Byala, town in Varna Province, Bulgaria
Byala is a small seaside town on the Black Sea coast featuring a quiet beach backed by tall white limestone cliffs. The shore stretches about 2 km with soft sand and clear water, with only a few bars and small eating spots along the water's edge.
Byala was founded by ancient Greek settlers around the 6th century BC and called Aspro, meaning white in Greek. It prospered during Roman times through trade and later became part of the Byzantine Empire before being incorporated into the First Bulgarian Empire.
Byala carries traces of its ancient Greek origins in local traditions and dining customs, where the sea remains central to daily life. Visitors can taste these connections through fresh seafood and traditional Bulgarian dishes served in waterfront restaurants.
The beach and town are easy to navigate on foot with paved walkways throughout. Keep in mind that the northern section requires stairs to access and the seabed may have slippery rocks in some spots.
The cliffs at Cape St. Atanas bear visible marks from a giant meteorite impact around 66 million years ago, one of the largest impacts in Earth's history. This geological feature makes the location a remarkable place to witness ancient planetary events recorded in stone.
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