3 weeks in Burgas Coliving
A review of the newest Coliving space in Europe.
Green landscapes with dramatic coastlines. Sandy, wild beaches. One of the oldest wine growing cultures in the world.
Is that what you think of when you hear ‘Bulgaria’?
If no, go there.
If yes, come again, because there is a new must-go destination on the bucket list of every digital nomad: Burgas Coliving.
I was part of the opening month of Burgas Coliving in May 2022. I spent 3 weeks there as a ‘coliver’, working full-time from Monday to Friday. After my first coliving experience in January 2021 at Nine Coliving (Medium article here), this was the fourth Coliving I visited.
The place
The house with a capacity of up to 25 people has been freshly renovated, emits a bright and joyful atmosphere and is sprawling with charming details. Every room is unique and boasts furniture either made by the owners, Katya & Tony, or by local artists. Many of the rooms — including mine — feature ensuite bathrooms.
Everyone’s favorite place was the big and beautiful garden. The wifi there is excellent and made working from there an unexpected bliss. A quiet and nicely-painted workspace as well as a call-room are provided as well.
Thanks to the desk and chair in my room, I mostly worked from there, as I have many calls during the day. Nonetheless, I appreciated the possibility to change my work location, whenever I felt like I needed a fresh perspective
Did I mention the wine cellar? And that the owner is a gipsy brewer owning a nation-wide renowned craft-beer brand? Needless to say, every drop of alcohol that you can buy for your happy-hour is a delight.
The kitchen was a bliss to cook in: all equipment was brand-new, nothing was missing and more than that: lots of spices and base-ingredients were even provided on the house.
May 2022 was just Burgas Coliving’s inauguration month. We expected things to be imperfect. Yet the only feedback about the place that I really remember from our feedback session, is “Get some mid-sized cutting boards … there are only huge or small one’s”.
Yes, THAT was the level at which we as a test group were complaining.
The surroundings
Burgas Coliving is about 20 min drive by car outside the city of Burgas, the 4th-biggest city in Bulgaria. Which means that’s how long it takes you to get to the closest beach, which is the city beach in Burgas.
The airport is about 20 min drive away as well. If you don’t have a car, there is a collaboration with a local taxi service, who speak English.
The surroundings are very green: there is a big, inviting park with a micro-brewery just a stone-through away.
Grocery-shopping is as convenient as it gets: little supermarkets — open on Sundays — are located in 2 and 8 min walking distance from the coliving.
The people
Obviously, the most important part of any coliving!
Katya & Tony were wonderful hosts! They were taking really good care of all of us. Every Monday we gathered around the fire pit in the garden, where a BBQ for the whole group was prepared. The two organized various activities — more on this in the next section — and were always there for questions.
On Sunday, Katya regularly prepared a yummy home-made brunch: be it banitsa or Bulgarian pancakes.
The ‘opening-crew’ consisted of remote workers and nomads I partly knew from other colivings and others I had not met before. Needless to say, for many of us it felt like a big joyful reunion. While it’s not feasible to make predictions on the vibe of the community for the future, I daresay that most digital nomads I’ve met would enjoy Burgas Coliving a lot.
I am convinced that you will meet a group of just as lively, diverse and open-minded people with all kinds of professions and nationalities there as I have in May 2022.
We had lots and lots of fun and at times almost every day felt like a big party.
Activities
There is lots to see around Burgas and in just 3 weekends I was only dipping my toes into the water. Some of the things we undertook as a group or individually include:
- going to beautiful, sometimes even wild beaches easily reachable on a day trip
- visiting the picturesque island of St. Anastasiia
- going to a local fish restaurant (try ‘tsa-tsa’!)
- admiring what I call the Bulgarian version of stone-henge, Begliktash
- learn how to prepare a ‘Banitsa’
- visiting the charming cities of Sozopol and Nesebar
- Walking around mesmerizing forests in the Mladezhko area
- My personal favorite: wine-tasting in Burgas Coliving’s wine cellar. Bulgaria is overlooked by many as wine-producing nation, but — fun fact — during the communist times it was even the world’s biggest producer!
- Simply chill in the beautiful garden around the house or in the park nearby
- Pamper yourself: every other week a brilliant massage therapist visited the house. Also, our hosts happily arranged mani-/pedicures with skilled cosmetician nearby for us.
I am very much looking forward to come back back to Burgas to experience the coliving and its surroundings in a different season!
I have written this article on my own initiative, because I would love for people to come and fall in love with this place. If you want to learn more, check out Burgas Coliving’s website or follow them on Instagram.
