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Photos: Boris Kuznetsov (CC BY 2.0) · Boris Kuznetsov (CC BY 2.0) · Yasuhiro Kojima (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Boris Kuznetsov (CC BY 2.0) · ლაშა ზუბიაშვილი (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Mountainous Adjara (Makhuntseti)

Adjara & Black Sea · Mountains

Getting there
About 30 km (40 min) from Batumi on the paved road up the Acharistskali valley
Best time
May–October
Recommended stay
Half a day to 1 day

About Mountainous Adjara (Makhuntseti)

Mountainous Adjara begins about 30 km (40 min) inland from Batumi, where the Acharistskali river cuts through forested ridges towards Keda and Khulo. The classic half-day loop takes in Makhuntseti Waterfall beside the road, Queen Tamar's medieval arched stone bridge over the river, and the waterfall and old bridge at Mirveti in the Chorokhi valley. Add a family lunch of Adjarian mountain food and a wine tasting in Keda for a full day.

Tours Including Mountainous Adjara (Makhuntseti)

See the tour

Must-See Attractions

  • Makhuntseti Waterfall

    A tall waterfall over dark rock, a short walk from the road.

  • Queen Tamar's Bridge

    A single-arched medieval stone bridge over the Acharistskali at Makhuntseti.

  • Mirveti Waterfall

    A waterfall in a narrow side gorge near Mirveti village, about 19 km from Batumi, reached on a short path.

  • Mirveti arched bridge

    A second medieval stone bridge close to the waterfall.

Nearby

  • Keda

    Adjara's wine district with family cellars making Tsolikouri and Chkhaveri wines, about 45 km from Batumi (1 h).

  • Machakhela National Park

    Forested valley by the Turkish border with village trails, about 35 km from Batumi (50 min).

  • Batumi

    The coast, about 30 km (40 min).

Location41.5749° N, 41.8583° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 30 km (40 min) from Batumi on the paved road up the Acharistskali valley; Mirveti is about 19 km from Batumi via Khelvachauri.

Best time

May–October

Best time

Late spring brings the fullest waterfalls, and summer and early autumn give the most stable weather; the region is green all year, but winter and early spring are very wet.

Recommended stay

Half a day to 1 day

Getting there

About 30 km (40 min) from Batumi on the paved Batumi–Akhaltsikhe road.

Fees

The waterfalls and bridges are free.

Walking

Paths to the waterfalls are short but wet and slippery.

What to bring

A rain jacket; Adjara is one of the wettest parts of Georgia.

Heads-up

Summer weekends are busy at Makhuntseti; mornings are quieter.

History & culture

Culture

Mountain Adjara mixes Georgian and Ottoman-era traditions: villages have both churches and small wooden mosques, and people keep bees, grow tobacco and hazelnuts on the steep slopes. Khorumi, the Adjarian war dance, comes from this region, and village feasts are accompanied by local songs.

History

Adjara was part of the Georgian kingdoms in the Middle Ages, when single-arched stone bridges such as those at Makhuntseti and Mirveti were built on the trade routes between the coast and the interior; tradition links them to Queen Tamar's reign (1184–1213). The region came under Ottoman rule in the late 16th and 17th centuries and stayed so until 1878, when it passed to the Russian Empire, and many mountain villages are Muslim to this day, with small wooden mosques.

Local Cuisine

Mountain Adjara is dairy country: try borano (cheese melted in butter), sinori (thin dough rolls baked with cottage cheese and butter), chirbuli (an omelette with walnuts and tomato) and Adjarian khachapuri. Keda family cellars pour local Chkhaveri rosé and Tsolikouri white, and roadside stalls sell Adjarian honey.

Accommodation

Village guesthouses and a few small hotels along the Acharistskali valley and in Keda and Khulo; most travellers visit on a day trip and stay in Batumi.