Activities in Bulgaria | Adventure Tours

For aficionados of diversity, the areas for mountain bikers also abound in other opportunities to sample other leisure time activities, such as paragliding, water rafting, horse trekking, to name but three. Renting mountain bikes, together with complete toolkits, and helmets, will ensure all bikers will have safe and enjoyable riding. Both novices and seasoned bikers can find exciting trails. In the Rhodopes, bikers can tour caves, ride across meadows, through gorges and verdant coniferous forests, visit ancient sanctuaries, the Kurdzhali dam, the Thracian site Perperikon, etc.

An easy trail in the Rhodopes starts from Trigrad near the border, and follows the road which hugs the gorge end, to the Yagodina cave. Pamporovo and Bachkovo are other locations on the easy trail. The Iskar river valley near Sofia is another great choice for mountain biking, as the gorge abounds in cliffs and towering peaks, together with caves and waterfalls, fields and meadows. 

The equipment for rafting is provided by the organizers, comprising a helmet, a neoprene suit, a life jacket, and water boots. The other hub for rafting is the Iskar river, where the rapids fill rafters with adrenaline, and rafting goes on for around three hours. Equipment like wetsuits, boots, helmets and life jackets are provided there too.

When people consider rafting along the Iskar, they should also plan to visit the Temnata Dupka (Dark Hole) cave with its impressive underground lake. The Iskar rafting is carried out in spring and in the early part of summer, when the river has sufficient depth. When the summer comes and the river depth decreases, inflatable kayaks are offered. Then, in September and October, comes another auspicious period for rafting, especially enjoyable because of the autumn profusion of colors on deciduous trees. Rafting trips are implemented with guides, but everyone is invited to steer the raft in certain sections. An especially exciting opportunity is a rafting safari, in groups which move from place to place each day. Not only the Iskar and the Struma valleys, but also the rivers in Pirin and the Rhodopes can be explored during rafting safaris.

Novices can take beginner courses to learn to control a paraglider and start flying from small hills. Courses for intermediate paragliders enable people with experience to soar to ridges and glide from higher mountain altitudes. In Bulgaria, paragliding can be practiced in mountain, flatland, and seaside flying sites.

In the mountains, the best base is the small town of Sopot, and other popular spots are Sliven, Kom, Buzludzha, Mussala in Rila which is 2,925 m high. In the flatlands, the sites recommended are Madara and Shumen, Vratza and Topolitza, sites which abound in rocks, great starting points for the activity. Along the sea coast, resorts and resort towns like Varna, Burgas, Albena are among the grounds where paragliding can enable everyone to see whole areas down below, with the sand fringed by forests and fields. Overall, Bulgaria boasts 166 sites where paragliding can be practiced. Silistra and Ruse on the Danube, Targovishte and Gabrovo in the Balkans, or Smolyan in the Rhodopes are just a few of the many sites where paragliding is offered.

Trips around hubs for these activities enable participants to experience new challenges, get to know diverse localities, visit mountain rivers, lakes, seaside resorts, etc. Novices can take courses, and together with seasoned canoe and kayak fans will enjoy the challenges posed, the accommodation in open air camps and in small hotels. From the end of March until mid June, canoeing and kayaking lovers are coming to Bulgaria to enjoy their favorite hobby.

During Black Sea kayaking, the Kamen Briag village, with its unique rock surroundings, the Kaliakra Cape, the town of Balchik with its impressive Botanical Gardens, the natural reserve of the Kamchia river near Varna, Emine Cape which is the easternmost part of Bulgaria, the ancient Nessebar, a town with its old part belonging to the UNESCO heritage sites, the Ropotamo river with water lilies, are all unmissable spots.

Fans of canoeing and kayaking on lakes will enjoy the lakes in the Rhodopes: Mihalkovo, Dospat, Kurdzhali, Ivailovgrad and Studen Kladenec. The Danube, Bulgaria’s northern border, is also auspicious for canoeing and kayaking. There is an international kayaking tour which starts in Germany, the country where the Danube starts, and ir reaches Bulgaria in August, so enthusiasts can join it, passing from the west to the town of Silistra, just before the river enters Romanian territory.

The horses offered for riding belong to a cross between Arabian full blood horses and East Bulgarian horses which combine the strength of the former and the toughness of the latter and are around 1.60 m in height. Guides knowledgeable about horses provide advice on how to deal with these gracious creatures. The riding bases: the Balkan, the Valley of Roses, and in the Iskar ranch provide the horses for riding through diverse settings and experiencing communion with nature. The village of Apriltsi, in the Balkan, functions all the year round. There the horses are groomed and bred, to provide worthy companions for riding outings.

The Valley of Roses base, between Karlovo and Kazanlak, two picturesque towns, lies in the Sveshten village. The settings around are picturesque and replete with mountain charm. The chalet offers accommodation with all amenities after horse riding trips. In the Iskar ranch, on the bank of the Iskar lake, over 60 horses are bred and trained, suitable for beginners and for seasoned riders. The very terrain of the Valley of Roses ranch, with low hills and flat areas around, invites for smooth riding. After riders have had an outstanding time riding, it is time for picnics and barbecues.

In Rila, Borovets is the most visited, but the Malyovitsa resort is a favorite too. In the Rhodopes, Pamporovo is the most famed resort, with slopes starting from the Snezhanka peak. Another nearby resort is in Chepelare. Bansko is a doubtless favorite with skiers and snowboarders, in Pirin, in the southwest. For tourists staying in Sofia, the choice is abundant; many prefer the convenience of Vitosha, rising quite nearby, with the “Aleko” skiing center.

Everyone can rely on inviting snow, plenty of facilities, artificial snow facilities on standby, and all amenities in the hotels.