What to see in Batumi

The Boulevard, Ali and Nino and the Alphabet Tower

The seafront Boulevard was laid out in 1881. Today it runs for several kilometres along the sea, from the port past the Old Town to the new high-rises. It has walking and cycling paths, cafés and steps down to the beaches. During the day people walk in the shade of the trees. It is busiest in the evening, once the heat drops.

Ali and Nino stand in Miracle Park by the port. Tamara Kvesitadze made the two 8-metre steel figures after Kurban Said's novel about Ali, an Azerbaijani, and Nino, a Georgian. Every evening the figures slowly move towards each other, pass through one another and drift apart. One cycle takes about 10 minutes.

Next to them is the Alphabet Tower, 130 m tall and built in 2011. The 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet spiral up its sides. At the top there is a viewing deck and a revolving restaurant. The price and hours for the lift change, so check them on the spot.

Tour

Adjara and the Black Sea, 3 days

3 daysfrom $1,080from €965from ₾2,815

The Old Town, Europe Square and the Argo cable car

The Old Town starts a few blocks back from the sea. It has low houses from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cafés and small shops. Piazza is a square built in Italian style and lined with restaurants.

A statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece has stood on Europe Square since 2007. An astronomical clock on a building nearby shows the positions of the sun and moon and the sign of the zodiac. A few minutes' walk away are the 19th-century Orta Jame mosque and the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, built as a Catholic church in the early 20th century.

The Argo cable car starts by the port and climbs the hill above the city. It is almost 2.6 km long and the ride up takes 10 to 15 minutes. From the top you see the whole city and the port. A return ticket is 39 GEL for adults and 9 GEL for children aged 5 to 11. It runs from 10:00 to 22:00.

Batumi Botanical Garden

The garden lies 9 km north of the centre on Green Cape and was founded in 1912. It climbs from the sea to about 220 m, and the plants are grouped by region of the world. There are sections for East Asia, the Himalayas, Australia, North America and the Mediterranean. The paths go up and down all the time, so allow 2 to 3 hours and wear comfortable shoes.

Entry is 25 GEL for foreign visitors and 10 GEL for Georgian citizens. Students pay 5 GEL, schoolchildren 2 GEL, and preschool children go in free. The garden is open from 9:00 to 18:30. An electric car runs around the grounds, which helps if you are with children or older relatives.

Gonio fortress

Gonio-Apsaros is 12 to 15 km south of Batumi, 20 to 30 minutes by car. The Romans built a fort here in the 1st century AD, and later it was held by Byzantium and the Ottomans. The walls and their 18 towers are well preserved, and inside you can see the excavated Roman camp. Tradition says the Apostle Matthias is buried here.

Foreign visitors pay 15 GEL and Georgian citizens 10 GEL. Children under 6 go in free, and ages 6 to 16 pay 2 GEL. The fortress is open every day, but get there before 17:00. After Gonio you can swim a little further south, at Kvariati or Sarpi beach.

Makhuntseti waterfall and Queen Tamar Bridge

About 30 km from Batumi, on the road into the Adjara mountains, an arched stone bridge crosses the Acharistskali river. It was built between the 11th and 13th centuries, and tradition links it to Queen Tamar. The Makhuntseti waterfall is about a kilometre away, a short walk from the road. Both are free to visit.

The drive takes about 40 minutes. The waterfall is fullest in spring, when the snow melts, and much smaller in the summer heat. There are cafés nearby. From here the road goes on into the mountains, towards Keda and Khulo.

Beaches, the season and how many days you need

Batumi's beaches are pebble, so bring water shoes. People swim from mid-June to the end of September. In August the sea warms to about 25 °C. July and August are hot, humid and crowded. The water is clearer to the south, at Kvariati and Sarpi near the Turkish border.

May, June and September are better for walking around town and driving into the mountains. Batumi is the rainiest city in Georgia, so pack an umbrella in any season.

Two or three days are enough for Batumi. Here is one way to spend them.

• Day one. The Boulevard, the Old Town and Europe Square, then Ali and Nino and the Argo cable car in the evening.
• Day two. The Botanical Garden in the morning and the beach in the afternoon.
• Day three. Gonio fortress and a swim at Kvariati, then Makhuntseti waterfall and Queen Tamar Bridge after lunch.

Getting there

Batumi is about 350 km from Tbilisi, 4 to 5 hours by car. We compare every option, from the train to the plane, in our guide to getting from Tbilisi to Batumi. From Kutaisi Airport it is a 2 to 2.5 hour drive. If you are flying in there, see the Kutaisi Airport transfer.

The sights outside the city are easiest to reach by car. The Botanical Garden, Gonio and Makhuntseti lie in different directions from Batumi, and with a driver you can see all three in one day. The price is fixed per car and you pay the driver at the end. To drive from Tbilisi to the sea slowly, with stops in Mtskheta and Kutaisi, take a look at the three-day Adjara tour.