Bulgaria is tapping into Turkey’s tourism dominance with a new ferry between Istanbul and Burgas on the Black Sea coast. At a ceremony last month in Istanbul, the director of the Turkish ferry company Istanbul Deniz Otobysu Murat Orhan, announced the opening of the Istanbul – Burgas ferry line.
The idea of establishing a ferry line between Burgas and Istanbul has been in the works for a long time, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project was delayed. The first trip from Istanbul to Burgas was expected to take place in October last year, but the Turkish company announced that they were delaying the launch of the ferry line due adverse weather conditions, postponing the project to the spring of 2025.
A schedule of upcoming trips has already been published on the Istanbul Deniz Otobysu website, with regular ferry services starting this month, departing from Istanbul every Thursday and Sunday and from Burgas every Monday and Friday.
The standard price of a one-way ferry ticket is 60 euros, and a return ticket is 99 euros. For children from 6 to 12 years old, the ticket costs 50 euros one way and 80 euros round trip
Ferries will depart and dock in Istanbul at Sarayburnu Port and Burgas Port.
It will mainly transport tourists who are in Turkey and want a sea excursion to nearby Bulgaria for a day or two, according to Bulgarian travel officials.
Luring Americans is a priority
The first 200 guests were mainly Americans, Canadians, Brits and Germans. “The idea is that starting next year, the big cruise companies that dock in Istanbul will include Burgas and the region in their one-day excursions. IDO’s catamarans will be used for this purpose,” said Maria Belkoleva from the Board of Directors of Port of Burgas.
A priority is bringing American tourists to Bulgaria, because for them Bulgaria is a new and unknown destination. They have already traveled most of the routes in the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean, and are now looking for new and interesting places for cruise trips, Belkoleva said. There is also interest from Australians and from European tourists.
A partner of the Turkish company IDO is the Bulgarian Sea Link Shipping Ltd. By the end of the year, six trips will be made between Istanbul and Burgas, the manager of Sea Link Shipping Panayot Zolumov told TravelNews. Zolmumov hopes that, if successful, there will be serious growth and increased passenger traffic in 2025, and the line could become a regular service between the two cities.
Burgas
Burgas is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria, located on the Black Sea Coast, at the eastern border of the European Union. Burgas has an international airport, sea port, train station and two bus stations. A highway links the city to Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. There are good road connections between Burgas and all other Bulgarian coastal cities.
Places and events to visit in Burgas:
This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, ruins dating from the Hellenistic period inclluding the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the Black Sea. Wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical of the Black Sea architecture of the period.
Aquae Calidae
Aquae Calidae includes the Roman baths of the 1st century AD with a warm and cold swimming pool, and various medieval rooms are accessible to visitors.
Vaya Ecopark for Biodiversity and Alternative tourism
The Ecopark for Biodiversity and Alternative Tourism Vaya offers not only unique biodiversity, but also a commitment to maintaining the beauty and integrity of wildlife through sustainable tourism. Only 15 minutes away from downtown Burgas, Ecopark Vaya highlights traditions and culture of the region.
Every Summer there is a city built of sand figures in the Burgas Park Ezero next to the beach, Every year, the festival theme is different – “Sea World”, “Fairy Tale Heroes”, “Circus”, “Cartoon Character”, “Hall of Fame”, etc.
More than 2500 tons of sand is used every year to build the fantastic sculptures. The sand sculptures festival, organised by Municipality Burgas, welcome participants from around the world – Indonesia, England, Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Ukraine and of course.
Spirit of Burgas (Now Spice Music Festival)
Spirit of Burgas drew the biggest names from the world music scene play every year. So far, during the six-year history of the festival, acts includied Moby, Faith No More, The Prodigy, Gorillaz Sound System, Skindred, The Sisters of Mercy, the Wu -Tang Clan and many others.
Now rebranded as Spice, the festival is 8 and 9 August.
Sozopol is the oldest town in Bulgaria, dating back to 610 BC as a Hellenic colony. The urban structure has been built during centuries, revealing the stages of development of the human civilization, making it a living museum city. With its architecture and archaeology, diverse cultural programme, excellent hotel facilitie and modern tourist infrastructure, the town welcomes hundred thousands of tourists each year.
Sozopol is 35 km from Bourgas airport.
Diving near Burgas
There are 10 PADI dive sites listed around Bulgaria, of which five are wreck dives, three are Beach dives and three are reef dives.
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Kalina Varbanova freelance journalist based in Varna, Bulgaria. Kalina’s interests include culture, tourism, archeology and politics. She's been a Dispatches contributor since 2017, and has written some of our best-read posts.
