Address: Adjara

Mtirala National Park, Adjara, Georgia

Nature reserve Mtirala is one of the new reserves, founded after the declaration of independence of Georgia in 2007.

It is located on the rock mass of the same name, the height of which is 1761 meters above sea level. Locals call the massif the “crying mountain” due to the fact that it is practically all year round shrouded in fog.

The territory of the reserve occupies 6 thousand hectares.

Attractions

Mtirala Nature Park is famous for its vegetation - a boxwood grove and a relict Colchis forest with unique species plants. Experts believe that on Earth this is practically the only place, where such rare and unique flora is found.

Another attraction of the Mtirala rock massif is its medicinal mineral springs and springs with crystal clear water.

In addition, on the territory of the park there is a small village with ancient houses of the 19th century, which have preserved their original appearance for two hundred years.

Excursions around the reserve

In the small urban-type village of Chakvi there is a tourist center, whose employees organize excursions around the reserve, introduce tourists to the diversity of the surrounding nature and wildlife, as well as the age-old national customs and traditions of Georgia.

IN tourist center Information halls operate, exhibitions and sales are regularly held, where everyone can purchase various memorable trinkets and products made by the hands of local craftsmen.

An excursion route through the National Park, as a rule, includes a visit to the gorge of the Chakvis Tskali River, a pedestrian ascent to the waterfall in order to admire the picturesque surroundings of the reserve from above. In a clearing not far from the waterfall you can ride horses and have a small picnic.

How to get there

National Park with a reserve is located on Mount Mtirala, between the urban-type settlement of Chakvi and resort town located on the Black Sea coast. Get from Batumi to one of these settlements You can take a bus or minibus. Having reached Kobuleti, it is best to go to the village of Hala, which is much closer to the reserve than the village of Chakvi.

For those traveling by car, there is a campsite in the national park where you can stay overnight.

Mtirala National Park is valued for its amazingly beautiful and unique nature: picturesque Chakvistskhali gorge, fabulous Colchis forest and boxwood grove, waterfall and mountain river, - the amazing landscapes of this territory will not leave you indifferent.

Do you want to come here? The Viva-Georgia team will organize an excursion or tour for you, arrange optimal route travel and will provide any other assistance during the trip.





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Gallery

Mtirala National Park is the wettest place in Adjara, so it’s worth going here in sunny weather, when everywhere is dry and hot.

We were never able to catch such weather last year - to have a weekend, sun, and no rain for at least 2-3 days. But they were able to do this) Plus, they laid asphalt on parts of the road where there was none, and you can drive more on a good surface.

4.5 thousand mm of precipitation falls here annually, so Mount Mtirala is translated from Georgian as crying. Fogs and rains here are not just frequent, but almost constant.

Mtirala is located not far from the village of Chakvi, at the entrance from Batumi there is a sign towards the mountains, and then there is nowhere to really get lost. Choose a road with better asphalt - this will be the right path)

If the asphalt runs out and you haven’t reached the national sign. park - you took a wrong turn, ask one of the locals, they will tell you everything. Just first they will ask you in detail who you are and where you are from)

Behind the sign there are several more kilometers of excellent asphalt, which end abruptly.

If you are driving a passenger car, then I would advise you to do the same, although some people drive all the way to the information center. Well, I don’t know, you can drive through, but in some places you can get stuck or damage the crankcase.

And the speed of movement will be almost the same as if you were walking. Whether it's worth it is up to you to decide)

Walking is also interesting. Bridges were built where mini-rivers and springs needed to be crossed. If you are afraid of heights, it will be a little scary)

But beauty is all around!

By the way, the large puddle with a turn in the photo is the road along which the car should drive.

Why go there?

The nature is fantastic, almost the entire route is along the clear mountain river Chakvistskali, among a beautiful forest - almost a jungle, green and fresh. Very nice, delicious air) Walking is a pleasure.

There is a waterfall and a beautiful backwater (aka lake). Along the way there are many suspension bridges, which are also a bit of fun.

Especially the first time when you reach the middle - and bam! and shakes a lot)

Plus, in Mtirala there is an interesting river crossing in the form of a small trailer with a steering wheel that you need to turn with your hands to get to the other side.

The price is 2 GEL per person, worth every tetri spent. The only thing is that if your height is above average, you will have to shrink a little)

To be honest, we actually came here for this cable car, we really wanted to take a ride)

Another interesting thing is the preserved wooden houses, which are 200 years old. They look like they did in those days, and some people still live in them.

By the way, along the road there are also wooden water mills from the same period.

If desired, you can stay on the territory of Mtirala for several days. There is a so-called "ranger lodge", with fairly decent guest rooms, a kitchen and a veranda.

You can bring your own motorhome or even rent a tent and a sleeping bag, a backpack, there is a campsite on the territory.

