In Bulgaria’s southeastern corner is the remote Strandzha Nature Park, established in 1995. The 1161 sq km of rolling hills protect the country’s most diverse vegetation, including vast forests of oak and beech, as well as 40 species of fish, 134 breeding bird species, 65 species of mammals, including golden jackals, wildcats and otters, and various ancient ruins.
The park’s ecotourism potential is slowly being developed, but visiting the area is not easy without private transport. Be sure you don’t stray too close to the Turkish border: this is an area of smugglers and suspicious border-patrol guards.
The park is ideal for hiking because it’s sparsely populated and relatively flat. Several short hikes (1km to 8km long), and longer treks (about 20km) between the coast and the centre of the park, are detailed in the colourful Nature Park Strandzha map (1:70,000; 4 lv), available at bookshops in Burgas. The park also contains what are probably the most undeveloped stretches of sandy beach along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. If you visit in early June, make sure you witness the fire-dancing festival in Bulgari. There is some useful information online at www.discoverstrandja.com and www.visitstrandja.com if you intend exploring.
The administrative centre of the park is Malko Târnovo, a small, dusty town in the southwest. The History Museum has some local archaeological finds, and the Ethnographical Museum contains displays about the park. For more details, contact the park office .
From the Zapad bus station in Burgas, buses leave for Malko Târnovo (7.50 lv, three hours, four or five a day) via Bulgari, but transport to other villages in the park is infrequent.
