The proximity of the Black Sea, especially to the Yambol and Sliven regions (1 hour away), means that holiday home owners and resident expats can make day trips to the beach, and chose which part of the coast they visit, without been limited to the "one resort option" the package tours offer tourists.
The province of Burgas, in the south east of the country, has over 150 km of coastline, and is host to popular vacation areas such as Sunny Beach, which at one time was a quaint purpose built holiday complex with a distinct "socialist charm"; this however is a thing of the past as coastal tourism is no longer a cottage industry in Bulgaria. www.sunnybeachmap.com .
Other beaches, especially south of Burgas, are favored by the domestic holiday makers; Kitten and Primorsko, having a very Bulgarian feel to them, and to come across large groups of foreigners is atypical.
Varna, to the north, is a 2 hour drive from the Veliko Tarnovo region (3 from Yambol), and exhibits a slightly greener and more three-dimensional topography (more wooded areas and many cliffs), and has a number of slightly more up-market resorts such as Golden Sands, Albena and St Constantine & Elena.
www.bulgariansearesorts.com

At the mayor resorts you will find the usual offers: hotels, restaurants, clubs, karaoke bars, aqua parks, fast food, foreign beer and newspapers, tacky souvenirs, …., parasailing, jet-skiing, the chance to ride on inflatable objects dragged behind motor boats at high speed, and so on.
A generous supply of apartments, as a result of the recent construction boom, also means that a one bedroom flat, with a kitchen, and a sofa/bed in the living room, in Sunny Beach for example, can be rented out for a week, for as little as 250 Euros. www.freshaccommodation.co.uk.
If the "costa" like atmosphere of the popular tourist areas is not for you, you can go north or south along the coast, were the beaches are quieter and the coast less developed. Additionally, historical coastal towns like Sozopol and Nessebar, with the unique architecture of their old quarters, and an abundance of cafes, bars and sea food restaurants, are well worth the visit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sozopol http://en.wikipwdia.org/wiki/Nesebar

Campgrounds are another popular alternative among those wanting to visit the coast. In many cases they will be somewhat basic, frequently opening only during the summer season, and exhibiting a generous supply aging wooden bungalows. But they do seem to attract a different breed of people, and are a good way experience a more genuine and down to earth form of tourism. Often they will be found in relatively proximity to the beach (sometimes right on the sand), making them an attractive option for surfers, fishermen, beachcombers, and those with kids.
For those who regularly practice some type of water sport, clubs and businesses specializing in sea fishing, diving, windsurfing, or sailing operate along the coast.
Sea fishing: www.spearfish.org/news.php
Diving: Albena: www.bgdiving.com/en/index.html
Sozopol: www.diving.bg/english/index.html ,
www.infohub.com/travel_packages/scuba_diving_bulgaria_186.html
Golden sands, Sunny beach, Kavarna: www.diving-bg.com/
www.divingtravel.com/bulgaria.htm Kavarna: www.vodasport.com
Sinemorets: www.utek-diving.com
Wind and Kite surfing: www.ride-extreeme.com , www.kitesurf-varna.co./en.html , www.windsurf-bourgas.com , www.kitebeaches.com/kitesurf/loc/arapia.html
Sailing: www.bg-sail.org/main.php

The major Bulgarian ski resorts are in the south and west of the country, where the highest peaks are to be found.

Borovets (south of Sofia) is around 3.5 to 4 hours drive (respecting speed limits and winter conditions) from both Yambol (via Kostenets) and Veliko Tarnovo (via Sofia). It is the oldest ski resort in Bulgaria, and traditionally the winter playground of the better-off Bulgarians. Property development in the region has deliberately been maintained at a minimum, in order to preserve, a lets say, more exclusive image, as well as higher property prices. The resort is primarily made up of a limited number of hotels and sports facilities spread out amid the pine forests that skirts the base of the Rila mountains. At present Borovets offers 3 different skiing regions, with a total of 45km of pistes. This is expected to double in the coming years, when the project known as "super Borovets" is completed. www.borovets-bg.com

Pamporovo (south central Bulgaria), often perceived to be the remotest Bulgarian ski resort by those flying in from the UK, is geographically (ie. as the crow flies) the closest to Yambol and Veliko Tarnovo. Getting there should take approximately 3 hours from Yambol (via Plovdiv), and a little longer from Tarnovo (due to the lack of motorways, and the fact that you will first have to cross the Balkan mountain range).
Similar to Borovets, Pamporovo is loosely spread out, with a few hotels (9) and a number of new alpine apartment complexes. The actual skiing area consists of 25km of alpine ski runs, and 38km of cross-country skiing tracks. www.pamporovo.net

Bansko, has received much publicity in recent years, and has gone from being a small alpine village to something that resembles an "Ibiza in the snow"; and boasts a completely new ski infrastructure and 70km of pistes. On the other hand, despite the fact that there has been considerable property development in Bansko, and around the Pirin golf club to the west of the town, it maintains a degree of traditional character in the attractive stone and wood houses and cobbled streets, of its historical quarter.
The resort lies on the northern slopes of the Pirin mountain range, approximately 2.5 hours south of Sofia and 1 hour from the Greek border. Those traveling from Yambol can take the motorway to Pazardjik, and then cut across through Velingrad, or travel all the way to Sofia, and proceed south from there (which is what holiday home owners and expats in Veliko Tarnovo will probably find more convenient). www.banskoski.com

The Greek and Turkish borders are near to Yambol, a 30 min drive south will take you to the Turkish border at Lesovo; and the borders shared by Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey near Svilengrad are just under an hour and a half away. Veliko Tarnovo, to the north of the Stara Planina mountains, is a little further form Bulgaria’s southern borders, but close to Rumania. It is also worth remembering that, since Bulgaria joined the EU there are no border restrictions with Greece or Rumania, allowing for free passage and easy access to the Aegean coast, and across the Danube. If you are not the independent traveler type, local travel agents arrange guided trips, such as coach or boat excursions to Istanbul, taking the hassle out doing it on your own initiative.
Greece: www.visitgreece.gr www.thegreektravel.com/neagean.html
Turkey: www.gototurkey.co.uk
Rumania: www.rumaniatourism.com