Kutaisi is a city in West-Georgia, which is 231 km from Tbilisi city. It’s one of the unfrequented places in Georgia with a wonderfully rich culture and history. There are a lot of fascinating places to visit nearby including stunning valleys, fantastic canyons, unique caves and historic church.
Some of them that are
Bagrati Cathedral
Sataplia nature reserve
Prometheus Cave
Martvili canyon
Okatse Canyon
Important Notice: Monday is an official holiday in Georgia and none of these attractions are open, except the church.
1. Bagrati cathedral
It is one of the historic church which was built in the 11th century and also very famous in Georgia. It’s only 1 Km from the Colchis Fountain that is on top of a hill that can be easily accessible by walking. You could enjoy the beauty of the city from the top. It’s green all around the church and you may feel like you ended up in a park.
2. Sataplia Nature Reserve
Sataplia is 10km from the Kutaisi town and is a very pleasant natural attraction nearby. It’s a subtropical colchic forest with panoramic viewpoints. There are comparatively very fewer visitors and you could enjoy nature in peace.
It has fossilized dinosaur footprints that are displayed in a protective building after the entrance gate on right.
It has a small museum and a small park with dinosaur models. The highlight of the reserve is the glass observation deck built at the top of the cliff, where you could enjoy the nature at its best.
3. Prometheus Cave (Kumistavi Cave)
This is something you should not miss on the trip. It’s also known as Kumistavi Cave. The total length of the cave is around 11 Km, however, only 1 Km is open to the public. The cave has an underground river and boat ride is available in the rainy season. Humidity inside the cave is a bit high and a lot of bats, hence the guide instructs not to flash the camera inside which may disturb the bats.
The cave is lightened and the light patterns and colors playing on the rocks are phenomenal. Visitors are amazed by seeing the stalactites hanging all around the caves in different shapes and the color reflected from it is give an experience of a lifetime. There are petrified waterfalls inside which is stunning to watch in the lights.
4. Martvili Canyon
Martvili Canyon is 53 Km from Kutaisi and 280 Km from Tbilisi. There is a monastery on the top of the hill. The waterfalls are absolutely amazing and there is a boat trip through the green river where you could see the scenic beauty of the canyon and hidden waterfalls inside. There is a hiking trail starting from the visitor’s center to the Dadiani’s Historic trail. The trail features 2 bridges, 3 viewing platforms, and a historic staircase built from limestone.
5. Okatse Canyon
Okatse Canyon is situated in Gordi village that is 50 Km from Kutaisi town. The fairly new footpaths and bridge offer a spectacular view of nature and the waterfalls nearby. Spring season is the ideal time to visit and you could enjoy the flowers and the beauty of the forest at its best. The bridge is about 800m long and almost 50m above the canyon. Kinchkha waterfalls are located nearby which is one of the tallest waterfalls in Georgia. It’s a very good place for photographs, even though it's not recommended to go near the waterfalls. The entrance fee is 15 GEL excluding the Kinchkha waterfall.
To sum up, Kutaisi and nearby places are visited less compared to Tbilisi and Kazbegi. It could be due to the time constraints or due to lack of knowledge. But the places as you have seen above, it's really amazing and worth visiting.
By- Anju & Sree
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