Sozopol is located south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
Also see Nessebar (a lovely beach town) further down the coast, and take a boat from nearby Primorsko to see the lions head (part of the blue mountain range).
In Sozopol, Hotel Coral is a great place to stay.
coral.thracian-hoteliers.com/?lang=en
5 Lazuren Briag Street 8130 Sozopol, Bulgaria
+359 55 026 266
Google map: bit.ly/XVdBWs
A tiny, beautiful Greek-influenced peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea that is the final resting place of St. John the Baptist, vampires from the Middle Ages and hundreds of marinated little fish that are perfect with the local wine! Watch the old ladies boiling up fig jam in the streets, stroll around the traditional stone and wood houses and then relax on the beach safe in the knowledge that a beer will cost you a Euro at best. Perfect!
Fly to Sofia and drive east to Burgas, then drive south a little while to reach Sozopol.
Google map: bit.ly/WvP90a
Anyone foolish enough to visit Sunny Beach should jump on the first bus to Bourgas and thence to Sozopol.
Mercifully, relatively few Brits currently visit - but the number is increasing as word escapes re its laid back charms and excellent value-for-money restaurants. Sozopol - the Eternal City - has long been a favourite escape for artists and for the first ten days of September it hosts the acclaimed Apollonia international Arts Festival.
There is a good sprinkling of beaches and Kavatse has a particularly Bohemian character.
The Hotel Diamanti is one of the few hotels located in the historic Old Town and provides a great base for visits south to the semi-tropical Ropotomo River, ancient forests and nature reserves.
Visit this area before it too becomes spoiled.
An excellent source of info is bulgariacoast.info
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
Search Been there