The arch by Venelin Venelinov

The arch by Venelin Venelinov

“Tyulenovo” means “Village of seals” in Bulgarian, but seals haven’t been seen in the area since the 1980s. The story of their appearance is almost as blurry as their vanishing. It is rumored that Queen Marie of Romania who had a summer palace in the nearby town of Balchik released a pair of seals she had raised for several years. Its name during Ottoman rule and Romanian rule was Kalaç-Köy (with the meaning of “village of the sword”) and Calacichioi, respectively. Tyulenovo can be reached by taking the old seaside road from Kavarna that passes along the rocky coastline, through the sea resort of Rusalka, and village of Kamen Bryag. There are about 60 permanent inhabitants, but during the summer there are close to 200 people living here. In the center there are two small hotels, a fishing harbor and a small beach. Dolphins can be seen from the coast and they usually come nearer to the land in the early morning or late afternoon. The caves in the cliffs were used as dwellings, and nowadays backpackers set up camp inside for free accommodation. There is also a great sand beach in Bolata, less than 2 kilometers from Tyulenovo.

Venelin Venelinov: Photos