Bulgarian Dead Sea

Worth a detour

At the southern end of Atanasovsko lake, on the sea side, are open basins of concentrated brine and beds of black therapeutic mud that anyone may use for nothing. Burgas treats it as an ordinary thing to do after work: coat yourself, dry in the sun until you crack, walk over the sand bar and rinse in the sea. It is the most local experience on this coast and it costs not a lev.

Story

Background

The mud and the brine are by-products of making salt. Sea water is walked slowly through a chain of shallow pans until it concentrates; what is left after the salt crystallises is lye, and what settles on the bottom over years is a dark, fine, mineral-heavy mud. The municipality describes the site as the largest open-air spa in the country, which is a fair description of a set of unimproved concrete basins with no staff.

The routine is fixed by custom rather than by rules. Strip to a swimsuit you do not mind ruining, take mud from the designated beds, cover yourself, and stand or lie in the sun while it dries and tightens. Then twenty to thirty minutes in the lye pool, no longer, and then the sea to rinse. People with heart conditions, open wounds or a tendency to faint in heat should skip the brine entirely.

Getting there: the road to Sarafovo, then right at the fork towards the southern saltworks, then the narrow lakeside road to the barrier, where you park and walk. It is also a straightforward walk or cycle north along the beach from the Sea Garden. The neighbouring beach, Atanasovska kosa, is black sand that gets too hot to cross barefoot in August, and is where the kitesurfers go. Bring water, a towel you will throw away, and no expectations of a changing room.