Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Balchik
0579 / POP 12,100
After the vast, artificial resorts further down the coast, Balchik is a breath of fresh sea air.
A small, pretty town and fishing port huddled below white-chalk cliffs, it's a low-key hol-
iday spot that feels like a world away from the likes of Albena, whose lights can be seen
winking across the bay at night. The main attraction here is the palace, with its lovely
botanical gardens, a couple of kilometres down the coast. The biggest, fenced-off patch of
sand (open 8.30am to 6.30pm) is in front of the Hotel Helios, just east of the centre.
Otherwise, there are just a few scraps of artificial beach crammed with parasols - the rest
of the very narrow shoreline consists of rubble and boulders - although there are several
concrete jetties used by some tourists for sunbathing.
