Kamchia, Bulgaria
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Sightseeing nearby: Kamchiya River - Emine Cape
Location: The holiday complex of Kamchia lies at the Black Sea mouth of the Kamchiya river, in the heart of the Kamchia natural reserve. It is about 20km to the south of Varna following the seaside road to Bourgas.
History: The complex is relatively new and is a typical holiday city with no permanent population. Most of it was built during communist times with each of the villa and bungalow complexes having been managed by a state-owned company. Now the situation is different and most of the villas are run by private concessionaires while the standard of the sub-complexes ranges from relatively low to high.
Places of Interest: The entire natural reserve on both sides of the Kamchiya river is a great sight for naturelovers tired of big city-type resorts. Most of the villas lie in the midst of a tropical-like forest, called ‘Longoz Forest’ with more than 40 different types of bushes and trees, including liana-type ones. In some of the hard-to-access parts of the river banks one can come across rare representatives of the flora which have already found their place in the Red Book of Bulgaria’s nature (such as the white and yellow water lilies). The fauna is no less diverse with about 40 different fish and 156 bird species including the rare black stork. For those willing to immerse in the local nature, local entrepreneurs offer unforgettable boat trips down the river at relatively low prices.
Accommodation: Accommodation is easy to find in one of the many villa complexes and hotels here, and booking beforehand is recommended only for the highest season in the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August. Beware, however, that standards of services and facilities in each of the sub-complexes are quite different and while some villas are indeed luxurious, others can satisfy the needs only of the least pretentious holidaymakers. Another issue to bear in mind is the high level of humidity in the area because of the river’s proximity, which apart from the presence of mosquitoes, can be a real nuisance if one is accommodated deep into the forest’s shadows.
Catering: There are a few pubs in the complex, ranging from low-quality ones to good restaurants with traditional Bulgarian cuisine and nice interior. For those preferring home-cooked food (some of the villas have nicely equipped kitchens), there are a big marketplace and several small shops and stalls.
Transport: About 20 km to the south of Varna, following the main seaside road between Varna and Bourgas starts a 3-kilometer asphalt offroad that leads straight to the Kamchia complex.
