Things To Do in Nessebar

In Nessebar Yacht Club, there’s a fleet of white-sailed yachts, christened Destiny, Harmony and Faith, either after some Greek divinities, or American R&B stars. Every day they cast off for the historic town of Sozopol, whose cobbled streets are packed with timber-and-stone Bulgarian houses. You’ve got the opportunity to sunbathe on the top deck en route. And you can drop anchor at a secluded bay for a spot of fishing or a late-afternoon dip.

Billed as Bulgaria’s biggest waterpark, this place packs in the slides. Tornado, Slalom Freefall and Wild Cobra are just 3 of the high-speed options for when you’re not hanging out in the wave pool or propping up the poolside bar. They do a nice line in kid-friendly slides and games, too. As for getting here, a shuttle bus picks up from the hotels every 15 minutes.

Nessebar’s best eateries claim the northern edge of the old town. Most of them are in rustic old stone houses and you’ll eat on vine-wrapped terraces, with views across the Black Sea. An order of sea bass, shark, or a succulent steak goes down a treat with a shopska salad of tomatoes, peppers, onion and parsley on the side. The Bulgarian white wine from the region’s vineyards is highly recommended.

At the end of a stone jetty, this floating barge is where Nessebar lets its hair down. Buy tequila by the bottle, and you’ll get a plate of lemon slices and a saltshaker to go with it. At weekends, turbo-folk music pumps from the speakers.

When the sun goes down, holidaymakers stream to Nessebar’s peninsula where there are plenty of bars tucked into its cat’s cradle of alleyways. One is set in an underground cave with floor-to-ceiling stalagmites, another on a floating barge. And as the evening wears on there’s always the option of moving on to joints like Club 66 where dancers vote with their feet every time Bulgarian chaga music plays over the booming sound system.

There’s plenty of space to stretch out on South Nessebar Beach. It’s busiest nearest the old town, and gradually gets quieter the further you head along the shoreline, towards Ravda. You can hire a sunlounger for 7 lev a day, and when you need a spot of lunch or a cold Zagorka beer, there are restaurants and bars along the sand, including a popular pirate galleon.

At South Beach you’ve got fine sand that gently shelves into the sea, so the kids will be happy splashing about here. You can watch the yachts come and go from Nessebar Yacht Club – that’s if you don’t fancy hiring one out. And when you need a cold beer, you can head to the ship-shaped bar where tables and chairs are set out right in the water.

In Nessebar’s old town, restaurants serve up mouth-watering menus with ringside views of the sea. You’ll find some of the best places on the northern side of the peninsula, surrounded by fig trees and grape vines. Tuck into the grilled seabass or try the seafood platter – it comes dished up with dips and a squeeze of lemon.

This all-day event every 15th August is a double whammy – a religious festival and a town party. And the locals sure know how to celebrate. First off, they make white origami birds to decorate the streets. Then it’s all down to the amphitheatre near the causeway for games and live music. You’ll get plenty of food and drink, and fireworks launched from a flotilla of boats.

It’s easy to miss the little wooden entrance to this quirky bar, but it’s a bit of a top find. It’s a cave-like place with floor-to-ceiling stalagmites. When you’ve ordered a Canadian Meadow cocktail, head to the garden out back. While you’re sipping your drink, you can sit on seats carved out of rock and watch turtles swimming in the pool below.

This popular taverna comes with 3 sea-view terraces – the best lunchtime spot is the one that’s shaded by a giant fig tree. On the menu, fresh fish is the house speciality so try the grilled turbot and a side of shopska – a crunchy cucumber, onion and tomato salad topped with tangy cheese. Meat eaters get the equally tasty pork stuffed with mozzarella. A glass of the strong local rakia should hit the spot, too.

Nessebar may not party hard like its neighbour Sunny Beach, but it still comes up with the goods on the nightlife front. You’ll find some cracking places in the old town, whether you want Irish bars, English pubs or a classy cocktail joint. As for discos, expect salsa, R ’n’ B and Bulgarian chalga – a very danceable pop-folk combo.

Along the cobbled streets of Old Nessebar you’ll see women in shawls crafting traditional lace tablecloths in front of open-air stalls and men with sun-worn faces selling handmade wooden toys. If you stop to barter for one of the handcrafted rugs here, you’ll be plied with tea for your efforts.

With hand-worked silver jewellery, pottery, souvenir T-shirts, and much more, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to spend your Bulgarian lev in old Nessebar. Many of the best shops are in the interior of the peninsula where the top floors of traditional houses overhang the cobbled lanes. For something that’ll make you nostalgic for your time here, root out the traditional lace as a keepsake.

At this national talent search held at the old town’s open-air amphitheatre, 50 solo performers and groups sing their hearts out as they try to land the 4,000 lev grand prize. They say music is a universal language, so you don’t have to be fluent in Bulgarian to keep up with the action.