Untouched Beauty
The best beaches close to Rezovo lie in Turkey’s Trakya province on the opposite bank of the Rezovo River. Plans to build a bridge over the river have been the topic of much discussion for many years, but they are still no more than a twinkle in the architect’s eye. Such is the astounding beauty of Turkey’s Black Sea coast that many wealthy Bulgarians are already buying property here, but there is no sign of the Sunny Beach style developments and they are not likely to happen in the near future. Enjoy this scenic magnificence and head on down to the pearl of the Turkish Black Sea coast Kıyıköy.Getting There
Kıyıköy is a small town with a beautiful untouched beach surrounded in the distance by thick oak forests of mainly oak and the Kazandere and Pabucdere Rivers, which are so clean that it is possible to swim and fish in them. The easiest way to reach Kıyıköy is to either drive or get the bus from Varna or Bourgas via the Strandzha forest and Malko Tarnovo. It’s quite a detour, but until a bridge is constructed at Rezovo, it’s the only way round. The town is only 2.5 hours from Istanbul and there are daily coaches from Bulgaria. Alternatively take the train and get off at Cerkezkoy then take the local bus to Saray and another from here to Kıyıköy.A Little History
Kıyıköy was known by the Greek name Midia due to the wealth of mussels known in Greek as midi. Indeed, it was inhabited by Greeks until the 1920s when the great population exchange took place between Turkey and Greece.Must See
Kıyıköy sits on a peninsula and is divided from the mainland by the old town gates of the Byzantine fortress. The red brick city walls are still visible and lend a colourful backdrop to the traditional wooden Ottoman architecture of many of the town’s houses. The St Nicholas Monastery known locally as Aya Nikola Manastırı is a small religious settlement cut into the rocky incline of the surrounding hills. It takes around half an hour to walk here, but it is well worth the effort because you will pass some wonderful natural sites along the bank of the river. In addition to this, the monastery is well signposted from the city gate and there is a designated path. The town’s mosque also dominates the centre and is surrounded by small shops and cafes – some of the cafes don’t sell alcohol, but allow you to bring your own. You can sit outside and watch the world go by here; it’s a great way to take in traditional Turkish life. The town comprises of three main streets and they all meet in a square sheltered by chestnut trees.
In the middle there is a statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first ever president of Turkey in 1923. The town hosts a colourful market every week where you can buy fresh watermelons, peaches, grapes and apricots as well as fake designer clothing, tasty olives and hardware like sweeping brushes. The fruit is the best you will ever taste and the prices so cheap it makes Bulgaria look expensive. The town’s beaches offer crystal clear water, fine golden sand and untouched scenery with spectacular cliffs covered with lush green foliage plunging into the calm sea. In fact, there are so many beautiful beaches in this area that you could visit a different one every day for two weeks. If you travel further down the bay to the River Pabuçdere estuary, the scene becomes even more at one with nature with the boats of the local fishermen and droves of wild buffalo swimming in the creek each evening. The Kasatura Bay Nature Reserve Area just18 km south of Kıyıköy has a beautiful protected forest full of black pines and a secluded beach. In the opposite direction at the mouth of the Kazandere River you will find another long sandy beach with lots of fossils buried in the stone.
If you want to see what Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast used to look like then a trip down the Turkish Black Sea coast is well worth the effort. It is one of the most relaxing weekends you could wish to take and will leave you with nothing but good impressions of our neighbouring Turks.
