Bike Trip Around the Shiroka Polyana and Golyam Beglik

Some friends from another adventure group have been camping every summer for years at the Shiroka Polyana Reservoir, nestled in the Western Rhodope Mountains between Batak and Dospat. Situated at 1,540 meters above sea level, it's the perfect escape from the summer heat.

This time, our group decided not to camp—we found a guesthouse with decent conditions, run by Nevena and her husband. It’s located right next to the substation on the main road.

Day 1: Travel and a Quick Ride Around Shiroka Polyana

Since some people had work on Friday, we’d informed our hosts we'd arrive late. Mitaka and I left Blagoevgrad around 3:30 PM. Vlad, Miglena, and David followed around 5:00 PM, and finally Atchkata, Sofi, and Velina left about an hour after that.

We reached the small bakery near the shop and the “Nans” restaurant around 7:00 PM. The people there gave us directions to Nevena’s guesthouse.

After unloading our bikes and settling in, we decided to do a quick loop around Shiroka Polyana. We went clockwise, which turned out to be a mistake—after passing the Romantika villa complex, we found ourselves biking against the evening traffic on the dusty road. It seemed many people had sought refuge from the heat in the luxury villas, leaving us to inhale their dust.

We finished our loop just as the second car from our group arrived. While they unpacked, I walked to the campsite to have a beer with the other group. By the time the final car arrived, it was already dark. Hungry and not in the mood to fire up the grill, we went to Nans for dinner.

We finished our loop just as the second car from our group arrived. While they unpacked, I walked to the campsite to have a beer with the other group. By the time the final car arrived, it was already dark. Hungry and not in the mood to fire up the grill, we went to Nans for dinner.

Later, we rejoined the camp where a bonfire was already burning and stayed for a few more beers until about 2:00 AM. A late night, but the next day wouldn’t be too intense.

Day 2: Cycling Around Golyam Beglik

В Събота сутрин не бяхме от ранобудните. Поизлежавахме се, след това се помотахме докато закусим. 10:30 вече минаваше, дори часът беше по близо до 11, когато се отправихме по асфалта към язовир Голям Беглик. Асфалтовият път то отбивката, от където тръгва черният път към Чатъма – местност и горски център на брега на язовира.

По време на обиколката от време на време срещахме и други колоездачи, които караха в обратната посока, отделно задминахме и ни задминаха автомобили, които се бяха отправили към многото места за бивак около язовира. За съжаление цялата каскада от язовири бяха започнати да ги източват, положението с Голям Беглик беше по-добро от Широка Поляна, но си личеше как нивото на водата е доста по-ниско.

We weren’t early risers on Saturday. After sleeping in and having a lazy breakfast, we finally set off around 10:45–11:00 AM. We took the asphalt road toward Golyam Beglik, turning onto the dirt road that leads to Chatama—the forest center on the reservoir’s shore. Along the way, we met other cyclists riding in the opposite direction, as well as cars heading to the many bivouac sites around the lake. Sadly, the entire reservoir cascade was being drained. Golyam Beglik was in slightly better shape than Shiroka Polyana, but the low water level was still obvious.

After a few short photo stops, we reached a fountain just past Chatama and filled up with cold, fresh water. There, we ran into the other group from the camp—they were riding in the opposite direction and warned us that the old Roman bridge had collapsed. A small wooden bridge now served as a crossing. After crossing it, we had about 7 km left to the dam wall, which we rode without a break. The closer we got, the more people we saw. We took a group photo at a panoramic viewpoint near the dam and discussed whether to continue towards Toshkov Chark and circle around the eastern side of Shiroka Polyana.

But it was already close to 2:00 PM, and the heat (even in the Rhodopes) was intensifying. We decided to head straight back. After a short climb and then a nice descent, we sped toward Nans for lunch. Unfortunately, by 2:30 PM, all the good soups were gone. Only tripe soup remained—and let’s just say tripe soup in the Rhodopes isn't their specialty. They use flour instead of milk, which is practically a crime!

Day 3: Fotinski Waterfalls and Return to Blagoevgrad

On Sunday, we had a slow start again—breakfast and packing. Some of the group who hadn’t cycled around Shiroka Polyana on Friday did the ride that morning, while the rest of us waited in the shade, wondering how to spend the day. We finally agreed to visit the Fotinski Waterfalls before heading home to Blagoevgrad.