This nature reserve is located 10km south of Sozopol, along the main road to Primorsko. Visitors can hike or picnic, but most come for a 30- to 40-minute slow boat ride along the Ropotamo River. To get to the parkland entrance by public transport, take any bus south of Sozopol, and get off at the prominent, well-signposted bridge where the highway crosses the river. Boats leave at regular intervals throughout the day.
The reserve was established in 1940 to protect fragile landscapes of extensive marshes and the largest sand dunes in Bulgaria, as well as rare flora such as the endemic sand lily. It also protects some 257 species of birds, reptiles and mammals, including white-tailed eagles, wild boars, jackals and 10 species of bat. The reserve also encompasses Thracian megaliths and tiny Sveti Toma Island, which hosts Bulgaria’s only wild cacti.
