Kamchia river: river mouth, longoz forest reserve and beach south of Varna

The Kamchia river reaches the Black Sea about 28 km south of Varna by road (Visit Varna), at the small resort of Kamchia. Its last stretch runs through the Kamchia reserve, a strict nature reserve since 1951 protecting native longoz forest that floods mainly in spring. Around it lie a protected forest zone where quiet boat trips are allowed, wide sandy beaches and a newly protected dune coast. It is an easy half or full day out of Varna by car.

What is the Kamchia reserve?

Kamchia is a reserve, Bulgaria’s strictest category of protected area. According to the official register of the Executive Environment Agency, it covers 849.75 ha in the municipalities of Avren and Dolni Chiflik, was declared in 1951 and exists to protect “native longoz forests” (EEA register). Longoz is a floodplain forest that grows on river silt and is regularly flooded. Here it is dominated by field elm and ash, with oak, alder, white poplar and willow; some trees are more than 150 years old and 35 m tall, and climbers such as clematis and wild vine make parts of it almost impassable (Wikipedia).

The reserve was part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere network from 1977. Bulgaria’s national MAB committee decided in 2016 to exclude it, and it is no longer a UNESCO biosphere reserve (Wikipedia), although some older pages still describe it that way. Its national protection is unchanged.

Two protected sites surround it. Longoza (230 ha, declared 2007) wraps around the reserve along the river (EEA register). Kamchiyski Pyasatsi (453.78 ha, declared in April 2024) protects the dunes south of the mouth near Novo Oryahovo and Shkorpilovtsi (EEA register). The whole area also lies in the Natura 2000 network; in 2022 the Ministry of Environment and Water formally declared the “Kamchiya” protected zone for its alluvial forests and coastal habitats (MOEW).

Can you take a boat trip on the Kamchia river?

Yes, and it is the classic way to see the longoz. The official rules of the Longoza site allow organised tourist boat trips in daylight, from the river mouth up to the boundary of the reserve, on these conditions (EEA register):

• no more than 5 boats, each with no more than 20 people;
• noise on board no higher than 45 dBA;
• boats do not stop on the river bank inside the reserve;
• boats do not continue upstream past the sign marking the start of the reserve.

Outside these trips, motorboats on the river are banned. We found no official timetable or price list, so ask at the river mouth or book through the link on this page. Some tours from Varna combine the river with the Stone Forest (Pobiti Kamani).

What birds and wildlife live there?

The reserve counts 258 bird species, about two thirds of Bulgaria’s total, 56 of them in the Bulgarian Red Book (Wikipedia). Seven of Europe’s nine woodpecker species occur here, and it is a key site for the middle spotted woodpecker. Black storks and lesser spotted eagles breed in the forest. The area lies on the Via Pontica, the bird migration route along the Black Sea coast (Visit Varna), so spring and autumn are the best seasons for birdwatching. Otters, roe deer, wild boar and wildcats live in the forest, and the reserve holds one of Bulgaria’s largest populations of summer snowflake.

Kamchia beach and the resort

Kamchia resort sits north of the mouth, on land of the village of Bliznatsi in Avren Municipality (Wikipedia). Visit Varna describes a “rare combination of forest, river and sea”, with wide beaches and large sand dunes, hotels, campsites and restaurants. Much of the resort is made up of holiday bases of villas and bungalows, and its population is seasonal, from May to the end of September (Wikipedia), so outside that period expect few services. For a busier beach day closer to the city, see Golden Sands and St Constantine.

Visitor rules in the protected area

• Reserve: all activities are banned except guarding, scientific visits, walking on marked paths designated by order of the environment minister, and a few management tasks (Protected Areas Act, Art. 17; the reserve’s regime is also listed in the EEA register). Do not leave the river or a designated path.
• Longoza: no picking of wild plants, fruit or seeds, no hunting, no noisy activities and no motorboats outside the permitted trips.
• Dunes (Kamchiyski Pyasatsi): no fires, no hunting, no litter, no motor vehicles off existing roads.
• Questions about access go to RIOSV Varna, 4 Yan Palah St, which oversees all three areas.

How do I get to Kamchia from Varna?

• By car: about 28 km south on the road towards Burgas, roughly 35 minutes on an OSRM routing estimate. Continue south for Nessebar and Sunny Beach.
• By bus: Visit Varna says buses to Kamchia leave from Varna bus station; check the timetable there before travelling, especially out of season.
• On a tour: organised trips from Varna and the resorts often pair a river cruise with other sights.