Mituda
The Abasha river has cut a narrow slot through the limestone of western Georgia: walls rising some tens of metres, five to ten metres between them in places, and water holding the turquoise shade that put the place on everyone’s feed.
The colour is real and owes nothing to filters. It comes from carbonate particles the river carries out of the limestone, scattering light the same way glacial lakes do. On an overcast day the water looks ordinary; in sun it looks exactly like the photographs.
What it actually is
The gorge runs about two and a half kilometres, but visitors are only allowed on the lower section where there is a prepared path and a boat run. Worth saying up front, because the disappointment here comes entirely from mismatched expectations.
Getting there
The canyon is a few kilometres from the town of Martvili in Samegrelo.
The usual start is Kutaisi, which is also the most convenient if you flew into its airport — the main low-cost gateway to western Georgia. From Tbilisi a day trip is poor arithmetic: eight hours of driving for a ninety-minute walk. Better to pair it with a night in Kutaisi.
Public transport is awkward for a simple reason: minibuses reach the town, and the entrance is several kilometres further, so you need a ride anyway. A transfer is simpler, or a day trip from Batumi to the canyon and Prometheus Cave.
When the boats do not run
This is the practical part, and the reason to watch the forecast. The canyon itself is open all year, but the boats depend on water level: after heavy rain the river rises and the crossing closes. Sometimes for a day, sometimes for several. In really bad weather the entrance shuts altogether.
A seasonal paradox: spring carries the most water and the canyon looks its most dramatic, but spring is also when the boats are cancelled most often. The most reliable window is late summer and early autumn, when the level has dropped and the colour still holds.
Worth knowing
- Entry and the boat are paid separately, both on site.
- Children under a metre tall are not allowed in the boat. It is a safety rule with no exceptions.
- There is spray, and the front seats get wet without fail. Put the phone away rather than holding it.
- The path has steps and level changes and gets slippery after rain. Flip-flops will not do.
- There is little shade. Midday in summer is hot; come at opening or towards evening.
- In season there can be a queue for the boat. An early start removes the problem entirely.
What to combine it with
Almost nobody comes for the canyon alone, and rightly so. The standard day pairings from Kutaisi:
- Martvili plus Okatse Canyon — the second gives what the first does not: a walkway on a sheer wall and the view from above.
- Martvili plus Prometheus Cave — a contrast: bright water outside, then a kilometre and a half of underground route with a river.
- Martvili plus Balda Canyon — the neighbour, far less known, with a waterfall and noticeably fewer people.
With a long day and a car, Martvili and Okatse fit comfortably. Three canyons in a row is too many: by the third your eye stops registering them.
See what runs across western Georgia: tours. More on the region: Imereti, Samegrelo.