Sozopol is a small town of 7000 people on the Black Sea coast, 31 km south of Burgas.
We decided to visit Sozopol because we wanted to spend a few relaxing days at the seaside without the crowds typical for Golden Sands and Sunny Beach. Seawater in Sozopol also tends to be cleaner as it is further away from the Danube delta.
Sozopol is divided into the old part and the new part. Picturesque old part lies on the peninsula connected to the mainland by a 150 m wide strip of land. Old Sozopol is small, with interesting (partly wooden) houses, narrow cobble stoned streets and a handful of churches. The main street running through the middle of Old Sozopol is touristy, with many souvenir shops, bars, restaurants and a few supermarkets. If you want to experience real pulse of Sozopol, turn into the maze of side streets where you will meet relaxed locals chatting while doing their everyday chores. We had a pleasant walk around Old Sozopol; locals always greeted us with a friendly smile, some of them even wanted to chat.
There is a stretch of sand between Old Sozopol and New Sozopol attracting swimmers and sunbathers. There are a few bars behind the beach. You can play pool at one of the terraces overlooking the beach.
New Sozopol, where most hotels are located, stretches south from the peninsula and into the interior of the mainland. When we visited in June 2006, the new town was a huge construction ground. Locals apparently count on increased number of visitors, thus new hotels are keep springing up. They are not as big as those at Golden Sands and Sunny Beach, but there are many, so idyllic Sozopol might soon become a distant memory.