Kamchia is situated 30 km south of the city of Varna and is enclosed by the villages of Staro Oriahovo, Shkorpilovtsi and Bliznatsi. The reserve is named after the Kamchia River along which course this complex protected area is situated, in the immediate vicinity of the Black Sea. The area around the mouth and lower course of the river is remarkable for its variety of habitats - unique flooded forests called "Longoz", wide beaches with sand dunes and old riverbeds. The total area of the protected habitats in the reserve, together with Kamchia Sands Protected Area, adds up to 1.200 ha. The area of the reserve is 842.1 ha, some 764 ha of it is afforested, and the rest 78.1 ha is not afforested (34.5 ha of meadows, 0.4 ha of channels, 3.3 ha of openings, 21.8 ha of swamps, 9.9 ha of marshlands etc.). The "Longoz" forests in the lower course of the river are the best representatives of their kind throughout Europe. They look like a jungle with creepers interweaving with the trees or hanging down like thick draperies. 23 fish species and a lot of mammal species are found in the waters of the river and the adjoining marshlands. But the most interesting of all is the feathered inhabitants of the area. Kamchia is an Important Bird Area situated on the migratory flyway Via Pontica allowing for the observation of various bird species that stop to rest and feed during migration. Many interesting and rare birds breed in the area: Black Stork, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Hobby, Scops Owl, Nightjar, Wryneck, Black, Grey-headed, Green, Middle Spotted, Great Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Tawny Pipit, Barred Warbler, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Icterine Warbler etc.

The merging of two small rivulets, springing from the eastern Balkan Range - Luda Kamchia and Golyama Kamchia, forms the Kamchia River. It empties some 9000 liters of water every second into the Black Sea. During the spring, that amount can be as much as 30, 000 liters per second. Running down through the Balkan Range Kamchia meanders through unique woodland called Longoza. The Ropotamo River, Dyavolska river and the Veleka river have similar geological structure - sandstone, clay loam formations covered with wild vegetation in the quiet and large firth. Once Kamchia was called Panisos and the Slavs called it Ticha. Its contemporary name is of Kouman origin. The Romans built a stronghold called Erite on its left bank. Nowadays the frequently flooded area is a reserve named after the Kamchia River. The reserve is under the protection of UNESCO. It is 40 km in length and 5 km in width in some of its parts. There are deer, sea hawks and eagles, wild boars, wild cats etc.

Kamchia is a small and peaceful resort. Unlike Sunny Beach and Golden Sands it does not offer many hotels for many tourists. It is now crowded and is a preferred destination for people who are looking for a rather calm and quiet vacation far from the big city.
Source: www.kamchia.net