Hike To Eagle’s Eye in Yagodina (Orlovo Oko)

The Rhodope mountains are perfect for people who like hiking and nature, but don’t want to do something too extreme (like some hikes in Rila and Pirin). One of the best bases to explore the beautiful nature of the Rhodope area is Yagodina. It’s a very small town and there is not much, but from here you can easily do the hike to Orlovo Oko, aka The Eagle’s Eye. I did this hike in October 2024. In this article you find all the information you need to do this hike as well.

Last update & prices in the article are from May 2025.

Practical info about the Eagle’s Eye hike

Starting point of the hike: the starting point of this hike is the parking lot of Hotel Mursal. These are the Google Maps coordinates. My car easily got here, but if you have a very low car and feel uncomfortable driving to this parking lot, you can also park in the town and walk a bit more.

Total kilometers: 1,6 kilometers one way / 3,2 kilometers in total

Elevation: 390 meters up and down

Hiking time: about 1 hour up and 45 minutes down, so 2-2,5 hours in total

Type of hike: point-to-point and the same way back

Dog friendly: it’s a very dog friendly hike to the Eagle’s Eye in Yagodina. There is little elevation and no stairs or technical parts. There are also no shephard’s with their cattle as far as I have experienced on the trail, so that’s easy for your dog as well.

Hiking trail: you can open the hike to the Eagle’s Eye on Mapy.cz via this link

Everything you need to know about the hike to the Eagle’s Eye

1. Where is The Eagle’s Eye (Orlovo Oko) in Bulgaria?

The Eagle´s Eye (Orlovo Oko in Bulgarian) is a viewpoint in the town Yagodina in the Rhodope mountains. Most people will visit Yagodina either from Plovdiv, Devin or Bansko. From Plovdiv it’s about 2,5 hours to Yagodina, from Bansko 2,5 hours as well. The ride from Devin to Yagodina is 50 minutes.

You will recognize the viewpoint of the Eagle’s Eye as a small viewing platform above Yagodina. The actual Eagle’s Eye is a bit more up, next to the tower.

2. Is the hike to The Eagle’s Eye (Orlovo Oko) difficult?

I think you can classify the hike to the Eagle’s Eye (Orlovo Oko) as an easy hike. There is not that much elevation (less than 300 meters) and the distance is also not much. The path is very clear and you can’t really get lost on this trail. In general a person with an average level of fitness should be capable to do this hike.

The alternative to the hike to the Eagle’s Eye is a trip with a jeep. In Yagodina you will find multiple jeeps that will bring you to the top, so you don’t have to hike. A jeep trip to the Eagle’s Eye is about 80 leva (€40) and can be shared among multiple people.

3. What should you bring for this hike?

Technically you can visit this viewpoint the entire year, but the best months for this hike are May to October. I would recommend to use layers for your clothes, since it can be chilly with some wind, especially if you go here for the sunset.

I would recommend bringing the following for your hike:

• Water bottle or Camelbak
• Snacks: if you want to eat anything when you reach the viewpoint. If you want to drink or eat something after your hike you can sit down in the restaurant of the hotel.
• Water- and windproof jacket
• Hiking shoes or comfortable shoes to walk
• Hiking poles to stabilize yourself (not necessary, but some people love it)
• Sunscreen, in the summer months
• First Aid Kit, not really necessary, but just bring it since you never know when you need it
• Camera gear or a charged phone, since the surroundings of Yagodina are quite pretty and you want to capture that beauty!

4. Accommodation for this hike

A lof of people will probably do this hike as a day trip from places like Plovdiv, Devin or Bansko. There are not that many options for accommodations in the area, but it is definitely possible to do a weekend trip to this area and visit multiple places. Here are a few options:

1. Hotel Mursal in Yagodina. This hotel is at the starting point of the Eagle’s Eye hike (Orlovo Oko). It’s a decent hotel with an amazing view over the area. Average price is 140 leva (€70) for 2 people in a private room. Breakfast included.
2. Guesthouse Milka in Yagodina. A more local option is this guesthouse in the town center of Yagodina. To be fair: Yagodina is only a few streets, so it’s not really about a central location haha. The guesthouse is nice, clean and in general has a cozy atmosphere. Average price is 100 leva (€50) for 2 people in a private room.
3. Devin’s Coliving in Devin. If you’re a digital nomad you might love the idea of staying in a little town in the Rhodope for a bit. Devin’s Coliving & Coworking would be a great place for you. The coliving is about €20-25 per person for a private room. I love the concept of colivings and living together with other people who work remote. It’s definitely a different vibe than hostels where you spend time with travellers. Another thing that I love about this place is that it is dog friendly as well!

5. Can you combine this hike with something else?

In the area of Yagodina there are multiple places to visit, so you can easily combine things during a 2-day weekend trip. Besides the hike to the Eagle’s Eye you can also do the lovely Devil’s Eco Trail. There is no entrance fee; this hike is free to do and is easily to do by yourself (no guide needed).

South of Yagodina you can also find the Yagodinska Cave, one of the biggest cave systems in Bulgaria. The caves are open all year round to visit during a tour and the entrance fee for adults is 12 leva (€6).

Also the Trigrad Gorge (where you can find the Devil’s Throat Cave) are not that far away from this Eco Trail. Maybe a 20 minute drive from parking lot B.

Also Read: Hike The Devil’s Eco Trail (Near Yagodina) In The Rhodope Mountains

Hopefully this article helps you to organize a trip to do the hike to the Eagle’s Eye, because it’s definitely a recommendation when you’re in the Rhodope mountains! If you have any questions, please let me know via a comment below or via an email to jessica@explorebulgarianow.com.

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