Sozopol is an ancient city of the Bulgarian seaside. It is located on a small peninsula on the Black Sea coast. Archaeological finds have helped to establish that people lived here as early as the Bronze Age. The settlement of primitive man appeared in these places at the turn of the third and fourth millennia BC. In 610 BC, Greek colonists founded their colony under the name Apollonia. They not only named their city in honor of the god Apollo, but also erected a 14-meter statue of him. The statue stood for 680 years, until the colony was conquered by the Romans, who took it to Rome. By the way, the statue has survived to this day and stands in the capital of Italy.

Located at the junction of Europe and Asia, Sozopol was often invaded by enemy armies. Until 1920, the city was a Greek settlement. The conquest of Southeastern Europe by the Turks also affected it here. Having conquered the local population, the Turkish invaders built an impregnable fortress. However, it was impregnable until the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1929. Having attacked the fortress from the sea, the Russian landing force landed on the shore. Seeing the enemy, the Turks abandoned the fortress. The Turkish pasha was taken prisoner along with the flags. Two cannons captured as trophies were sent as a gift to the cities of Sevastopol and Nikolaev. After Bulgaria gained independence, the city was transferred to this country, and until then it was one of the main bases of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Currently, Sozopol has become a developed resort of the country, whose bohemian people have become very fond of the quiet seaside town, shrouded in the foliage of vineyards and figs.

When is it better to relax at the resort?

For those who are tired of a monotonous beach holiday and want interesting impressions, events, romance combined with a calm rhythm of life, it will be very comfortable and good here. Especially if you are traveling with the whole family. After all, Sozopol is a resort city in which everyone will feel the best feelings and find hobbies and activities to their liking.

The beach season here begins in the summer, in the second half of June. Because by this time the water in the sea is not yet comfortable, although the air temperature is already warming up well for sunbathing. This fact cannot be ignored when going on vacation, especially with children. It will be quite difficult to keep them from swimming, and in this case only the hotel pool can help out, and even then only if the water in it is heated. Therefore, for a family vacation, we would not recommend coming at this time. The advantage of such a period is a relatively small number of tourists, both in the hotel and on the beach. It must be said that June can sometimes disappoint with precipitation, since the weather has not yet fully recovered.

The water becomes more suitable for swimming only in the second half of the month, we mean the sea temperature in the region of plus twenty-three degrees. Those who do not like high air temperatures and who are satisfied with such a sea can come without any problems in the period from mid-June to mid-July. This is a comfortable period not only for relaxation, but also for sightseeing, both in the resort itself and in Bulgaria as a whole, excursions to which are offered by travel agencies. Usually until mid-July the air does not rise above thirty degrees, and the sea reaches twenty-five, with a plus sign.

Starting from the second half of July, that is, in fact from mid-summer, the influx of tourists increases and this is clearly visible both in hotels and on the beach. For the summer season, the period of high temperatures begins. Well, this is more of a concept of high temperatures, since usually the air is no more than thirty degrees, and the sea will be a maximum of plus twenty-seven. There are days when the air can reach thirty-five degrees Celsius, but this is not so common. Therefore, it is not worth comparing these and Mediterranean temperatures, when plus forty-five is not uncommon. High temperatures are tolerated quite easily in Bulgarians. However, you should not neglect sun protection, since it is quite easy to get burned or get a sunstroke. This especially applies to parents who should monitor their children more closely during this period. Therefore, we advise parents with schoolchildren to choose the beginning of July for their vacation.

With the onset of September, the number of tourists begins to slowly decrease. The weather at this time is really quite decent, in terms of temperature indicators it is approximately similar to the period from June to mid-July, that is, twenty-eight air and twenty-four water in the sea. At this time, it is good to come with small children and couples in love, as it becomes calmer and quieter, given that there are few schoolchildren, and it is they who create increased activity at this resort. Newlyweds, this also applies to you, this is the period for your vacation, because this is the velvet season. But you should not delay your trip, because from the second half of the month the temperatures slowly but surely begin to drop. By the end of September, many hotels are already closing and the summer season is smoothly coming to an end. Some manage to relax in early October, but it all depends only on the weather, since it is impossible to guarantee warmth at this time of year.

