Sozopol

About this spot

Sozopol, one of the oldest towns on the Black Sea, wraps around rocky headlands on the southern coast with several sandy beaches. The main kiting takes place on Harmanite (South) Beach and the Central Beach, which face south-east into the open sea. Southerly to south-easterly winds arrive side-onshore with a clean fetch across Burgas Bay, and in fresh S winds the beach delivers Bulgaria's most reliable open-sea wave riding — chest-high sets over punchy Black Sea chop.

Northerly directions blow over the town and are offshore and dangerous; westerly winds are cross-offshore and gusty behind the headland. The bottom is sand with scattered rocks near the old-town breakwaters — keep clear of the stone groynes at both ends of the beaches. The water deepens relatively quickly, and in peak season the beaches are crowded with swimmers until late afternoon: launch from the quieter end of Harmanite and stay outside the swimming zones.

Sozopol is a major summer resort with everything you need — accommodation, restaurants, paid parking near the old town, and Burgas airport 40 minutes north. There is no dedicated rescue or kite school on the beach, so ride with a buddy. Outside June–September bring at least a 4/3 mm; the open sea here is cooler than the shallow bays further north.