An Adventurous Road Trip Itinerary Through The Rhodope Mountains

Simply mentioning the Rhodope Mountains will make every Bulgarian smile. In addition to being the best mountains in Bulgaria where you can see traditional villages and festivals, the Rhodopes are the perfect place if you are in search of an adventure. Here’s a suggestion for a venturesome itinerary that will have you cycling, exploring caves, horseback riding and many more exciting activities.

Overview

Total distance (approximate): 205 miles / 330 km

Total driving time (approximate): 13 hours

Recommended number of days traveling: 6+ days

Best for: families and adventure junkies

1. Day 1: Shiroka Polyana Reservoir

Shiroka Polyana | © Atanas Kumbarov/Flickr

2. Day 2: Golyam Beglik Reservoir

Golyam Beglik | © Антон Атанасов/Wikimedia Commons

3. Days 3 and 4: Trigrad

Hotel

Distance: 37 miles (60 km)

Travel time: 2.5 hours

Trigrad is a small mountain village with a magnificent gorge named after it. Driving along the Trigrad Gorge is a bit tricky as the road is very windy and it gets very narrow at some points (only one car at a time can pass), but the views are worth it. In Trigrad, you can stay for a week and you won’t get bored. There are many caves (the Devil’s Throat with a 100-foot/30-m waterfall inside, the Yagodina Cave, the Haramiiska Cave), a via ferrata, a horse-riding base and numerous mountain trails around. Don’t miss the Eagle’s Eye (Orlovo Oko) observation deck (a 2-hour hike or 30 minutes by jeep) where you can admire the gorgeous panorama across the Rhodopes. The most adventure-friendly place to stay in the area is Arkan Han – they will help you organize all of the above-mentioned activities.

4. Day 5: Smolyan

Restaurant

Ecopath “Waterfalls canyon” in Rhodopa Mountain Smolyan Bulgaria | © Boris Dzhingarov/Flickr

5. Day 6: The Wild Farm

Оригинален файл | © Анна Василева/Wikimedia Commons

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