If we talk about the influence of a particular period on the cost of tours or accommodation, then you can probably hope for good prices only in May or at the end of September, since the rest of the time the hotels are full of tourists. Let’s talk again about the benefit of early booking if you want to win in price.

So, as you can see, the main season is quite short and lasts only three months, so you need to prepare for your vacation in advance. We can only wish you good weather and welcome to Sozopol.

Where is the best place to stay in Sozopol?

Sozopol, as a resort, is quite popular and there are quite a lot of accommodation facilities here. If you believe the information provided on the Internet, there are more than two hundred of them. We will not argue about this figure, but we can definitely say that on the coast of the central beach of the city, there are practically no good and comfortable hotels. Basically, all hotels are located away from the beach, or further south, in the area of Harmani Beach and three kilometers north of the city center, where Golden Fish Beach is located. If from Harmani you can get to the center on foot, then from Golden Fish it will not be so easy, since you will have to walk for a long time and you will need to use transport. For this reason, we want to talk about this hotel, which is located right on the central beach. There are many advantages to its location, firstly, the proximity to the city center, which is only a five-minute walk away and where you can take a walk and admire the beauties of this ancient town at any time. Secondly, it is close to the Marina or yacht port, which can be reached in a few minutes. If you ask why this is necessary, we will tell you this. If you want to diversify your vacation, you can easily agree with the owner of one of the yachts or boats about a sea walk, fishing or diving, if you have the appropriate equipment. Or just sit in one of the cafes on the embankment and admire the sailing yachts. And the central bus station of Sozopol is only a hundred meters away. As you can see, there are really many advantages. This is called Villa List hotel and has a four-star category. I must say that there are only a few five-star hotels in Sozopol, so four stars for this resort is considered a pretty good offer, since the service in them is not much inferior in quality to the steeper ones. But, as you know, not everything is decided by the stars and there are many “fives” that do not reach their stars. So, let’s talk a little about this hotel, what it is and what it offers to its guests.

As we have already said, the hotel is located near the central beach. The rooms are equipped with good furniture, a mini-bar, satellite TV and, of course, air conditioning. The bathrooms are equipped with good plumbing and toiletries. Each room has a balcony overlooking the sea or the city itself. Meals are served buffet-style, although you can also make separate orders from the provided menu of national and European cuisine, which are prepared in the restaurant. In addition, there are several bars on the hotel premises, offering various drinks and ice cream.

It should be noted that the hotel has two swimming pools, one of which is indoor, so tourists relax at the hotel not only in the summer. Sun loungers and umbrellas on the beach are provided free of charge. Popular water sports are available on the beach itself. The hotel has its own bathhouse, with a steam room and a hot tub. If desired, you can order a massage in the spa center, which, by the way, also has a solarium. Hotel guests can also work out for free in the fitness center. You can spend your leisure time in the library or sit in the casino that operates at the hotel.

As for children, there is a special playground for them, and parents are provided with a childcare service or a nanny, which will surely appeal to couples who have come to rest with children. For children under the age of two, a cot and accommodation are provided free of charge. For older people, accommodation on extra beds will cost half the price of one person.

Of the services provided, it is worth noting the delivery of food and drinks to the room, car rental, paid transfer to any place of interest, including the airport. You can exchange currency right at the hotel, as well as withdraw cash from your card, since there is an ATM right on the territory. There is a laundry and dry cleaning service, where you can put your clothes and shoes in order. And you can put yourself in order in the hairdresser and beauty salon, which are also at the hotel’s disposal. Good news for newlyweds. The hotel has a special suite for them.

We have already talked about the indoor pool, so the hotel also has heating, since it works in the winter, so anyone who wants to spend Christmas holidays on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast can safely come to this hotel for a winter vacation.

The hotel has free Wi-Fi internet, and for those who come by their own transport, free parking is provided.

