Inland tourism has been slow to develop. Sofia, the capital city, is not in the same league as Prague or Budapest, but has enough interest for a weekend break and the ancient hilltop capital Veliko Turnovo has charm.
Rural Bulgaria was badly affected during the communist years, when the focus was on factory work, and much of the countryside is unkempt and overgrown. Happily, wildlife has flourished, particularly in the mountains, where several monasteries offer charismatic accommodation.
If you’re single...
...and holidaying with mates
You need a resort with nightlife, and Golden Sands is the best choice, a 20-minute drive from Varna, Bulgaria’s third largest city. Golden Sands is the older of the two major resorts (Sunny Beach near Burgas is more family-orientated).
Alcohol is cheap and the main drag comes alive after dark with shows and fairground attractions (bungee catapults, bucking bison). The big discos are up in the woods.
The four-star Luna has a health club with spa and tennis courts near by — a week’s half-board in June costs £407pp. Two weeks in August is £692pp. Balkan Holidays (0845 1301114, www.balkanholidays.co.uk).
...and want lots to do
Kudu Travel runs 12-day trips focusing on birds, flowers and archaeology. The settings range from mountains and upland meadows to steppe and Black Sea wetlands. Group sizes are small, and there are excursions to Roman ruins and frescoed medieval Orthodox monasteries.
Starting May 7, the land-only cost is £1,490pp, including 11 nights’ accommodation, full board, plus an ornithological guide. Kudu Travel (01722 716167, www.kudutravel.com).
...and travelling solo
A family-run hotel in the beautiful village of Gela in the Rodopi mountains, mythical home of Orpheus, is the base for Explore Worldwide’s “Rodopi Rambles”. Explore’s groups — 12 to 16 people — are ideal for singles and the hikes are not arduous. Day trips will be out via old mountain paths to villages and monasteries through terrain inhabited by bears, wolves and eagles.
For departures on May 27 and August 12 and 26, the price (£574-£624pp) includes flights, seven nights’ B&B, meals and a tour leader. Explore Worldwide (0870 3334001, www.explore.co.uk).
If you’re a couple who...
...like to do very little
Head for the five-star Arbanassi Palace Hotel in a village outside Veliko Turnovo. The hotel has steam baths and a spa, and the village is known for its elegant holiday homes.
BA flights to Sofia, seven-day car hire, and seven nights in the Arbanassi cost £675pp from Bulgaria Uncovered (0845 3000247, www.beyondtheforest.com).
...love to do a lot
Guerba’s eight-day “Bulgaria Trails” trips mix hill-walking and cultural visits. Starting from Sofia, the route heads for the Vrata Natural Reserve, and on to the Danube via historic towns.
Accommodation is in small hotels and the Klissourski Monastery, meals included. There are six departures from £495pp, flights excluded. Guerba (01373 826611, www.guerba.co.uk).
...enjoy a bit of culture
Andante Travels’ “Thracian Treasures and Mountain Monasteries” examines the great plain between the Balkan and Rhodopian mountains. Guided by Britain’s leading specialist in Bulgarian archaeology, this tour coincides with the Orthodox Easter processions.
Nine nights, April 19-28, cost from £1,600pp. Flights, meals, transfers included. Andante Travels (01722 713800, www.andantetravels.co.uk).
If you’re a family with...
...under-fives
Nessebur, one of the quieter resorts — ideal for families with younger children. The town dates back 2,500 years. It can get busy with day-trippers, but Nessebur Palace Hotel is at arm’s length, with its own beach. There’s a playground and the pool has a children’s section.
The price is £1,169 for two adults and two children during half term (leaving on May 21) rising to £2,641 for two weeks (leaving August 14), including flights, transfers and B&B. Balkan Holidays (0845 1301114, www.balkanholidays.co.uk).
...teenage terrors
They’ll love Sunny Beach, with its discos, waterslides and go-karts. Make your base one of the newly built hotels at the quieter part of the seafront, the Hotel Victoria Palace. Fronted by mini Venetian lagoons, it has leopardskin chairs in the Safari Bar and starlets on the walls in the Hollywood restaurant.
Price: £797pp for a week’s half-board from May 20, rising to £1,595 for two weeks from August 11, including flights and transfers. First Choice (0870 8503938, www.firstchoice.co.uk).
...kids, grandpas, kitchen sink
Elenite is a quality all-inclusive resort with a villagey atmosphere, close to Sunny Beach. There are watersports for teenagers, kids’ clubs, and sufficient refinement for the grandparents. The Hotel Royal Park has a kids’ club and crèche run by First Choice, which also organises activity programmes for older children.
The price for two grandparents, two adults and two kids is £2,223 for the May half-term, rising to £3,458 for two weeks from 11 August. First Choice (0870 8503938, www.firstchoice.co.uk).
Top tips
Look for a hotel that has been recently built or refurbished. Some of the old ones are awful.
If you’re renting a car, get a map that shows both Roman and Cyrillic script. Many roadsigns are Cyrillic only.
Get your dentistry done. It’s cheap, good and available in all resorts.
Until now the coast has been dominated by package tourism, but this will start to change from March, when British Airways (www.ba.com) starts scheduled flights to Varna.