Diving in Bulgaria is a fascinating hobby that lets you see sunken ships, aircraft, artificially created reefs, underwater arches and the most amazing marine inhabitants. Thousands of unique sites let you feel like a pirate, a commander or a fisherman. Diving centres can be found in Varna, Sozopol and Primorsko.

With Bulgaria Avenue you can rent or buy an apartment or a house in Bulgaria and enjoy diving to your heart’s content in any spot you fancy. 

Diving in Bulgaria, the northern Black Sea coast

We will begin our diving journey around Bulgaria in the village of Tyulenovo. Thanks to its clean sea and remarkable reefs, many divers call this the most beautiful spot in the Bulgarian waters of the Black Sea. There are many caves here, which can be reached both from land and from the sea. It is said that in the past this was a favourite haunt of pirates.

The longest and best-known is the Tyulenova (Seal) Cave. Its length is 107 m. The name comes from the monk seals that once lived here.

A little further south lies the Yaylata architectural reserve, known for its caves, which have preserved traces of ancient man. In total more than 100 caves have been found. Some of them have gone underwater over time – and it is precisely these that local divers love to visit.

The well-known resort of Rusalka is famous for its tall limestone cliffs – over the millennia of their existence the underwater part has turned into a labyrinth of caves. The site is also suitable for spearfishing.

Not only cave formations, cliffs and reefs are open for diving in Bulgaria. Near Kranevo, at a depth of 18 m, lies a cargo ship that has never been identified. It sits in such a way that anyone interested can examine it both inside and out. 

An even more unusual diving site can be seen between the resorts of Saint Constantine and Helena and Golden Sands. Here, an aircraft lies underwater. This Tu-154 once belonged to the government of Todor Zhivkov. It was in service from 1971 to 1999. It is famous for having made a seven-hour non-stop flight from Cuba to Sofia after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. In 2011 it was decided to turn the aircraft into a tourist attraction. The initiators of the idea removed the engines and everything that could pollute the environment, and lowered it to a depth of 22 m using a 100-tonne floating crane. On the seabed it is held in place by 4 anchors. Today the underwater aircraft has turned into an artificial reef, covered with mussels and algae. 

Special military permission is required to visit three submarines that sank during the Second World War. They lie 24 km south-east of Varna. Two of the submarines are believed to have belonged to the USSR, and one to Germany. However, staff of the Museum of Military History are inclined to believe that one of them was the very first submarine belonging to the Bulgarian navy. 

Two kilometres from Cape Galata, the cargo ship «King Carol» lies underwater; it was carrying weapons.  According to scientists, it was sunk by one of the submarines mentioned above.

The best-known dive clubs on the northern Black Sea coast are: BG Diving (Albena); «Dive-PRO» (Varna). The cost of a trial dive is around 50 euros. 

Diving in the Burgas region

Diving in Bulgaria would lose its charm without the Burgas region, particularly its southern part. Here the sea conceals underwater reefs, fjords, ships, ancient ceramics and coins. Access to most of the sites is open only to certified divers.

Beginners are well suited to diving in the Lagoon near Sozopol. After descending 7 m, you find yourself in an underwater world inhabited by thousands of fish. 

Two kilometres south of Sozopol, opposite Cape Kolokita, at a depth of about 40 m lies the ship «Rodina». It sank in 1941, having run into two mines at once. 

Near the island of St. Ivan the fishing vessel «Pioneer» also disappeared underwater. To see it you have to descend to 18 m. 

Another interesting diving site in Sozopol is the stone mountain. This site is proof of just how greatly the landscape has changed. There was once dry land here, but today, at a depth of 20 m, you can see tree stumps sticking out of the sandy bottom. It is also curious to see the reef made entirely of mussel shells. 

A little south of Sozopol, in Paraskeva Bay (the Ropotamo Reserve), the legendary Valchan Voivoda once robbed and burned ships. The remains of vessels he sank still lie here today, serving as a home for seahorses and pipefish, and in spring for fur seals, thornback rays and other amazing inhabitants.

Cape Maslen Nos, located near the town of Primorsko, is famous for its beautiful underwater caves, fjords and fierce winter storms, which have caused the loss of many ships. In 1898 the Aglaj Valjanu sank, three years later the Russian steamer Tsesarevna, and also an unknown vessel carrying timber. In February 1929 the French ship Jacques Fersoune was lost after striking Cape Korakya in the fog. 

In the Primorsko area the Crocodile underwater park has been laid out, suitable for beginner and advanced divers alike. At a depth of 6 m there is a small chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. Here you can see icons of the saint and a Christian cross. Beneath the chapel lies a sculpture of a mermaid. Nearby is the «Mermaid’s House» art gallery.

But this is far from the end of the story. The southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast offers fascinating diving in Kiten. This small town, known in ancient times as Urdoviza, was a port that helped the famous Troy hold back its enemies right up to the end. Today, on the seabed, you can find not only ship fragments but also ceramics and amphorae dating from the 6th century BC, as well as more modern objects.

South of the bay on which the town is built lies an area named Eldorado by lovers of spearfishing. The wildlife here is rich and varied, as in no other part of the Bulgarian Black Sea. 

An ideal place for underwater photography is Cape Amberlits at Lozenets. In spring the Black Sea shark appears here – a rare visitor to these waters. 

Heading further south, it is worth making a stop near the Arapya camping site. Perhaps the only place that can rival the picturesque underwater world of Bulgaria is the sea off the small village of Varvara, where divers behold the Daraneli reefs, caves and fjords. 

Near Tsarevo, in 1942, a Turkish cargo ship met its end – it was sent to the bottom by a Soviet submarine. Today it lies on the seabed at 10–16 m. Its steering gear and part of a torpedo have been preserved. In Tsarevo itself, and in the neighbouring town of Ahtopol, diving festivals are often held.

Diving in Ahtopol is interesting for newcomers. Thanks to the easy entry into the sea from the rocky shore near the lighthouse, you find yourself in a wonderful world of fjords, arches, cliffs and marine life. 

Popular clubs in the south of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast: Black Sea Diving School (Burgas); Star-Crazy Shark (Sozopol); MoniSub (Sozopol).

And if you want to go diving in winter and dive under the ice, this service is offered by the Deep Blue club (Sofia).

The Black Sea holds thousands of secrets, and Bulgaria Avenue invites not only those who have long been in love with diving in Bulgaria to uncover them, but also those who are only planning to relocate and buy property in Varna, at Sunny Beach or in other resort towns. Every year the sea reveals new treasures – sunken cities, traces of ancient settlements near Burgas, beautiful underwater reefs.