The staff can communicate in four languages.

This is an approximate picture of the hotel we wanted to tell you about. We think that by choosing it you will not have to regret it and your vacation in it will be pleasant and comfortable for you.

Beaches

The most famous sandy beaches are Central and Harmani.

Central Beach is the most densely occupied by tourists. A row of umbrellas and sun loungers, the rental of which is inexpensive, along almost the entire 600 m long coastline. The sand is pleasant, fine and clean. The sea is blue with clear water. Convenient entry into the sea. On the coast there are many different water attractions and sports for children and adults. There is a playground.

Harmani Beach is located in the modern part of the city. It is much more spacious than the Central one both in length and width. There are umbrellas and sun loungers on the beach, but you can do without them, since there is a place where you can sunbathe on the sand. The water in the sea is beautiful and clean, the sand is velvety and no one will interfere with experiencing all the delights of a family vacation on the beach. Children will run freely next to you, and swimming in the sea will become joyful and fun

You can have a snack and relax from the sun in a good cafe or restaurant, which are located along the alley that separates the beach from the city.

Kavatsite Beach is perfect for a family vacation with children, and it is no coincidence. A huge area of golden-white fine sand and a gradual descent into the water – that’s what attracts you the most. There is plenty of space for games and fun. Despite the fact that there are more vacationers on the beach than necessary, a comfortable stay is guaranteed for you. There is simply no shortage of free space here.

Sand Dunes Beach. If you are not afraid of distances and are ready for active recreation and movement, then you can easily get to the southern beach of Sand Dunes, which is located in the resort village of Dunes. This is an elite resort with expensive hotels. But beach vacation is available to anyone. If you walk further along the coast from the hotels, you will find a wide, free sandy strip by the good seashore.

You can’t call this place completely secluded – in some places along the entire coast you can still meet vacationers, but silence, peace and pristine beauty are easy to find here.

What and where to eat

There are many interesting places in Sozopol where you can eat deliciously and inexpensively. Restaurants and cafes, taverns stylized as antiques will offer you a menu of various meat and fish dishes, as well as a rich assortment of salads and soups.

Therefore, when booking a hotel, you can limit yourself to breakfasts only, and thereby save a lot of money!

To have a tasty and very satisfying meal, you will need to spend about 30-35 leva for a family of three or four people. Your lunch will consist of salad, soup and a main course, plus drinks. Of course, if you order something special, for example, grilled fish with vegetables and other delicacies, the amount will be 20-25 leva more expensive.

We advise you to pay attention to the weight of the dishes to avoid overeating. It often happens that one portion is enough for two.

It is worth saying that the prices are almost the same everywhere, despite the interior and decor of the restaurant or cafe. It’s just that some of them – the most prestigious ones – may not have free seats during lunch and evening hours.

Restaurants and cuisine in Sozopol

In the Sozopol resort, located on the Black Sea coast, there are more than 300 bars, taverns, cafes and restaurants. All of them are located in both the Old and New Towns. Here you can eat deliciously without spending a lot of money, listen to “live” music. Among them, about 50 are considered fashionable and decorate the central part of the resort. And if you visit a new establishment every day, you can significantly diversify your vacation. Such restaurants in Sozopol include “Neptune”, “Orpheus”, “Olympus”.

Many restaurants in the resort town are interesting, in addition to their dishes, for their historical location. And the trick of Sozopol restaurateurs is that they build their establishments on the foundations of ancient buildings where archaeologists have already worked. This is how the restored restaurants “Stenata” and “Kladenets” appeared. The first can boast of ancient cellars in which grain was once stored. The second one still has a spring in the dungeon – a supplier of drinking water for the townspeople in the old days.

Among similar establishments in the old part of Sozopol, the restaurants “Vyat’rna Melnitsy” and “Xantan” stand out for their originality. As the name suggests, the first restaurant is located in a preserved old windmill. And restaurant “Druzhba” is built in the form of a fishing boat.

