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However exciting a trip to Batumi can be, after a week or a month you might start wondering what else is worth seeing nearby. Georgia is rich in beautiful locations, towns, and resorts. In this article, we want to share some of the best places to visit around Adjara and along the Black Sea coast — spots that promise new experiences and lasting memories.
Before setting off, it’s worth arranging transportation first. A great option is to rent a car in Batumi from Naniko, where you can choose a suitable vehicle at a reasonable price. Now that transportation is sorted, it’s time to hit the road.
Distance from Batumi: about 30 km, a 40–45 minute drive.
The road to Makhuntseti is worth the trip on its own. The route leaves the coast toward Keda, follows the Adjaristskali River, and gradually climbs in elevation. City buildings give way to green hillsides, tea plantations, and mountain gorges. The main attraction here is Makhuntseti Waterfall, standing about 30 meters tall. Nearby is an old arched bridge, which locals associate with Queen Tamar. In warmer months, you’ll often see people swimming in the cool water near the falls, and small roadside cafés serve shashlik, khachapuri, and other Georgian dishes.
Also worth seeing nearby:
Mirveti Waterfall — another waterfall in the valley, reached by a detour through the village of the same name. Keda — a small mountain town along the way, a good spot for a stop before continuing toward the pass.
Distance from Batumi: about 12–15 km, a 15–20 minute drive.
Gonio is a place where beach life sits right next to ancient history. At the center of the village stands the Gonio-Apsaros Fortress, a Roman-era stronghold nearly two thousand years old. Behind its massive stone walls lies the site of an ancient settlement, and local legend connects the place to the burial of the Apostle Matthias.
After exploring the fortress, head to the beach: it’s wide, and the coastline is lined with cafés, guesthouses, and private villas. Because the mountains are so close, the water in some spots can be noticeably clearer than in central Batumi. Gonio also makes a convenient stop for anyone who wants to combine a beach visit with a quick dose of history.
Kvariati — a neighboring resort with a narrower shoreline and rocky sections at the foot of the mountains. The Mouth of the Chorokhi River — a striking natural spot where the river meets the Black Sea. Toward the Turkish Border — from Gonio, it’s a short drive south to Sarpi, right at the border crossing.
Distance from Batumi: about 18–20 km, roughly a 25 minute drive.
Sarpi is hard to mistake for any other resort in Adjara: the village sits almost right up against the Georgia-Turkey border, and its beach runs alongside the road leading to the checkpoint. The shore is pebbly, about 600 meters long, and the water is considered among the cleanest on the Adjaran coast. Small cafés and stalls sell fresh fruit, corn, and local pastries.
Sarpi makes for a great short trip out of Batumi. You can spend a few hours by the sea, drive up into the surrounding hills, and either continue north or head back to the city.
The Georgia-Turkey Border Crossing — right next to the village, and a striking reminder of just how close another country is. The Hills Above Sarpi — home to small vineyards and rural plots with views over the coast. Kvariati — a convenient stop on the way from Batumi if you want to compare two neighboring beaches.
Distance from Batumi: about 25 km, a 30–35 minute drive.
Chakvi is worth visiting for more than just the sea. This area holds a special place in the history of Georgian tea: the first large plantations were planted here in 1893 at the invitation of the entrepreneur Konstantin Popov, and their success is credited to the Chinese tea master Lau Jin Jau (Liu Junzhou), who moved to Chakvi and spent decades building up the local tea industry. Traces of that history are still visible in the green plantations and surrounding countryside.
The coast at Chakvi is noticeably quieter than central Batumi, and mountains rise up right behind the resort area. If you’re in the mood to trade the beach for forest and cool mountain air, the road continues into the Chakvistavi Valley.
Mtirala National Park — humid Colchic forests, waterfalls, streams, and hiking trails through mountainous terrain. Chakvistavi — the road into the valley winds through a green gorge, gradually turning the coastal scenery into a mountain landscape. Petra — the ruins of a Byzantine fortress on the coast near Tsikhisdziri, an easy stop on the way further north.
Distance from Batumi: about 27–30 km, a 30–35 minute drive.
Kobuleti has a different feel from Batumi: it’s less densely built up, and the resort stretches along the coast for almost 12 kilometers. Most of the beaches are covered in fine pebbles, so comfortable shoes are a good idea for a walk by the water. The town has long been a resort destination, with cafés, guesthouses, small hotels, and seasonal attractions lining the coast.
You can spend anywhere from a few hours to a full day in Kobuleti. It’s an especially good drive: after strolling along the coast, you can turn inland toward the nature areas just behind the resort.
Kobuleti Nature Reserve — wetlands, lakes, and coastal ecosystems that are home to a large variety of birds. Ispani Mire — a protected sphagnum bog within the reserve, recognized under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance and especially appealing to birdwatchers and nature lovers. Tsikhisdziri — a coastal area with the ruins of Petra Fortress and views over the Black Sea.
Distance from Batumi: about 44–45 km, a 45–55 minute drive.
