Letter 147

Our last stop on our 2-week jaunt in the crazy land of Bulgaria was on the Black Sea. We spent 4 gloriously relaxing days in Sozopol exploring the pretty town, sleeping on the breezy beaches and reminiscing over our wonderful time in Bulgaria.

 

What to expect from the Black Sea in May

We came to little Sozopol right at the end of May and discovered that the summer season in Bulgaria must be much shorter than other European countries because we felt like the only tourists in a place still preparing for the season. The middle of town was a bustling hub of activity that we really enjoyed exploring, but the beach was pretty deserted and I’m certain we were the only people staying in our apartment block, and the ones surrounding ours. This did allow us the ultimate quiet retreat and to not feel bad watching a film on our balcony when we had a cloudy day.

This brings me to my next point. May weather is unpredictable. You may have seen this in a previous letter about our time in Sapareva Banya [Letter: Hiking Bulgaria’s Stunning Seven Lakes in May] where we hiked through snow, sun and wind. Unfortunately our first day in Sozopol was chilly and windy, but we still made the most of the day and explored the winding streets and viewpoints of the old town and relaxed with books, music, cards and a film.

 

The perfect end to a perfect fortnight

After 2 weeks spent exploring Sofia, the Rila Mountains, Plovdiv and Veliko Tarnovo, we finished up here, on the Black Sea, chilling out. The weather was perfect for us to have 2 full, sunny days on the beach followed by delicious meals on our balcony and in the local restaurants. I think finishing on the beach was perfect and much needed after the busy couple of weeks travelling around. We took a walk after dinner on our last night and enjoyed the most wonderful sunset over the sea.

 

That concludes our Bulgarian trip. I can’t explain how amazing it was to explore this completely underrated country – but I can direct you to my previous letters about each of the places we went to.

Expect the Unexpected in Sofia  |  Rila Monastery from Sofia  |  Hiking Bulgaria’s Stunning Seven Lakes in May  |  Visiting the European Capital of Culture 2019 – Beautiful Plovdiv  |  Explorations of Bulgaria’s old capital and Marilyn Monroe moments

 

Still to come will be a letter detailing our route and things to do in each place, plus information about budgeting in Bulgaria.

Thanks so much for reading.

From Lou

About Me

 

TIP: You can get to Sozopol from Bourgas via a bus costing around £2 and taking 40 minutes.

From Bourgas you can get buses and trains to other parts of the country (including Veliko Tarnovo where we came from), although beware there are 2 bus stations in the town. The bus from Sozopol arrives at the central station, next to the train station.

From the central bus station you can grab a bus to the airport, which costs about 80p and takes half an hour. Could not be easier.