Ahtopol Lighthouse – the white guard of the port
- Stefan Ivanov
- Aug 1
- 6 min read
The realization of a dream
I will tell you how I made a dream come true. A dream connected with an old, lonely lighthouse, a sea and me. This is a story about the white lighthouse of Ahtopol.
The beginning of the dream
When I found out about the old lighthouse by the cliffs of Ahtopol, I had a strong desire to visit it and photograph it.
And here I am on a hot and sunny May day at the port of Ahtopol – the city of love and happiness, near the ruins of the ancient and beautiful Agathopolis.
On the pier opposite, as if from a dream, the old lighthouse rises and begs to be photographed.
You can get closer - there are peculiar paths formed between the rocks - stone arches, and if the sea allows, you will get as close to it as possible.
And it stands and waits.
I walked along the shore, stopping occasionally to take pictures amidst the blooming spring flowers.
Then along the rocks – carefully along the formed paths next to it.
The sea was completely calm, so there was no danger of a wave knocking me over.
The White Watchman
This is one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the Bulgarian coast.
For the first time, the light of the lighthouse shone on July 25, 1932, i.e. for 90 years now, the waves of time have been relentlessly pounding this proud sentinel, who keeps watch day and night.
It is built on a reef, which makes it particularly picturesque, but also dangerous to maintain due to complicated access to it.
The rocks on which it rises are extremely beautiful.
The sea waves, driven by the wind, break into white foam, painting a new fairy-tale picture each time.
You will enjoy wonderful panoramas all around.
On the furthest rock in the sea, a square base with a height of three and a half meters is built. On the base, a round stone tower, almost five meters high, is formed. On the white tower, a two-meter reinforced concrete structure is mounted, on which an iron prism with a height of three meters is placed.
The light of the White Guard can be seen more than eight kilometers into the sea.
This is certainly not just my dream!
This dream is probably shared by a number of photographers, guests or just casual visitors to Ahtopol.
Perhaps this publication of mine and my photos will awaken desires, aspirations and fantasies in many.
Who knows?
How to get to Ahtopol?
Ahtopol (Greek: Αγαθούπολιο) is a town on the southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, in the Tsarevo Municipality, Burgas District.
Uncover the thousand-year history of the seaside town and visit its hidden treasures HERE.
The third-class republican road III-9901 passes through Ahtopol, which leads northwest through the village of Varvara to a connection near the town of Tsarevo with the second-class republican road II-99 and along it to Burgas, and southeast through the village of Sinemorets it leads to the village of Rezovo, where it ends.
There is no air transport in Ahtopol. The nearest airport is Burgas Airport.
Ahtopol is located:
460 kilometers (about 4 hours and 44 minutes by car) from the capital
328 kilometers (about 3 hours and 34 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
207 kilometers (about 3 hours and 17 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
77 kilometers (about 1 hour and 09 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
Ahtopol is located about 15 kilometers (about 18 minutes by car) southeast of the municipal center of Tsarevo and about 17 kilometers (about 21 minutes by car) north-northwest of the southernmost Bulgarian settlement on the Black Sea - the village of Rezovo, near which the state border with the Republic of Turkey passes.
The city is located on an abrasion terrace on a rocky peninsula between Cape Ahtopol and Cape Sveti Yani.
To the west, right next to the city, the branches of the Strandzha hill Bosna reach, with the highest peak Papija (501.4 meters).
About four kilometers to the south, near the village of Sinemorets, is the mouth of the Veleka River.
The altitude in the city at the "Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary" church, which rises directly opposite the port, is about 10 meters, in the southwest it increases to about 30 - 35 meters.
I tell you about the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ahtopol HERE.
The climate is continental-Mediterranean with a strong Black Sea climatic influence - mild winters - the mildest winter in Bulgaria, hot summers, early spring and a long and warm autumn.
Ahtopol has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification) bordering on a Mediterranean climate with limited continental effect.
Ahtopol is a seaside resort with hotels, holiday villages and bungalows, located mainly in the Korosiata area, west of the city, restaurants, numerous guest houses, entertainment venues and campsites.
The beach near the Korosiata area, called the Central Beach of Ahtopol, is with fine sand and dunes, wide, with a length in the territory of Ahtopol of about 1400 meters, and together with the beach, continuing to the northwest in the territory of the village of Varvara - a total of about two kilometers. The coastal seabed is shallow.
In addition to the central beach, there are a series of small beaches in the territory of Ahtopol.
The city is within the territorial scope of Strandzha Nature Park.
In the northern part of the port of Ahtopol stands the Ahtopol Lighthouse - the white guard of the port.
I tell you about the Ahtopol Lighthouse – the white guard of the port HERE.
On the site of today's city of Ahtopol, settlements have existed since the Neolithic Age, and during the Iron Age the region was inhabited by the Thracian tribe of Tini.
As a city, Ahtopol was founded around 430 BC by Greek colonists from Athens, and it is assumed that its founding is related to the actions of Pericles in the Black Sea regions.
The city became a trading center, with coins being minted there.
After the barbarian invasions of the 5th - 7th centuries, the city was rebuilt by the Byzantine commander Agathon, who called it Agathopol.
During the Middle Ages, Agatopolis was included in the territory of Bulgaria several times.
I tell you about the late antique and medieval fortress in Ahtopol – the city of love and happiness Agatopolis HERE.
You can see the fully preserved church "Holy Ascension of the Lord", built in 1776, remains of the monastery "St. John" (St. Yani) from the 12th century, as well as parts of the defensive fortress wall that surrounded the city's citadel, built by Thracians, Romans and Bulgarians, ruins of which can now be seen throughout Ahtopol.
I tell you about the temple monument "Holy Ascension of the Lord" - one of the oldest and most significant architectural monuments in Ahtopol HERE.
The rich historical past of the region is told by the priceless exhibits displayed in the building of the old Greek school, which has today been converted into a museum, as well as the extremely interesting museum collection of the Public Collection "Anchor Museum" in Ahtopol - an immersion in the thousand-year-old maritime tradition with a great love for the sea.
I tell you about the Public Collection "Anchor Museum" in Ahtopol - an immersion in the thousand-year-old maritime tradition with a great love for the sea HERE.
I tell you about the Old Greek School in Ahtopol - a creative base of the National Academy of Arts, a remarkable example of a cultural and historical monument and a center for art and heritage HERE.
How do you get to the lighthouse?
You will find the lighthouse in front of the entrance to the port of Ahtopol.
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