Kiten as a destination for a Black Sea holiday

Black Sea holiday in the Kiten resort – it is undoubtedly the greenest resort on the Bulgarian South Black Sea Coast. The beautiful long, spacious beaches in abundant greenery, the crystal clear waters, the mouth of the Karaagach River – all this creates the opportunities for a magnificent Black Sea holiday filled with beautiful views. Also, the immediate proximity of the “Yug” campsite and “Coral” beach, Primorsko, Ropotamo Reserve, Tsarevo and Strandzha Mountain, is a promise for more exciting moments, adventures, and a meeting with the history and traditions of the area.

Black Sea holiday in Kiten – map, landmarks and beaches



USEFUL: For planning your visit to the place or accommodation in the nearby settlements, can use the collection of assistive tools – Google Road Map with calculator in km, flights to Bulgaria, rental cars, weather forecast, hotel search, timetables of buses in the region, see this link.

Kiten is 6 km south of Primorsko and 12 km north of Tsarevo. There are regular buses to the neighbouring resorts, as well as a bus to the capital of Bulgaria – Sofia

There are many opportunities here for accommodation – hotels, guesthouses, rental apartments. Besides, there are campsites with bungalows, caravans and tents for camping in nature.

As places for eating, available are many restaurants, fast food pavilion, taverns, bistros, pizzerias, bars, and pubs to satisfy every taste. Besides, for the entertainment of tourists, there are attractions such as a boat trip to the neighbouring towns, water skiing, water wheels and more.

The green Kiten city

Kiten was declared a resort in the 1960s. Then, many holiday homes were built with extensive green gardens. Renovated, they have functioned until the present time with retained their green space. Walking along the streets of Kiten, especially near Cape Urdoviza, the tourists admire the green appearance of the town. The most widespread tree species are Italian oak, sessile oak and Austrian oak. One may come across Cottonwood, and artificially planted trees from the family Pinaceae.

The beaches of Kiten


North Beach – Atliman

It lays in the north of Kiten into a small bay called Atliman. The length of the beach is about 600 metres with a maximum width of 50 metres. There are lifeguards, beach umbrellas, water attractions and beach restaurants. Near the beach, there are campsites for caravans and tents.

Atliman - the north beach of Kiten
Atliman Beach in northern Kiten

A local legend of Atliman Bay

The origin of the name Atliman is Turkish-Greek (“At” in Turkish is a horse, and Greek “Limnos” is bay). It means “Bay of the Horse” and the name origins from a local legend about “Hasekia”. That is an area of ​​the Northeast Strandzha mountain. It enjoyed privileges – it was not taxed during the Ottoman rule in Bulgaria ( 1396 – 1878). According to the legend, they were acquired after the bet between a beautiful local girl called “White Stana” and the Padishah. That probably happened in the period XIV – XVII century. The agreement was – the places she will be able to visit with her horse for a day, would-be tax-exempt. She travelled 17 villages in one day and finally returned here to this bay. After that, the area where those 17 villages were, took the name “Hasekia”, and it was free of taxes.

View of Atliman Beach from the end of Cape Urdoviza
View of Atliman Beach from the end of Cape Urdoviza

South Beach

It lays in the southern part of Kiten, into a bay called Urdoviza. 1300 metres long and 60 metres wide. Conditionally divided into two parts, both on the same sand strip – South Kiten Beach and Karaagach Campsite.

It reaches the mouth of the Karaagach River, and in the dense forest behind it, there are many rent bungalows, caravans/campers, as well as tents for accommodation. One could say that the place fully corresponds to the concept of camping, as there are no massive concrete structures.

The south beach of Kiten - Karagaach
Kiten’s southern beach is also called Karagaach

The mouth of the Karaagach River

Located in the southernmost part of South Beach, it is a beautiful fishing spot. Especially it is suitable for those feeling nostalgia to the river fishing, during the Black Sea holiday. Here, the fishers catch Common carp, Common barbel, Gobiidae, Flathead grey Mullett. Could also participate in Kayaking trip on request. For more details, can contact to Trimix Adventure Nature Club.

