Adjara, Black Sea coast

Batumi

A seaside boulevard, subtropical hills and warm evenings.

Best time: June-September for the sea; mild and green the rest of the year.
From Tbilisi: 5 h 30 min, 370 km

Batumi is Georgia's city by the sea: a seven-kilometre boulevard, a skyline of hotels and towers, and behind it the green hills of Adjara where tea and citrus grow. The old town, a few streets back from the water, keeps the cafés and the 19th-century façades.

It is a five-and-a-half-hour drive from Tbilisi across the whole country, or two hours from Kutaisi Airport. A private car makes either journey a comfortable half day, with stops wherever you like.

Don't miss

The boulevard
Palms, bicycles and sunset over the Black Sea along the whole length of the city.
Batumi Botanical Garden
A hillside of subtropical gardens above the sea, fifteen minutes north of the centre.
The old town
Europe Square, the piazza and the covered market a few streets from the beach.
Mountain Adjara
Waterfalls, arched stone bridges and the villages of Keda and Khulo, a day trip inland.