Shkorpilovtsi beach and Dolni Chiflik: wild sand, dunes and quiet villages south of Varna

Shkorpilovtsi beach is a long, open stretch of sand about 43 km south of Varna, backed in long stretches by dunes and forest rather than hotel blocks, and the village behind it is the seaside face of Dolni Chiflik (Долни чифлик) municipality. If you searched for “Shkorpilovtsi” (Шкорпиловци) because you want a quieter beach than the big resorts, this page covers what is there, which beaches are officially registered, the ruins and forests nearby, and the honest answer on getting there without a car.

Shkorpilovtsi: the village and its name

Shkorpilovtsi lies 1–2 km inland from the Black Sea, 14 km east of the municipal centre Dolni Chiflik and 6–7 km south of the mouth of the Kamchiya river. Ottoman registers mention it in 1676 as Fandakla; it was called Fandaklii until 1934, when it was renamed after the Czech-Bulgarian archaeologists Karel and Hermann Škorpil, long-time residents of Varna (Wikipedia (BG), Wikipedia). In 1963 it was declared a climatic seaside resort of local importance. The 2021 census counted 772 people.

The centre is small: the St Petka church with a monument to the Škorpil brothers beside it, the Probuda-1962 chitalishte (community cultural centre) and a post office. The resort itself is made up of holiday homes, hotel complexes and villas, and the encyclopedia also notes mineral springs with water up to 67 °C, although we found no public bath that uses them.

The beach: what the official register lists

The Great Encyclopedia Bulgaria gives the beach by the village a length of about 5 km of golden-yellow sand (Wikipedia (BG)), and north of it the sand continues towards Kamchia, with dunes up to 18–19 m high in the Kamchiyski Pyasatsi protected area (Wikipedia (BG)). Among the Ministry of Tourism register entries for Shkorpilovtsi are these two:

• Shkorpilovtsi South, by the village: rented out, with umbrella and sunbed at €3.00 each in the current register (register).
• Shkorpilovtsi North, towards Kamchia in the land of Novo Oryahovo: an unguarded beach (register).

Further north, Kamchia South is also listed as unguarded and already belongs to Avren municipality (register). Rates and lifeguard cover are set each season, so trust the flags on the day.

The shoreline here is straight, with no bay, so north and north-east winds bring waves; Wikipedia rates it among the best spots on the coast for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. That also means stronger currents on windy days: if you are not a confident swimmer, stay where a lifeguard is on duty. A pier about 230 m long runs out from the beach; the remains of an older structure lie on the seabed some 30 m north of it and can be dangerous in waves or murky water.

The ancient fort and the Bulgarian rampart

In 1916 the Škorpil brothers themselves dug an ancient fort on the left bank of the Shkorpilovska river (also called Fandakliyska), south of the village. Its foundations show a square plan with two gate towers and round corner towers; in the east stood a basilica with a floor mosaic and a vaulted tomb beside it. The fort burned, probably in the 6th-century invasions, and in the 8th century the Bulgarians raised an earth rampart about 2 km long, 3 m high and up to 15 m wide on its foundations, part of their defence against landings by the Byzantine fleet (Wikipedia (BG)). We found no visitor facilities or signposted route, so treat it as a site for the curious rather than a museum.

The Kamchia forests

The northern part of the municipality follows the Kamchiya river, about 48 km of whose course runs through Dolni Chiflik land. On its lower course, in the land of Staro Oryahovo, the Kamchia reserve protects one of the finest longoz (floodplain) forests in Europe, with field elm, narrow-leaved ash, oak and field maple reaching 35–40 m (Wikipedia (BG)). Access to a strict reserve is very limited, and boat trips run only from the river mouth. Our page on the Kamchia river and reserve explains the rules and how to visit.

What to see in the villages of Dolni Chiflik

Dolni Chiflik municipality covers about 489 km² and 17 settlements, from the forested Kamchia Mountain (its highest point, Dedeeva Chuka, is 550 m) down to the coast (Wikipedia (BG)).

• Dolni Chiflik town: the Ethnographic Museum, started from a school collection in 1984–85 and opened in 1986 in two rooms of the chitalishte, shows local crafts, farm tools, costumes and jewellery (Wikipedia (BG)). The town was briefly renamed Kamchia (1974) and then Georgi Traykov (1975–1991) before getting its old name back.
• Roman and early Byzantine remains: Wikipedia lists the fortress Erite at the Kamchiya mouth, a Roman kiln on the road to Sherba, the Gemeto wall near Golitsa and fort sites near Golitsa, Bardarevo and Dolni Chiflik, parts of the 6th-century defences of the eastern Balkan Mountains. We found no visitor information for most of them.
• Forests and reserves: the small Valchi Prehod (north of Golitsa) and Kirov Dol (north-west of Solnik) reserves protect beech, oak and hornbeam woods, and the Sherba hunting area lies on the northern slopes of the Kamchia Mountain between Grozdyovo and Golitsa.

Is Karadere part of this area?

No. Karadere, the wild beach that many people pair with Shkorpilovtsi, lies between Byala and Goritsa (Wikipedia (BG)), and OpenStreetMap places it in the land of Samotino, Byala Municipality. It is the next coast south of Shkorpilovtsi, but by road it is about 31 km away (OSRM), so most people reach it from Byala. See our page on Byala and Karadere.

How do you get from Varna to Shkorpilovtsi?

• Car: about 43.5 km from central Varna, roughly 47 minutes (OSRM). Take the main Varna–Burgas road (I-9) south, turn off at Staro Oryahovo and follow the municipal road through Novo Oryahovo (Wikipedia (BG)). Dolni Chiflik town is 39 km from Varna (about 41 minutes), and 18 km from Shkorpilovtsi. For hire options, see renting a car in Varna.
• Bus: Varna bus station listed no direct departures to Shkorpilovtsi for 3 November 2026 (timetable). It did list 13 buses to Staro Oryahovo between 06:45 and 18:00, taking 39–55 minutes: Burgas and Byala lines from sector 4 and Dolni Chiflik lines from sector 9 (timetable). From there it is 11.5 km by road to Shkorpilovtsi (OSRM). Six buses went to Dolni Chiflik town that day, most taking about 1 hour 5 minutes (timetable). Summer timetables can differ, so check the site or call 0700 200 24 the day before.

Shkorpilovtsi or a big resort?

Shkorpilovtsi suits people who want space, dunes and waves more than nightlife and promenades; services are thinner and many close out of season. If you are still weighing up a classic resort, our comparison of Golden Sands, Sunny Beach and Albena sets the big three side by side.