Kolkheti National Park

Kolkheti is what locals call the “Georgian jungle” due to its wetlands and deep rainforest full of swamps and kolkheti trees. Here you can enjoy some of the most spectacular bird migrations twice a year, as Paliastomi Lake is a safe haven for these birds in spring and fall.

Size

The nature reserve’s area is 80,800 hectares (or 151,000 football stadiums).

Structure

shore that rises some 2–3 m above the coastal plain, much of the land is peat bog and marsh, in places exceeding 12 meters in thickness.

History

The Lagodekhi National Park was founded in 1998, part of UNESCO World Heritage List since 2021.

Good to Know

If staying overnight on the park territory, make sure to have mosquito reppeler with you.

Distance: 90km from Batumi (2 hours)
Best for: Bird-watching, Kayaking, Motor-boating
Best time: April – June, September – November
Addon: You can extend your birdwatching trip by visiting Mtirala and Kobuleti National Parks.

How to Get

In order to visit Kolkheti National Park, you need to arrive in Poti city, which is located at the Black Sea shore. You can visit Kolkheti Visitor Center and start your journey from there.

Public Transport

From Tbilisi you can take a train from Tbilisi Central Railway Station to Poti, or a bus from Didube Bus Terminal, though we suggest to use train.
From Kutaisi go to Central Bus Station to find a Mini-bus towards Poti, or you can take a train from Kutaisi Airport.
From Batumi you can take a mini-bus from Central Bus Station.

Private vehicle

You can get to Poti city with any type of vehicle, roads are well maintained and scenery is gorgeous, especially when driving from South via Maltakva village.

Eat and Sleep

The Black Sea coast offers some of the wonders of cuisine that you can try in Poti town, including Chvishtari, Sacivi, Ghomi, Gebjalia and many more. All these can be found in many restaurants in Poti town, but there are no huts offering food in the National Park territory, so bring snacks with you.

As Kolkheti is a plain wetland, there are no springs in the park area, so bring enough water for the whole trip.

There are tourist shelters inside the park where you can stay in tents, but a more comfortable option is to book a hotel in Poti.

What to Do

Bird & Animal watching

One of the most interesting activity in Kolkheti area is bird/animal watching, even if you are not particularly interested in it. Some of them are hard to spot, others are visible everywhere.

Birds:

  • Great Crested Grebe
  • Black-necked Grebe
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Little Egret
  • Great Cormorant
  • Squacco Heron
  • Eurasian Spoonbill
  • Glossy Ibis
  • Ruddy Shelduck
    …and many more

Other wildlife:

  • Golden Jackal
  • Wild Boar
  • Roe Deer
  • Coupy
  • Caucasian Tree and Lake Frog
  • Common Crested Newt
  • Ring Snake
  • European Mursh Turtle
  • Slow Worm,
    …and many more

Kayaking

Several channels of swamps create a jungle-like landscape that can be explored by kayak and canoe. Some routes are more explored than others, so you can lead your own expedition and discover what Kolkheti’s wetlands have to offer.
By far the best canal is the Pichori River, which flows from east to west, eventually leading to Palistomi Lake.
Be aware that Palistomi Lake sometimes has strong winds, which can make it difficult to navigate with kayaks.

Motor-boating & Jet Skiing

You can book a motor boat tour at Palistomi lake and travel to pichori river. Here you can also try jet skiing within the narrow channels of the stream, while enjoying lush-green scenery of Kolkheti National Park.