Past Kobuleti, the scenery starts to change, and Shekvetili’s main feature is its shore of dark, magnetic sand. It’s an unusual sight along the Georgian coast, especially if you’ve spent time on Adjara’s typical pebble beaches. The area is also home to a large arboretum, with plants gathered from all over the world.
Shekvetili is a great pick for a family trip: beyond the beach, there are nearby attractions, and you can extend your walk through the exotic plant collection. Thanks to its closeness to Batumi, it’s easy to arrive in the morning and head back to the city by evening.
Shekvetili Dendrological Park — a large arboretum with rare trees and plants gathered from different parts of the world. The Ferris Wheel — located in the resort area, offering views of the coastline from above. The Amusement Park — a good option for anyone looking for more than just a day at the beach.
Distance from Batumi: about 53 km, roughly a 1 hour drive.
Ureki sits close to Shekvetili, but the two resorts feel quite different. The main draw here is the beach’s fine black magnetic sand, long believed to have health benefits, which makes Ureki especially popular with families and visitors staying for longer periods.
Pine groves, cafés, and resort facilities surround the beach area. If you’re driving, it’s easy to combine the two neighboring resorts into a single trip — spend part of the day in Ureki, then continue on to Shekvetili.
The Ureki Pine Grove — a green area near the shore, a pleasant place to escape the sun on a hot day. Shekvetili — just a short distance away, letting you see two very different sides of the Black Sea coast in a single trip. Grigoleti — a small coastal resort south of Ureki, with a beach and pine forests of its own.
Distance from Batumi: about 130–135 km, 2–2.5 hours by car.
Anaklia is the farthest destination on this list, so it’s worth planning for a full day rather than just a couple of hours. The resort sits in Samegrelo, where the Inguri River flows into the Black Sea. The coastline here is wide, and the area is noticeably less built up than Georgia’s larger resort towns.
A trip to Anaklia is especially rewarding if you’ve already explored the areas around Batumi and want to see a different side of the Georgian coast. Along the way, you’ll notice the landscape changing, as the coastal terrain of Adjara gradually gives way to the plains of Samegrelo.
The Mouth of the Inguri River — the point where one of the region’s largest rivers meets the Black Sea. Zugdidi — a convenient stop for continuing your trip through Samegrelo and exploring the town. Anaklia Promenade — a spacious waterfront area, especially pleasant for a walk in the evening.
Distance from Batumi: about 30 km, a 40–50 minute drive.
Machakhela National Park lies in the valley of the river that shares its name, close to the Turkish border. The scenery here is completely different: instead of an open sea horizon, the road winds through a gorge surrounded by dense Colchic forests. The vegetation includes chestnut, yew, and Colchic boxwood, and the area was officially declared a national park in 2012.
It’s worth setting aside more time here than for a typical day trip from Batumi. The park has two marked trails, Mtavarangelozi and Kokoleti, and along the way you’ll pass old bridges, defensive structures, and traces of traditional life in the mountain villages. The route is especially appealing if you prefer a scenic drive with stops over a straightforward beach outing.
Mtavarangelozi Viewpoint — offers a panoramic view of the valley, and on clear days, a view toward Batumi. Gvara Fortress — a 6th–7th century fortification on a hilltop where the Chorokhi and Machakhela rivers meet, which once controlled the only road through the gorge. Old Stone Bridges — historic crossings in the gorge, some believed to date back to medieval times. Defensive Structures — old bunkers from World War II can still be found in the surrounding area.
Distance from Batumi: about 130 km, roughly a 3 hour drive.
Save Bakhmaro for a day when you want to trade the sea entirely for the mountains. The resort sits in Guria at an elevation of about 2,000 meters, so the drive itself becomes part of the adventure — after the flat lowland stretch, the road winds up a long series of switchbacks, climbing steadily higher.
Bakhmaro has been known as a high-altitude climate resort since the late 19th century. Visitors have long come here for the mountain air, and on clear days, the slopes offer sweeping views of the surrounding ridges. Sometimes the clouds settle below the village, making it look as if the houses are floating above a white sea.
It’s best to plan extra time for this route: the distance doesn’t look huge on a map, but the mountain roads add significantly to the travel time. Still, the shift in scenery — from coastline to high mountains — makes this one of the most unusual routes around Batumi.
Nabeghlavi — a mineral spring and well-known resort along the way to Bakhmaro, a good place to stop. The Mountain Slopes of Bakhmaro — great for summer walks, offering views of the resort from above. Panoramic Viewpoints Nearby — good places to stop, especially once the clouds settle below the mountain slopes.
Each of these routes has its own character: one day you might be exploring the fortress walls of Gonio, the next relaxing on the black sand of Ureki, and the day after that, winding up a mountain road to Bakhmaro. Through it all, Batumi remains a convenient home base — most destinations are close enough for a same-day return, while the farthest ones are worth setting aside a full day for.
Traveling by car gives you more freedom than relying on a bus schedule: you can stop for a view you like, turn off toward a small village, or stay by the sea until sunset. That’s why it’s worth choosing your rental car with your route in mind — one type of car works well for the coast, while a different one might be more comfortable for longer mountain drives.
