to see a map of the places we visited in Bulgaria.

Our top tips

Sozopol

• If you don't speak Bulgarian, make sure you bring some translation apps with you. While it should be easy to find English speakers at Sunny Beach, there are less of them down south at Sozopol. This makes things a little more complicated, but a lot more worth it.

• Stock up on essentials away from your resort. Although Bulgaria is cheaper than the UK, shops towards the centre of Sozopol will be cheaper than those in your resort.

• Be prepared to be adventurous. There is a lot more to the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast than Sunny Beach. Get around and explore it for yourself.