Bulgaria · Black Sea Coast

Atanasovsko Lake

Directions

Атанасовско езеро

Lake Atanasovsko is a salt coastal lake north of Burgas, close to the Black Sea, and one of the key bird sites of Bulgaria. A strip of sand divides it in two. The lake is known for the diversity of its plants and animals. Its northern part is a nature reserve, while the smaller southern part is mostly used to produce salt.

How it formed

The lake is separated from the Black Sea but linked to it, and its salt content rises every year because of that link. A strip of sand divides it into two parts, and the road between Varna and Burgas crosses the lake on that strip. Swamps and canals around it drain the whole local basin into the sea.

History

Salt has been produced in the lake since 1906. The northern part has been a nature reserve since 1980 and is connected to the sea by a canal, and the smaller southern part, where most of the salt is made, serves as a buffer zone for the reserve.

Nature

The lake is known for the diversity of its plants and animals. It is one of the key ornithological sites in Bulgaria, because it lies on the Via Pontica migration route, and the number of birds is highest during the autumn migration. Many of the species are endangered, among them the pygmy cormorant, the red-breasted goose, the ferruginous duck and the Dalmatian pelican. It is also home to the Etruscan pygmy shrew, the smallest mammal by mass.

Flamingos

The greater flamingo can be seen here all year, and the lake held the largest flock in Bulgaria in 2019 (225 birds in September). The flamingos feed on brine shrimp and other small animals in the salty water. The lagoon is shallow and hypersaline, and most of it is used for traditional salt production. Winter days can give good light for watching and photographing them. Nearby Pomorie Lake has also become a second home for flamingos.

Gallery

4 photos

Photo: User:Vmenkov · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Visit

Getting there

Nearest settlement: Burgas

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

The lake is reached from Burgas. Because the northern part is a nature reserve, ask locally about access to the reserve and guided visits.

Where to watch

The salt pans are private property, so access is possible only from a few points. The easiest is the lake bank beside the petrol station at the roundabout on the exit towards Burgas Airport, and the Poda Centre of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds can give up-to-date information on viewing points. Spring and autumn are the best birding periods, with autumn migration strongest at the northern point of the lake.