The short answer: two protected areas near Batumi show a side of Georgia most beach visitors miss. Mtirala National Park, north of Batumi near Chakvi, is a steep, humid forest of chestnut and beech where an easy trail leads to a 28 m waterfall and a small lake. Kolkheti National Park, near Poti about 70 km north of Batumi, is a wetland of lakes, reed beds and swamp forest that you explore by boat from Lake Paliastomi. Both are part of the UNESCO-listed Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, and late spring to autumn is the time to go.
Mtirala National Park
Why it's so green
Mtirala means roughly "the one who weeps" in Georgian, and the name fits: the mountain catches moist air off the Black Sea and gets more than 4 m of rain a year, making it one of the wettest places in the former Soviet Union[1]. The result is a relict Colchic forest of sweet chestnut and oriental beech, with an undergrowth of cherry laurel, box, rhododendron and ivy[1][2]. The park was created in 2006 and covers about 15,700 hectares[1]. It is home to brown bears, roe deer and wild boar, though on the visitor trail you will mostly see trees, streams and birds[1].
Guides sometimes call it "Georgia's only rainforest". It is more accurate to say temperate rainforest: a wet, green, broadleaf forest, not a tropical jungle.
The Chakvistavi trail
The visitor centre is in the village of Chakvistavi, about 15 km inland from the park office in Chakvi[3]. From there the Tsablnari (Chestnut) trail follows the Chakvistskali gorge: about 7 km in all, easy, between roughly 265 m and 442 m above sea level[2]. After about 2 km you reach a 28 m waterfall hung with ivy and box, and the trail continues past a small lake with picnic spots and a camping area[2]. There is a 220 m zip line near the trail in season[2][4].
It is a half-day outing, easy enough for families, but the path is wet and muddy for much of the year. Wear shoes with grip and pack a rain jacket, whatever the forecast says in Batumi.
Season
The trail is walkable all year[2], but the park's visitor season, when services such as the zip line run, is May to October[4]. Autumn brings raptors over the ridges: Mtirala lies on the Batumi migration flyway, and the Chakvistavi area is one of the counting points[1]. Our guide to the Batumi raptor migration has the dates.
Kolkheti National Park
What it is
Kolkheti protects the wetlands of the Colchis lowland around Poti: Lake Paliastomi, the slow Pichori river, peat bogs, reed beds and flooded alder forest. More than 190 species of migratory and resident birds have been recorded there, and it is a Ramsar wetland as well as part of the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands World Heritage site[5].
The boat trip
You see Kolkheti from the water. The park's visitor centre in Poti organises boat trips from Lake Paliastomi, and they have to be booked in advance by phone[5]. The standard route is a loop of about 9 km, about an hour on the water, along the lake shore and up the winding Pichori river through the forest, with a short stop on land at a picnic area and a birdwatching tower where the river meets the lake[5][6]. A longer route of about 18 km takes around 3 hours[6]. You can choose a motorboat, a pontoon or kayaks; prices depend on the boat, so ask the visitor centre for the current rate.
Boats don't go out in strong wind or heavy rain[5], so keep the day flexible. Spring and autumn are the pleasant seasons for weather and birds; summer is hot and very humid, with mosquitoes on the water.
Which one, and how to fit them in
- Mtirala suits walkers and families who want an easy forest trail close to Batumi: about half an hour's drive to the Chakvi side, and a half day in all.
- Kolkheti suits birders and anyone who likes being on the water. It is about 70 km north of Batumi, roughly an hour's drive, and combines well with the drive north towards Kutaisi or Zugdidi.
- Both fit into one full day from Batumi if the weather cooperates: Mtirala in the morning, Poti in the afternoon.
If you prefer waterfalls and old arched bridges to forest, the valleys inland from Batumi are the alternative: see our Mountain Adjara guide.
Practical tips
- Rain gear. Batumi is one of the wettest places in the Caucasus, and autumn is the wettest season on the coast.
- Insect repellent for Kolkheti in the warm months.
- Binoculars for the birdwatching tower.
- Book the boat ahead. We call the Kolkheti visitor centre for our guests.
- Insurance. Since 1 January 2026, travel insurance with at least 30,000 GEL of cover is mandatory for visitors.
Seeing Mtirala and Kolkheti with us
Our private Western Georgia and the Black Sea, 6 days ends with two days in Batumi; the free afternoon or the optional day can include Mtirala or a Kolkheti boat trip instead. The Mountain Adjara day trip from Batumi goes inland to waterfalls and arched bridges with a family lunch. Birders coming in autumn can join the Batumi raptor migration tour, which spends an afternoon in Mtirala around Chakvistavi. See each tour page for the current price, or plan your own coast itinerary and we send you a private route with a price. Nothing to pay now.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Mtirala National Park": en.wikipedia.org
- Mtirala National Park, "Tsablnari Trail": nationalparks.ge
- Agency of Protected Areas, Mtirala National Park Administration: apa.gov.ge
- Agency of Protected Areas, Mtirala National Park services and tariffs: apa.gov.ge
- Wander-Lush, "How to Visit Kolkheti National Park": wander-lush.org
- Agency of Protected Areas, Kolkheti National Park services: apa.gov.ge
Last checked: September 2026. Boat routes, trail conditions and park services change; we confirm them before your date.
