Тhe Black Sea is a geographical curiosity. Until recently (in geological terms), it was a big lake locked between Europe and Asia, gorging on the waters of scores of rivers. About 6,500 to 7,500 years ago, it filled to the brim, broke through what would become the Dardanelles Straights and connected to the Mediterranean. As its water levels fluctuated up and down, wind blew and rain poured, the cliffs on the new shoreline were relentlessly eaten, beaten and broken. In some places, this neverending process exposed to the elements ancient rocks that had lain buried for aeons. In others, nature carved the stones into strange shapes.

The Bulgarian part of the Black Sea coast is dotted with such sites. You can see some of them easily, from your car or during a leisurely walk. For others, you will have to hike.

Yaylata Plateau

Where: By Kamen Bryag village

The village of Kamen Bryag is about a kilometre inland from the sea, but it is aptly named – it means Rocky Coast in Bulgarian. You will understand why when you cover the short distance to the Yaylata Plateau that hangs above the sea.

A nature and archaeological reserve, Yaylata is about 75 acres of red rocks in phantasmagorical shapes rising between 50 and 60 m above sea level. The wind and sea has carved into them coves, caves, arches and strange pillars deformed or destroyed by the occasional strong earthquake.

The remains of an ancient and medieval fortress in one of the coves, and the abundant wildlife that calls Yaylata home, enrich the experience.

Agalina Cape

Where: Between Sozopol and Dyuni resort

The Strandzha mountain eastern reaches, where the rocky slopes meet the sea, have formed a multitude of capes, coves and strangely shaped rocks. Agalina Cape is one of the best of those.

Squeezed between the ever growing developments on this part of the Black Sea, the cape consists of several deep rocky coves. Some people love jumping from them into the water. One of the coves is long and narrow and is, erroneously, known among visitors as "the fjord."

Palikari Rocks

Where: Sozopol

Located by the seaside promenade at the northern part of Sozopol's Old Town, the Palikari Rocks are one of the city's symbols.

Their name means a boy in Greek, the language that since Sozopol's foundation in the 6th century BC until the state-organised population exchanges in the 1920s used to dominate local soundscape.

The name is explained by the story of a local boy who loved diving from the rocks, exploring an underwater cave beneath. One day, however, a storm arose. The boy was trapped in the cave. He never resurfaced again.

A hint: If you know from where and when to look at the Palikari Rocks, you will discover that they quite surprisingly resemble the Easter Island stone heads.

Tyulenovo Village

Where: North of Kavarna

The rocks and cliffs near Tyulenovo village, north of Kavarna, form arguably the most picturesque part of the northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Coves and stone pillars, arches and hidden caves licked and beaten by the sea waves: the coast here looks as if created by a crazy superhuman sculptor on a particularly creative day.

While other strangely shaped rocks have tragic legends explaining how they appeared, the Tyulenovo rocks have witnessed a real-life tragedy. Until the 1970s, the cliffs and hidden coves and caves were the home of a colony of monk seals (hence Tyulenovo, or Seal Village). By the late-1970s, the local fishermen had already wiped out the seals because they damaged their nets. Now there are neither nets, nor seals.

Ahtopol-Silistar eco path

Where: The last stretch of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast

A veritable gallery of rock shapes and formations, plus capes and coves, the eco path between Ahtopol to the north and Silistar beach to the south makes for a pleasant and picturesque lesson in geology. The unkempt signage is weathered and now you can barely learn something about the nature shapes that you are going to encounter, but thanks to constant visitors the path is clearly visible even when the grass is tall.

Starting from a rocky bay south of Ahtopol, you will pass over some coves, rock pools and cliffs picturesquely eaten up by erosion. Then you will reach the Cut Rock – a long block of rock with a deep horizontal crevice in it. Farther south, lies Ahtoto Cape – a mass of rocks relentlessly beaten by the sea.

The path then squeezes between an oak wood and the sea, and stops at a hill that overlooks the sandy mouth of the Veleka river – one of the most picturesque places along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

The eco path resumes south of Sinemorets, taking you to see volcanic rocks of different shapes formed when lava oozed from deep within the Earth, such as tuff and black volcanic glass. You will need about two hours to reach the end of the route, at Silistar beach.

Maslen Nos Cape

Where: North of Primorsko

Ropotamo Nature Reserve is a place where thick oak woods grow up right up to the rocky coast; where the mysterious ancient Thracian rock shrine Begliktash shares ground with the last kilometres of the Ropotamo river and its strange rock formations.

One of these is Maslen Nos, or Cape Oil. The cape's unusual name comes from the shipwrecks that used to happen along the treacherous coast. At one point they were so many that the waters around it looked reflective owing to the tons of spilled olive oil from the ships' holds.

In Antiquity and the Middle Ages there was a fortress on the cape. Today the small permanent buildings here include a modest lighthouse and the camp of the Bulgarian Institute for Ocean Studies.

Two roads lead to the cape: one starts at the abandoned Communist-era resort Perla and goes along the coast, while the other starts at Begliktash shrine and passes through the oak woods.

Emine Cape

Where: Between Obzor and Sunny Beach

The Stara Planina mountain range ends spectacularly with an almost vertical cliff that drops 60 metres meeting the waters of the Black Sea. The lighthouse on it helps ships navigate the treacherous waters around – there are so many rocks underwater that it is virtually impossible to reach this part of the coast by boat.

The cape's northern slopes are made of deep coves that are mistakenly called fjords. The southern slope is also steep, but as it is sheltered from the strong northern winds, it has a nice little bay where vessels can take refuge in bad weather.

The nearby Emona village is almost deserted, as are its old church and the remains of a medieval fortress and monastery.