It was 5:50 in the morning and I had just arrived at the Arch. It was a Saturday after a busy week, and probably most people would have preferred to sleep in. But I was determined to fulfil my mission. I parked my car, walked to the rock closest to the sea and sat down with my instant coffee. I waited. I took a few photos of the sunrise. I managed to spill the coffee over my only comfortable trousers. But I never saw what I came for…
Wait a second. I am getting a bit ahead of myself. Let me rewind and tell you how I got here.
For years I had been planning a trip to the Northern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. It kept getting deprioritized, and not for an unknown reason — it’s more than 6 hours’ drive from Sofia, with no highway, and it’s often overshadowed by the crystal-clear waters of the Aegean or the medieval towns of the Adriatic. Thankfully, every kilometer of the ride — almost 1,800 in total — was worth it.
My route started at the village of Shkorpilovtsi, at the foot of the Balkan, where the mountain seemingly decides to step down in a powerful hug with the sea. The road there is also hugged by the lush greenery of a protected forest, home to the river of Kamchiya. This area sits equally close to Sunny Beach to the south and Varna to the north — the party-animal sanctuaries of the Bulgarian coast — but Shkorpilovtsi is simply a different universe. Here, the loudest player is the sea, and the breeze is chillier, keeping the summer heat away.
The trip continued north to Varna, through the beach of Pasha Dere. This once-wild beach is getting busier, but it still managed to make me a precious personal gift – my color of the summer, the Black Sea Deep.
It’s a complicated color, with notes of gray and green — not as simple as a variation of turquoise. For years, I was constantly overlooking it, chasing transparency and visibility, mistaking them for purity. I’ve since checked, and it turns out I wasn’t giving it enough credit — this coast is quietly among the cleanest bathing water in Europe. See, these waters are full of life, and the color of life is deep, its murkiness hiding some of the details, some of its secrets. Still, the big picture reveals its beauty. Worth sitting with for a moment, to really appreciate it.
From the quietness of Shkorpilovtsi, through the colors of Pasha Dere, I was ready to arrive in Varna for my days of workation. Varna turned out to be exactly what I expected — the convenience of a big city, but at a slower, more spread-out pace, one that let me truly appreciate the possibility of working remotely here. The early morning swims at the beach. The stop at the local coffee shop on the way there. The afternoon walk in the Sea Park. It all worked out beautifully, especially for someone born and raised at the foot of Vitosha mountain, hours away from any sea.
The evening walks were especially relaxing, considering the numerous craft beer bars in the central areas and the kilometers-long sea promenade. What was truly a surprise — well hidden, at that — was the natural mineral bath right next to the sea. It caught me completely off guard, sitting on a promenade where you’d expect only loud beach bars and vendors selling random goods. Soaking in that hot water late in the evening was the start of something — a feeling I know well by now, one that has a tight grip on me, but was yet to really flourish during this trip.
It’s the feeling of disconnection from the world of daily duties and anxiety. It’s the feeling only a place with its own way and its own dynamics can give you.
Sitting on the rock, at 5:50, I was starting to feel the warmth of the first rays and it turns out, the mission wasn’t finished — it was still waiting for me.
That part of the story deserves its own telling.
A map of all places mentioned and more: my practical guide beyond the obvious landmarks
