Shabla — Bulgaria's first light
The oldest and tallest lighthouse on our Black Sea coast, the country's easternmost point and lakes full of birds on the Via Pontica migration route.
Where the sun rises first
Shabla is Bulgaria's easternmost town — a quiet coastal settlement 15 kilometres from the Romanian border, where our Black Sea coast reaches its most dramatic ending.
Here the sun rises first over the country. The atmosphere of remoteness and calm, far from the noise of the big resorts, makes Shabla a sacred place for lovers of silence, lighthouse lights and wild nature.
The oldest sentinel of the Black Sea
The Shabla lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and the tallest — 32 metres. Built in the late 18th century as a miniature copy of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, it is the only one in Bulgaria painted in red and white stripes.
Restored in 1856 during the Crimean War, the lighthouse flashes every 25 seconds and can be seen 17 nautical miles out to sea. Its top is decorated with a crescent and star — a legacy of the Ottoman era.
- The oldest working lighthouse on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast
- The tallest lighthouse in Bulgaria — 32 metres
- The only lighthouse with red and white stripes
- A miniature copy of the Lighthouse of Alexandria
- Light visible 17 nautical miles out to sea
The easternmost point
Cape Shabla is the easternmost point of Bulgaria. A 2-kilometre underwater reef extends from it into the sea — it was the dangerous submerged rocks that prompted the building of the lighthouse centuries ago.
In antiquity the cape lay halfway between the Danube and the Bosphorus — a key point on one of the main sea routes in the Black Sea.
Easternmost
The first point of Bulgaria where the sun rises.
Underwater reef
2 km of reefs dangerous to ships — and the reason for the lighthouse.
Karia
Bulgaria's only officially registered fishing settlement.
A paradise for birds
Shabla Lake has been a protected territory since 1979 — one of the most important wetlands in Bulgaria, with over 70 species on the Red Book list. The two natural coastal lakes are separated from the sea by a narrow sand strip.
The area lies on the Via Pontica migration route. Thousands of birds pass here every spring and autumn, making Shabla a magnet for ornithologists. Close by is the healing lagoon of Shabla Tuzla.
Shabla Lake
A protected wetland with Red Book species.
Shabla Tuzla
A healing lagoon with mineral waters and mud.
Via Pontica
An important migration route for migratory birds.
| Location | 20 km from Kavarna, 80 km from Varna |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | Limited options — a hotel and guest houses |
| Beach | Shabla beach — 112,000 sq m |
| Lighthouse access | Restricted (military zone), open days in summer |
| Nearest town | Kavarna — 25 km |
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