Sozopol, Bulgaria: A Complete Guide to the Ancient Black Sea Town

The old town of Sozopol sits on a rocky peninsula that juts into the Black Sea. Walking into it from the modern part of town is like stepping through a door into a different era. The streets are narrow and cobbled. The houses are the wooden, bay-windowed structures of the Bulgarian National Revival period, painted in faded ochres and blues and whites, hanging over the lanes below.

The town has been continuously inhabited for over 2,600 years. Its original name was Apollonia Pontica, a Greek colonial settlement founded in the 7th century BC. It became one of the most important port towns on the western Black Sea, and its underwater ruins are still there today, explored by divers each summer.

What I love about the old town is that it is not preserved in amber. People live there. There are cats sleeping on doorsteps, washing hung between windows, old women sitting outside in the evenings. The history is in the fabric of the ordinary life, not behind a fence.

Central Beach is the most accessible, sitting right beside the new town. It gets busy in July and August, which is when most Bulgarian families take their summer holidays. If you want company and energy, come here. If you want quiet, come in June or September.

Harmanite Beach is the longest stretch of sand in the area, slightly south of the town. More space, a bit less crowded than Central, good for families and people who want to settle for the day.

Kavatsite Beach is the one I recommend. It sits below the rocky cliffs to the south, surrounded by natural landscape rather than hotel buildings. The water here is exceptionally clear. It is worth the extra walk or short drive to get there.

The food in Sozopol is coastal Bulgarian cooking at its most straightforward. Fresh Black Sea fish, grilled simply with herbs and lemon. Stuffed vine leaves, called sarmi, made with rice and minced meat and served with yoghurt. Banitsa, the flaky pastry filled with white cheese and spinach that you will find at every bakery from early morning.

Order the grilled fish wherever you sit down. Ask what came in that morning. The fish stalls along the harbour sell the day's catch directly, and many restaurants in the old town buy from them. The quality is not comparable to anything you will eat from a supermarket at home.

• Grilled Black Sea fish: The essential dish. Tsatsa (whitebait), chernomorska kalkan (turbot) and skumriya (mackerel) are the ones to ask for.
• Sarmi: Stuffed vine leaves, usually with rice and pork, served warm with cold yoghurt alongside.
• Banitsa: Cheese and spinach pastry, eaten for breakfast with a glass of ayran (cold yoghurt drink).
• Local wine: The Thracian lowlands just inland from Burgas produce some excellent red wines. Order a bottle of Mavrud or Rubin and drink it with dinner by the water.

If you can, stay in the old town itself rather than in the modern part of Sozopol or in a hotel complex outside. Waking up inside the peninsula, walking out onto cobblestones before anyone else is up, having coffee looking out at the sea before the day begins: this is what makes Sozopol different from a standard beach resort stay.

There are charming studios and apartments in the old town available through Airbnb and local booking sites, ranging from simple and affordable to sea-view apartments with proper terraces. Book in advance if you are visiting in July or August.

For those who prefer more space and privacy, there are villas and larger apartments in the area south of the town with views over the water. Several campgrounds operate near Kavatsite Beach for those who want a more outdoor experience: Kavatsi Beach Campsite, Gradina Campsite and Smokinya Campsite all have basic facilities.