Extreme Kinds of Recreation in Bulgaria

If you think that Bulgaria is only about lying on the beach by the sea or buying an apartment and renting it out, you are deeply mistaken. With every year more and more tourists come to Bulgaria to take up extreme sports. The country has stunningly beautiful nature, affordable prices and a wide choice of professional schools and clubs for windsurfing, kitesurfing, paragliding and so on. Here you can ride quad bikes, fly paragliders and aeroplanes, do parachute jumps, and take hot-air balloon rides. 

What unusual and extreme forms of recreation are available in Bulgaria – read our article. Bulgaria Avenue will tell you everything you want to know. 

Cutting through the sea – kitesurfing and windsurfing in Bulgaria

There are many spots along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast where you can practise water sports. One of the most popular is windsurfing. Sailboard rental points open in May and operate until September. Those who have their own equipment ride the wind all year round – the main thing is that it is blowing, without rain or snow.

The ideal place for beginners is Sarafovo beach (Burgas), the mouth of the Veleka river near Sinemorets, and Asparuhovo beach in Varna.

In Sarafovo the sea is cut by breakwaters and there are no waves even when there is a strong storm in neighbouring Pomorie and Burgas. The wind here is even and stable. The entry into the sea is gently sloping, and the beach is sandy.  The place is perfect for lessons with children and for beginners. You can often meet professionals here who glide over the waves at furious speed.

In Sinemorets windsurfing is suitable for beginners. Lessons take place on the river. Windsurfers very rarely go out into the sea – the strong waves and wind pose a great danger.

Other spots for windsurfers are Burgas, Sozopol, Tsarevo and Ravda. The recommended time for lessons is in the afternoon, when the wind picks up. The downside of these places is that in strong wind high waves form, which only advanced windsurfers can handle. That said, there are also schools here for beginners and children. 

A less capricious sport is kitesurfing. A kite flying in the wind is not afraid of any waves, and athletes, on the contrary, enjoy the numerous take-offs, flights and somersaults. Burgas is very popular among kitesurfers. The spot is located not far from the Sea Park in the direction of Solnitsi beach. 

In the Varna region kitesurfing is practised near the village of Shkorpilovtsi, on the beaches of Asparuhovo and Buna Trakata. The area near the village of Krapets, 90 km from Varna, is popular.

Bulgaria is not an ideal place for surfing. However, even here, if you know the right place and the right time, you can jump the waves brilliantly.

In late autumn, in Tsarevo and Lozenets, high waves rise due to the strong wind. You can often meet surfers here as well. It should be noted that there is no board rental.

Conquering the sky – paragliders, parachutes, hot-air balloon

You can feel the adrenaline and see the beauty of the sea and Bulgaria from the sky by flying paragliders. You do not jump out of an aeroplane, as with a parachute, but, running along at height, you soar over the land. 
The location of the most popular paragliding spots:

• The city of Burgas. The starting point is between the Sea Casino and the Summer Theatre. Flights are possible with a steady easterly wind of 5–7 m/sec. The height is about 200 m. Landing is on the beach. Suitable for beginners.
• The resort of Albena for very experienced paragliders. Start from the Fish children’s camp, landing on the beach in front of the market. You can fly with a south-easterly or steady sea wind at a speed of 5–8 m/sec. 
• The coast from Balchik to Cape Kaliakra for very experienced athletes. Flights are possible with a southerly wind. The start and landing are in the area of the village of Topola. A unique route – up to the picturesque Cape Kaliakra.
• 100 km from Burgas between the cities of Yambol and Sliven, or, more precisely, between the villages of Glufishevo and Panaretovtsi, in a field called the magic hills, specially prepared sites are located. Suitable for beginners. Flights are made every day with northerly, north-easterly and easterly winds. The height is 180 m.
• The town of Sopot, 5 km from Karlovo and 120 km from Sofia, is the most famous place for paragliding in Bulgaria. The start is at the intermediate lift station at an altitude of 1,450 m above sea level. Flights are made with a southerly wind. 
• The resort of Borovets in the Rila mountains. This is a place of unique beauty, where during the flight you can see the highest peak in Bulgaria – Musala. The start is from the Markudzhik 2 ski run. You can fly for several hours. 

Both beginners in tandem with an instructor and professionals can fly paragliders in Bulgaria. Paragliders have become especially popular with photographers. From high up, you get photos of stunning beauty of the mountains, the vast seascapes, the rivers – everything that Bulgaria is rich in, and for which we, at Bulgaria Avenue, love it so much.

Parachuting is less popular in Bulgaria. You can do a parachute jump in Primorsko (Burgas region), Varna, Sofia and Shumen. 

While holidaying in Bulgaria, be sure to treat yourself to unforgettable impressions from a hot-air balloon flight. Balloon Club Hot Air Balloons Plovdiv offers an air ride not far from Plovdiv. The panoramic views from above will take your breath away!

Rolling across the land

Unusual forms of recreation in Bulgaria are also available for those who prefer to travel and gain new impressions on land. 

Special off-road routes for quad-bike enthusiasts have been developed in various regions of Bulgaria:

• Near the seaside village of Ravda;
• The city of Veliko Tarnovo. During the ride you can see picturesque hills and unique sights.
• The village of Mineralni Bani in the Haskovo region. Here you can enjoy the beauty of the Rhodope mountains.
• The village of Vladaya near Sofia. The route runs through Vitosha.

Beautiful places are accessible to mountain-bike enthusiasts. Many routes have been laid out around Burgas and Varna. Some of them are one-day; others take several days.

A few examples of cycling routes:

• Burgas – Atanasovsko Lake – the ancient and medieval port in Sarafovo – the Thracian Heroon tomb. Length – 20.200 km. Average duration – 2 hours 45 minutes.
• Burgas – Atanasovsko Lake – bird-watching point – Thracian sanctuary in the Banevo district – the ancient and medieval city of Aquae Calidae, Burgas Mineral Baths – the city of Burgas. Total length – 43.100 km. Duration – 8 hours.
• Mouth of the Veleka river (village of Sinemorets) – mouth of the Rezovska river (village of Rezovo) – town of Malko Tarnovo – village of Kosti (in summer here you can witness the nestinar games – dances on burning coals) – St Elijah’s chapel – St Marina’s chapel – village of Slivarovo – Indipasha – Kamenska Barchina. Length – 115 km, duration – 3 days. 
• Varna – Aladzha monastery. Length 11.8 km. Start from the cycle lane on Vasil Levski Boulevard, through the Chaika district, the villa zone in the Sveti Nikola area, the iron bridge, Kodzhatepe, the Vinitsa district, and Golden Sands nature park.

A two-day route from Varna to Kara Dere. The way there passes through Kamchia and Shkorpilovtsi. The way back – through Samotino, Staro Oryahovo, Podu and Konstantinovo. Total length – 110 km.

Unusual and extreme forms of recreation in Bulgaria let you see this country in a new light – soaring and gliding over the mountains and the sea on a paraglider, cutting through waters under sail or kite, travelling by bicycle or quad bike.

By buying property in Bulgaria through the Bulgaria Avenue agency, you can marvel at life and experience new impressions every day.