 View of the mouth of the Karagaach River below, at the end of Kiten's South Beach
View of the mouth of the Karagaach River below, at the end of Kiten’s South Beach
 The mouth of the river Karagaach and the bridge for crossing it - part of the main asphalt road
The mouth of the river Karagaach and the bridge for crossing it – part of the main asphalt road

Port Kiten

It is located on Cape Urdoviza, in the north end of South Beach. It is a small port for small fishing boats and ships. In the summer, here it is the start of a boat trip to the neighbouring resorts – Primorsko, Lozenets, Tsarevo.

The small port of Kiten, at the beginning of South Beach
The small port of Kiten, at the beginning of South Beach

Offers for hotels in Kiten


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Exhibition of underwater archaeology

Its location is in the centre of Kiten, right next to the post office. The archaeological finds that divers revealed in the past are now exposed here. They found them at the bottom of Kiten, as well as in other Black Sea cities. The collection includes anchors, ceramic vessels, remains of ships, statues of ancient deities.

An exhibition dedicated to underwater archaeology in Kiten
An exhibition dedicated to underwater archaeology in Kiten

Historical notes on Kiten city

Antiquity

After the revealing of the findings, archaeologists suggest that the area was inhabited as early as 3000 BC when there was a prehistoric settlement here. On Cape Urdoviza, which divides the two beaches – Atliman and South Beach, in the past there was an ancient Thracian settlement called Urdoviza.

The ancient Urdoviza was surrounded by a fortress wall, built in the 12th century BC during the Trojan War. According to the researchers’ hypothesis, victuals were transported from here to the besieged Troy. That is the same Troy about which Homer wrote his poem “The Iliad”.

The wall, in combination with the steep banks of the Cape, made the settlement untouchable. At that time, the shores were even more abrupt – since then until now the Black Sea has increased its level by meters.

Part of the fort has been still preserved, but sadly, visit of tourists is not allowed. That is because its location is into a military base.

Later, the settlement continued to exist during the Middle Ages.

The Middle Ages

During the Ottoman rule (1396 – 1878), Urdoviza was part of the privileged and tax-exempt region of “Hasekia”. The district included 17 settlements, including the villages of Pismenovo, Yasna Polyana and others.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as many Black Sea settlements, Urdoviza suffered from frequent attacks by Caucasian pirates “Lazi”. They moved by sea, but unlike the sea pirates, were robbing people on land. For this reason, the citizens left the city and moved to Strandzha Mountain. According to local legends, the emigrants created the settlements of Visitsa and Kondolovo, near Gramatikovo.

New time

After the Liberation from Ottoman rule (1878) and Unification (1885) the border between the Bulgarian Principality and Ottoman Empire passed through Atliman Bay. Later, the whole territory of present Kiten came into Bulgaria after the Balkan war (1912).

The new village emerged in 1930 when refugees from Eastern Thrace came here. The climate and location were very suitable for agricultural and sheep farming. They built small houses called “Sharon’s”, which looked like a shrub with flowers ( “Kitka” in Bulgarian). That is how the name of the new village – Kiten ( from “Kitka”) came into being. In the 1960s, Kiten became a national resort for a Black Sea holiday. Many factories and firms in the country, built holiday homes for their employees. Since 2005, Kiten has grown from a village into a city, with a permanent population of about 1,100 people.

What to see around the town of Kiten

In case of a more extended stay in Kiten city you can visit the following resorts and landmarks:

  1. Campsite “Yug” and the “Coral” Beach ( 1 km in the south)
  2. The town of Primorsko (6 km in the north) where is the famous Thracian sanctuary Beglik Tash. It is one of the most popular historical sites in the country. Nearby, there is the Ropotamo Reserve for other authentic, natural sights and eco trails.
  3. A boat trip along Ropotamo River (8.5 km)
  4. Arkutino Beach (17 km) – between Sozopol and Primorsko
  5. The town of Sozopol (22 km), with its historical landmarks. Also, it offers excellent seaside holiday opportunities.
  6. Tsarevo city (12 km in the south) – with beautiful bays, historical sites and a museum. From there can go to the Strandzha Nature Park – the largest protected area in Bulgaria.

USEFUL: To get a quick and easy idea of ​​where these places are – see the destinations marked on our Google map. There all the landmarks we’ve written about, are marked as tags with links.

Also, to plan your trip to them, you can use the selection of assistive tools: Google Road Map with calculator in km, flights to Bulgaria, rental cars, weather forecast, hotel search, timetables of buses in the region.

Offers for hotels in Kiten


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