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Geotour

Photos: Draceane (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Dartlo

Tusheti & Khevsureti · Village

Getting there
About 12–15 km (about 1 h) from Omalo by 4x4 on a dirt track
Best time
July–mid September
Recommended stay
1 day

About Dartlo

Dartlo is a stone-tower village at about 2,000 m in the Pirikiti Alazani valley of Tusheti, about 12–15 km from Omalo by 4x4 track. Its slate-roofed houses and towers have been restored, and the tower ruins of Kvavlo stand 350 m above on the ridge. No one lives here in winter; in summer families return and open guesthouses. Travellers come to walk up to Kvavlo, see the old stone council seats and start the walk up the valley to Parsma.

Tours Including Dartlo

See all 2 tours

Must-See Attractions

  • Kvavlo towers

    The tower ruins of Kvavlo stand on the ridge above the village: a steep 30–45 minute climb straight up, or a marked loop of about 7 km and 4 hours via the hamlet of Dano.

  • Sabcheo

    The stone seats of the old village council and court, in the lower part of the village.

  • Village towers and houses

    Stone houses with slate roofs and wooden balconies, restored in traditional style.

  • Dartlo church

    The small village church on the slope above the houses.

Nearby

  • Omalo

    Tusheti's main village and the Keselo towers, about 12–15 km (about 1 h by 4x4).

  • Parsma

    A highland village further up the Pirikiti valley, a full day's walk from Dartlo.

  • Chesho and Girevi

    Remote villages at the head of the valley on the Omalo–Dartlo–Parsma–Girevi trek (3–4 days).

Location42.4394° N, 45.5811° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 12–15 km (about 1 h) from Omalo by 4x4 on a dirt track; Omalo is reached from Kakheti only over the Abano Pass (about 70 km, 4–6 h by 4x4).

Best time

July–mid September

Best time

July and August bring the most open guesthouses and settled weather, while June and September are quieter, with cold nights and a greater chance of the road closing.

Recommended stay

1 day

Getting there

By 4x4 from Omalo (about 1 h), and Tusheti itself is reached only over the Abano Pass road, usually open from June to early October.

Cash

There are no ATMs or card payments in Tusheti; bring enough cash from Telavi or Tbilisi.

Walking

The walk to Parsma is a full day; horses can be hired locally for luggage or riding.

Time needed

One day, or overnight for the Kvavlo loop and a quiet evening.

History & culture

Culture

Tushetians are shepherds, known for guda cheese (sheep's cheese matured in a sheepskin) and for their felt and wool crafts. In Dartlo you can see the sabcheo, a circle of stone seats where the community's elders met as a council and court. Tusheti's summer festival, Tushetoba, is held in Omalo on the last Saturday of July or the first Saturday of August, with horse races, folk music and crafts.

History

Dartlo is one of the old villages of Pirikiti, the upper valley of Tusheti, where families built stone defensive towers and moved seasonally between the mountains and the lowlands of Kakheti with their sheep. Photographs from 1892 already show the village much as it looks today. Like most of Tusheti, it lost its permanent population in the 20th century: the census recorded 9 residents in 2002 and none in 2014. Dartlo is now inhabited only in summer, and many houses have been restored as guesthouses.

Local Cuisine

Guesthouses serve Tushetian food: kotori (thin pie filled with local cheese and butter), khinkali with mutton, and guda cheese.

Accommodation

Family guesthouses only, open in summer, with shared bathrooms in most and meals served by the hosts.