The new town attracts visitors to the restaurants “Casablanca” on Raptom Street and “Fisherman” on Veseliy Street. Gourmets there enjoy fish delicacies. And this is despite the fact that all establishments in Sozopol prepare excellent fish and seafood dishes.

In addition to fish, local chefs surprise with their creativity, using herbs, spices, and vegetables in cooking. These products give food a piquant aroma and taste and, of course, are very healthy. That is why there is such a large number and variety of salads on restaurant tables. Soups and meat dishes also cannot do without the inclusion of these products. Especially tasty food is obtained in pots. The most popular in Sozopol, as in all of Bulgaria, is the cold soup “Tarator” – an analogue of our okroshka. Tourists should also definitely try “Plaka” made of fish with vegetables baked in a pot. “Banitsa” is one of the signature pies, its recipe is not disclosed. The whole secret is in the preparation of the dough, and you can use any filling.

До гарної їжі подають відомі марки болгарських вин, місцеву горілку «Ракия» і м’ятний лікер «Мента». Багатий вибір коктейлів з алкоголю урізноманітнює п’янкі напої.

Нічне життя в Созополі зосереджена в Новому місті на півострові Хармани. Міні-бари та запальні дискотеки це – «Култі», «Маската» і «Аква клуб». Провести час за столиком з оригінальним коктейлем, супроводивши його танцями до ранку під ритмічну музику і дотепною мовою ді-джеїв, може кожен, незважаючи на вік.

Опис курорту

Созополь вважається місцем відпочинку творчих людей – кінорежисерів, акторів, музикантів, поетів, художників. Так що можливостей зустрітися і поспілкуватися з цікавими людьми тут багато.

Созополь прийнято розділяти на Старий і Новий міста.

Старий Созополь – це історичний центр культури і мистецтва – архітектурний заповідник. Тут збереглися незвичайні споруди давніх часів – химерні двоповерхові житлові будиночки з дерев’яним верхнім ярусом, який виступає так далеко, що дома на протилежних сторонах вузьких вулиць майже стикаються. У деяких з них знаходяться ювелірні крамниці з красивими і недорогими виробами та прикрасами зі срібла, які приємно придбати.

Невеликі будівлі з черепичними дахами, мощені вулички, маленькі церковці і каплички – все це додає місту чарівність і виразність.

Ця частина міста відокремлена від Нового прекрасним зеленим парком південних рослин і дерев – платанів, акацій, фіги, ялівцю. Тут же знаходиться ринок цікавих сувенірів.

У Новому місті триває активне будівництво нерухомості і там же розкидані будинки, апартаменти, які продаються і здаються в оренду. Приватний сектор знаходиться тут. Якщо говорити про вартість проживання в апартаментах і приватних будиночках в Созополі, то вона не особливо відрізняється від цін в готелях. Вигідно, якщо ви плануєте провести тут місяць, два і більше того.

Готелі в Созополі розташовані як в історичній частині, так і в Новому місті. Багато сімейних готелів знаходяться в старовинних будівлях, затишних і спокійних місцях. При виборі готелю необхідно звертати увагу на віддаленість готелю від дискотек і галасливих ресторанів. Нічне життя властиве цьому колоритному місту.

Пам’ятки

Городок сам по собі є пам’яткою. Саме за білі будинки з червоною черепицею і полюбила його спочатку болгарська еліта, а потім і всі ті хто побував тут хоч раз. Головною відмінною рисою давньогрецьких міст завжди був амфітеатр. У 1972 році зійшов зсув оголив залишки пам’ятника старовини. Решта доробили люди. Так що сьогодні будь-хто може помилуватися на відновлену частинку міста Аполлонія.

Другим за значимістю примітним місцем можна назвати церкву Кирила і Мефодія. Звели храм наприкінці 19 століття на околиці міста. Через віддаленість від населеного пункту служба проводилась у свята. Потім довгий час церква була музеєм. Зараз вона розташовується в межах міста, відреставрована і в ній регулярно проходять служби. Дуже цікаво буде поглянути на храм Діви Марії. Будова виглядає занизькою і це насправді так. За часів турецького панування заборонялося будувати будівлі церков вище зросту вершника. Тому храм і вийшов низьким. Споруда унікальна в своєму роді і занесено в список ЮНЕСКО.

