Area guide: Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria
Travel essentials for your trip
When to go
You can reasonably expect warm weather from the middle of May to the middle of October – and could easily get lucky with a week of warmth earlier and later in the year. You will definitely experience hot sun in July and August. We went in early July and it was beautiful – hot sun and clear skies – for all three days.
Price point
A stand-out benefit. As the skiers among us know, Bulgaria does ‘low-cost, high-quality’ very well. So, three nights and two rounds can be yours for under £300… and a huge glass of proper beer is 90p! There is not as much of a requirement to stay clear of the summer peak season in search of a cheaper deal either.
Where to stay
Definitely stay in the five-star hotel at Lighthouse – and do the all-inclusive deal that works out at around £50 a day. You will probably spend £50 worth of drinks in British terms round the pool! Plus feast on the buffet at lunch and dinner. The hotel is stylish and well-equipped with a terrific pool area and an extensive spa.
How to get there
You can fly direct to Varna from Luton, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmignham in three hours, or via a stopover in Sofia, but that really does add time onto the journey – and driving from there isn’t ideal because it is seven hours. Once in Varna either pick up a hire car or jump in a taxi – which is likely to be around £50 each way – and within 45 minutes you are in Cape Kaliakra. There is a third route, via Bucharest in Romania, because is it actually under four hours away. Just make sure your hire car has the correct cross-border papers.
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Chris Bertram
Chris Bertram is a specialist in all things golf courses.
He was born and brought up in Dumfriesshire and has been a sports journalist since 1996, initially as a junior writer with National Club Golfer magazine.
Chris then spent four years writing about football and rugby union for the Press Association but returned to be Editor and then Publisher of NCG.
He has been freelance since 2010 and spends the majority of his time playing golf and writing about the world’s finest golf courses.
