Kolkheti National Park (also know as კოლხეთის ეროვნული პარკი in Georgian) is a 808 km²
park by river Rioni situated in the west of Georgia.
It is situated in the border between the regions of Guria and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. The national park comprises the wetlands of Central Kolkheti, considered a Wetland of International Importance and a Ramsar Site.
How do I arrive to Kolkheti National Park?
Kolkheti National Park is well communicated due to the importance of Poti. - Boat: Poti has maritime connections with other sites in the Black Sea such as Odessa in Ukraine, or Varna (once per week) in Bulgaria.
- Train: there are two daily trains to Tbilisi (aprox. 5 hours 30 minutes) that stop in Kutaisi, Khashuri or Gori.
- Bus: there are marshutkas from places like Batumi (aprox. 1 hour) or Zugdidi, among other destinations.
- Car:
if you rented a car, from Poti it can be reached Kobuleti (aprox. 50 minutes), Ozurgeti and Zugdidi (aprox. 1 hour), Anaklia (aprox. 1 hour 10 minutes), Batumi (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes), Mtirala National Park (aprox. 1 hour 25 minutes), Vani (aprox. 1 hour 30 minutes) or Kutaisi (aprox. 1 hour 50 minutes). Poti isn't far from the de facto territory of Abkhazia and therefore it can be reached from towns like Ochamchire (aprox. 1 hour 50 minutes) or Sukhumi (aprox. 2 hours 30 minutes).
Once
in the Park the best ways to move around the park are the car or simply hiking.
History
In Classical antiquity and the early Middle Ages the area where Poti is located was occupied by the Greek polis of Phasis,
established by the colonists from Miletus. It's widely believed that
the journey of Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece
began in current Georgia at this port. Phasis appears to have been an
important center of trade and culture in Colchis (and a vital component
of the trade route from India to the Black Sea). Phasis came under Roman
control during the Third Mithridatic War. Phasis was a seat of a Greek
diocese when Christianisim was introduced and, during the Lazic War,
Phasis was unsuccessfully attacked by the Sasanian Empire. It remained a
place of maritime trade within the Kingdom of Georgia and medieval
Europe. The Genoese established a short-living trading factory here in
the 14th century. In 1578, Poti was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in
1578 and the town was heavily fortified (a great slave market was
established here too). Western Georgian princes recovered Poti in 1640,
but it fell under the Ottoman sway again (1723). Poti was captured by
Russia in 1828 in the Russo-Turkish War and subordinated to the
Governorate of Kutais. Poti became the terminus of the Caucasian railway
directly connected to Tbilisi. Poti particularly grew in size and
importance during the mayorship of Niko Nikoladze between 1894
and 1912, being major ports on the Black Sea. Poti was the main
connection of the country with Europe during the First Georgian Republic
(1918-21). During the Soviet era, Poti retained its principal function
of a seaport and it was further industrialized and militarized. During
the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, Poti was attacked by Russia.
What can I visit in Kolkheti National Park?
Kolkheti National Park is a nice place to explore the last part of Rioni river and its mouth. Now it will be explained what to do in the park according to
the town or village where they are or the nearest one:
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Port of Poti
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Paliastomi Lake
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The main highlight in the national park is, without any kind of doubt, Paliastomi Lake. This lake is connected to the Black Sea by a narrow channel and is also an important fishery site. Some ancient pieces of Colchis have been found near and in the lake and it's believed that the ancient city of Phasis is around it. One of the main activities arount the lake are boati tours, as are diving, bird watching, hiking and horse riding. One of the most popular ones is Paliastomi Lake Boat Tour (9 km, aprox. 1 hour), trip that enables to enjoy the amazing lakeshore scenery with the thickets of bulrush or birdwatching some rare species of migratory birds. Another nice tour is Paliastomi Lake-Pichori Boat Tour (18 km, aprox. 3 hours),  |
Bird by Narionali Lake
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a continuation of the previously mentioned route that gets deeper into Pichori Gorge to discover the wetlands and explores its forests, water lilies and wetland birds. The visitor center of the national park helps to organize those tours.
- Continuing further inside by Rioni River it can be found Katsoburi Managed Reserve, a protected area on the right bank of Rioni river where it takes water from its tributary, Megruli Skurda river. The reserve was established in order to protect floodplain forest and it includes Narionali Lake (largest oxbow lake in Georgia). The reserve has rich fauna and flora too.
- In the side of the national park that is in Guria there's the seaside resort Maltavka (მალთაყვა in Georgian), an old Soviet resort that still attracts tourism to its beach, Maltavka Beach, although it isn't one of the best in Guria.
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Beach in Anaklia
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Poti is a good starting point to explore the coast of Mingrelia where it stands out Anaklia (ანაკლია in Georgian, ანარკია in Mingrelian), a seaside resort by the Black Sea and Inguri river where 1,331 people live. The town is just in the border with the de facto territory of Abkhazia but it isn't possible to cross the border here (it can only be done from Zugdidi). The town has some remains of a 16th century fortress, the Ruins of Anaklia Fortress, or the Monument of Circassians genocide (monument by Khusen Kochesokov that commemorates Russia's expulsion of the Circassian people following the conclusion of the Caucasian War in the 1860s). But the main attraction of Anaklia is its marina and Anaklia Beach, a gorgeous beach where enjoying impressing sunsets.
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Interior of Khobi Monastery
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Currently a deepwater port is being built too, substituing the failed project to build a city called Lazica. Poti is very close to Zugdidi too and on the way to the capital of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region there are some places that can be worth a visit. One of them, 35 km far from Poti, is Khobi Monastery. The main temple in the complex is a hall church whose origin goes back to the 13th century. Its exterior is adorned with ornamental stone carvings, while the interior contains frescoes from the 13th-14th centuries in Byzantine style (depicting religious themes and Dadiani family). The church houses several Christian relics and icons too. It used to be used as familiar abbey for the House of Dadiani of Mingrelia. Not far from this church, there is a 14th-17th century bell-tower or ruins of a 17th century episcopal palace.
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Ruins of Nokolakevi
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In case of continuing the road to Kutaisi, near the town of Senaki, there's Shkhepi Fortress, ruins of a castle that had importance in the 9th-14th centuries, being for some time the residence of the Dadiani dynasty. Its towers and walls are ruined but surprisingly resisted the pass of time. Continuing the way on the Martvili road it can be visited the Ruins of Nokalakevi. This archeological site and former fortress played a major part in the wars between the Byzantines (that knew the city as Archaeopolis) and Sasanians during the 6th century AD, being one of the key fortresses guarding Lazika. The complex is unique in the Caucasus, keeping a late Antique-early Medieval citadel, remains of palaces of the Kings of Egrisi, royal and public bathhouses, ruins of several churches from the 4th-6th centuries and a domed church with 16th-18th centuries wall paintings. Next to it there's Nokalakevi Archaeological Museum (10-18 Tue-Sun; 3₾/ 1₾
adults/ people under 18), a museum where there are exhibitions with many unique findings in the archeological site, from the 13th century BC till the 18th century AD.
Where can I eat in Kolkheti National Park?
The main places to eat in Kolkheti National Park are located in Poti, where finding some places to eat traditional Georgian food like Aragvi [არაგვი] (Gegidze 18), the pub-restaurant Beer House (Aghmashenebeli 37/1), or the Mingrealian restaurant Kalakuri (Gegidze 28B).
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Banknotemaniac
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