У міста є і свій святий мученик – Зосима. Це був римський легіонер, який постраждав за свою віру. Так як він все життя прожив в древній Аполлонії, то після смерті став покровителем міста. У старому місті розташовується археологічний музей з цілим залом, присвяченим християнському мистецтву. Історія мистецтва християн представлена знахідками від початку зародження християнства.

Цікавим і пізнавальним стане сімейна прогулянка по Старому місту з відвідуванням музеїв, каплиць і галерей. Кожен знайде тут для себе щось особливе, що запам’ятовується на все життя. Будинки Созополя, про призначення яких вам зможе розповісти будь-який екскурсовод або просто місцевий житель, унікальна цінність півострова.

Також популярним місцем для відвідування туристів вважається Археологічний музей, який зберігає збори давньогрецьких ваз і обліплених черепашками кам’яних якорів, витягнутих з води. Інші пам’ятки Созополя – історичний комплекс «Південна кріпосна стіна і Вежа» та Художня галерея.

Всім без винятку сподобатися поїздка на найбільший острів в Болгарії св.Івана, який знаходиться поруч з містом.

Гарні враження дітям і батькам подарує природний заповідник Раптом. Плавно пересуваючись уздовж мальовничої річки Раптом на маленькому симпатичному човнику легко потрапити в «казкову палітурку» зелених ліан рідкісних рослин і побачити прекрасних птахів і диких тварин. Просуваючись все далі і далі, човник приведе вас до мису Маслен ніс, де пощастить спостерігати дельфінів і тюленів – улюбленців всіх дітей і дорослих.

З кожним роком Созополь стає все більш затребуваним туристами курортом. Але, не дивлячись на це, тут завжди комфортно і легко. Це, мабуть, один з небагатьох курортів, що будять почуття любові і прихильності. По ньому хочеться нудьгувати і чекати нової зустрічі.

Куди поїхати на екскурсію з Созополя?

Рекомендуємо вам обов’язково відвідати наступні місця під час вашого перебування в Созополі:

Замок Равадиново – унікальна для Болгарії споруда, розташована в якихось 6 км від Созополя.
Святий Іван – найбільший болгарський острів на Чорному морі, відстань до острова – всього 2 км. На острові збереглися руїни монастиря Св. Іоанна Предтечі, і з нього відкриваються шикарні види на море. Організованих екскурсій на острів немає, сюди можна дістатися, домовившись з місцевими рибалками в порту про трансфер на човні. Не пропустіть цю чудову морську прогулянку.
Несебр – перлина узбережжя Болгарії. Місто, пульсуючий ритмом тусовок і дискотек, але в той же час зберігає свій шарм.
Велико-Тирново – стародавня столиця Болгарії і відома всім радянським громадянам гора Шипка.
Стамбул. Турецька столиця в представлення не потребує. Екскурсія в Стамбул займає, як правило, 2 дні, але однозначно варто того! В програму екскурсії, як правило, включений проїзд і проживання в готелі Стамбула (1 ніч), прогулянка по Босфору на кораблику, відвідування знаменитих турецьких ринків.

Як дістатися

Найближчий до Созополя аеропорт знаходиться біля міста Бургас і розташований в 34 кілометрах від курорту. Трансфер Созополь – Бургас за часом складе близько півгодини і обійдеться при проїзді на автобусі в 3 євро. Також можна долетіти до аеропорту Варни, віддаленого від курорту на 162 км. Трансфер Созополь – Варна в дорозі займе більше 2 годин. Вартість проїзду на таксі з Бургаса складе близько 35 євро, з Варни – 90 євро.

Крім літака, також можна доїхати на автомобілі в Болгарію, або скористатися туристичними автобусами, що регулярно курсують в літній період на Чорноморське узбережжя республіки.