Irakli Beach

From the main Burgas-Varna coastal road near Banya, south of Obzor, a 3-4 km unsealed, potholed track leads down to the beach; it is rough after rain and a car with some clearance helps. Parking is free in a lot opposite the Vaya Beach resort, which fills on hot weekends; another dirt track leads to the Camping Irakli Wild site next to the beach. From the parking, walk along the sand past the resort and across a creek to the nude section (about 5-10 minutes). There is no public transport to the beach itself; Obzor (about 5 km) is the nearest town for supplies.

Visitors consistently describe Irakli as wild, clean and unhurried, with plenty of space on the nude section even in high season. Most people past the creek are nude, but clothed visitors are accepted and nobody pressures newcomers. The crowd is mixed: families, couples and a campsite contingent of backpackers and young people. Common complaints are the full parking lot on hot weekends, strong wind on some days, and the lack of shops nearby, so bring water and food. Several reviewers lament that the resort at the north end has made the beach more commercial than it used to be.

Summarised in our own words from public reviews and guides listed under Sources.

Irakli has no official naturist designation; nudity on the southern section is a long-standing tolerated custom (reported by the Guardian in 2009 and still observed by visitors in 2025). The area lies within protected coastal habitat and has been the subject of public campaigns against construction, including opposition to the resort at the northern end.

Naturism at Irakli Beach sits under Bulgaria's rules for de facto tolerance — usually left alone if you keep it non-sexual and low-drama.

Full country law: Bulgaria public nudity guide.

Researched 24 October 2026. No official source confirms naturist status, so treat it as unverified.