Tyulenovo

"Tyulenovo" means "Village of seals" in Bulgarian, but seals haven't been seen in the area since the 1980s. The story of their appearance is almost as blurry as their vanishing. It is rumored that Queen Marie of Romania who had a summer palace in the nearby town of Balchik released a pair of seals she had raised for several years.[1]

Its name during Ottoman rule and Romanian rule was Kalaç-Köy (with the meaning of "village of the sword")[2] and Calacichioi, respectively.

The settlement was founded in the Ancient period, probably by the ancient Thracians and in the next periods was part of the Roman, Bulgarian and Ottoman empires.

Tyulenovo can be reached by taking the old seaside road from Kavarna that passes along the rocky coastline, through the sea resort of Rusalka, and village of Kamen Bryag.

There are about 60 permanent inhabitants, but during the summer there are close to 200 people living here. In the center there are two small hotels, a fishing harbor and a small beach. Dolphins can be seen from the coast and they usually come nearer to the land in the early morning or late afternoon. The caves in the cliffs were used as dwellings, and nowadays backpackers set up camp inside for free accommodation. There is also a great sand beach in Bolata, less than 2 kilometers from Tyulenovo.

Further on down the seaside path from Tyulenovo to Kamen Bryag there is a megalithic complex called the Rocky Monasteries (Bulgarian: Скални Манастир). The megalith consists of tombs carved into the rock and sacrificial stones used by the ancient cult of the Sun. More information about the whole area can be found at the tourist center in the village of Balgarevo where recently discovered artifacts from the Durankulak Eneolithic settlement, belonging to one of the world's earliest civilizations, are also on display.

Tyulenovo is also famous for the fact that on 31 May 1951 the first oil field in Bulgaria, the so-called Tyulenovo oil field, was discovered here. Drilling rigs are still widespread in the vicinity.

• Black Sea
• Eastern Europe

• Tyulenovo Photos
• Information and photos of Tyulenovo village