Obzor: Laid Back Bulgarian Black Sea Coves

Well the summer is now certainly with us, the sun has got his hat on ...... so let's take a look at another seaside destination before returning to our travels around the country.

The town of Obzor is relatively small, with a population of slightly over 2 000 people. It is situated 65 km south of Varna and 73 km north of Burgas. It lies at the skirts of the eastern part of the Stara Planina Mountain with the mountain ridge raising to the west of the city and the Dvoynitsa river bounding it to the north.

The long beach by the town extends from the St. Atanas cape to the north to the southern Mona Petra cape to the south. The town's beach is followed by a small nestling cove and a beach named Irakli after an ancient village of the same name. The St. Nikola cape is several kilometres further to the south where the Balkan Mountains slope into the Black Sea.

In Hellenic times, the name of the town was Navlohos. Later, it became known as Heliopolis (Town of the Sun) and in Roman times it was given the name of Tempium Jovis (Jupiter's Temple).

During the Middle Ages the place was dominated by a fortress named Kozyak, though this was later destroyed completely by the Ottoman troops. Its present name Obzor was given in 1935. The nearby beach of Irakli and the surrounding area were once inhabited by Greek settlers who later left it and settled to live with the Bulgarians in Obzor.

The town of Byala, which once hosted an ancient Greek fortress, is situated not far to the north of Obzor. In addition, the village of Emona at the Emine cape, is located a few kilometers to the south of Obzor. Emona is a picturesque settlement, famous for being the birthplace of the Thracian king REZ.

What impressed me was the fact that even with a number of bustling tourists the town itself had a very laid back feel to it. No doubt the street vendors, of which Obzor has more than its fair share, were working as hard as they could to drain my pocket, there was none the less an easy atmosphere. Prices also seemed to be a little less expensive than elsewhere along the coast, possibly due to the fact that the area has not yet been overdeveloped. Well worth a summer visit!