Here are the rates:

This is also where information Center, where you can get a map, see the layout of the national park and learn something interesting from the staff. It may not work during the off-season.

They also have an interesting sign.

There are other houses and hotels on the territory where you can also stay. Restaurants are open in the summer; in the off-season, it’s better to stock up on food in advance.

It so happened that we settled very close to the Mtirala National Park (more on that at the end of the article) and couldn’t go there most interesting place in Adjara it was simply impossible.

How to get there

The national park is located east of the village of Chakvi. From the E70 highway you need to exit at the sign “Mtirala National Park”. The map shows that there are two roads leading to the park - along the right and left banks of the Chakvistskali River. You need to drive along the left bank, because the asphalt on the right bank stretches only a couple of kilometers, and then there is a dirt road that is difficult to pass for an ordinary passenger car. The road from Chakvi to the entrance to the national park is quite tolerable, although with sharp turns and quite narrow, but paved. However, after you enter the park, the asphalt ends and you need to decide...

Local taxi drivers cover the next 5-6 km in almost any car, but here they know every hole and every stone. If you're not used to it, you can damage your car. The road is covered with gravel, but along the way you have to overcome either shallow streams or decent climbs. A car with low ground clearance keeps hitting rocks with its bottom. If you are driving your car without off-road capabilities and confidence in your driving skills, it is better to dismount or take a taxi (about 30 GEL round trip) or walk the path.

Public transport does not go directly to the park, but you can get to the village of Khala from Batumi or Chakvi by minibus, and then again by taxi or walking, although you will have to prepare for at least 10 km. walking one way. In this case, it is better to immediately arrange for an overnight stay. Information on where to stay in the Mtirala National Park area is at the end of this post. Another option to get to the park is to arrange with an experienced guide who will take you to the place, tell you many interesting facts about the park and introduce you to the local beekeeper and the inventor of the cable car (pictured above).

What to see in Mtirala Park

Mtirala is a wet subtropical mountain with lakes and waterfalls. This place is characterized by a high level of humidity due to frequent rains (more precisely, it is the wettest place in Europe), which is actually reflected in the name itself, which is translated from Georgian as “crying”. There are two main attractions in Mtirala National Park: Mountain Lake and a waterfall. I would also highlight as an attraction the cable car built by a local resident, a local school teacher, Hassan (more about it later in the article).

Advice: the route through the Mtirala National Park is not extreme and does not require special skills and equipment, but comfortable shoes and sportswear will not be superfluous

Finding your way around the park is not difficult. If you go to the right, you will get to the Tsablnari waterfall, if you go to the left, you will come out to the lake. But before you get to the trail, you will have to overcome a water barrier. This is done using a very intricate and unusual device.

The crossing will cost 1 lari in both directions. This miracle cable car does not have any motor; to move you need to rotate a special wheel. We've been on cable cars a lot, but this is our first time on this one. True, perhaps this is the only cable car of its kind. Another crossing leading to the lake - suspension bridge. This structure looks picturesque and is not very reliable, but there seem to have been no accidents.

A huge number of tourists gather at the lake, eager to swim in the icy river water, so in order to take interesting photographs you have to contrive so that towels, flip-flops and the vacationers themselves do not get into the frame.

National The park is replete with various subtropical plants, and there are also plenty of different animals here. Here you can find samples of 284 species of 68 families, including 18 tree species, 21 shrubs, 245 herbs, and 16 endemic species. Rare relict endemics are listed in the Red Book of Georgia: Pontian oak, Ungernian rhododendron, epigea. Almost the entire territory national park“Mtirala” is covered with forests and impenetrable bushes. Depending on the altitude above sea level, the forests are distributed as follows: at an altitude of 500-600 meters - mixed broad-leaved Colchi forests, at altitudes from 600 to 1000 meters - a chestnut belt, and above 1000 meters - a larch belt. We really weren't lucky (or vice versa) to see a bear or a wild cat.

There are many excursions organized to Mtirala National Park, most of which depart from Batumi. Here is an example of such an excursion.

What to bring

There is a lot of honey in Georgia. So many. It is difficult to surprise someone who has already traveled around the country with honey abundance. Floral, chestnut, linden... And yet it’s worth paying attention to the one presented in Mtirala. They sell really real mountain honey here, and if you were planning to bring a delicacy and medicine from Georgia, be sure to try it in the national park. You will probably like some of them. We took the chestnut one and upon arriving home we definitely regretted that we had taken too little.

About the wine. Almost no wine is produced in Adjara, since the subtropical climate is not suitable for growing grapes. So most of what is sold in Adjara is brought from other “wine” regions of Georgia. Accordingly, the quality of the drink directly depends on the greed and taste of the seller.

Where to stay in the area of ​​Mtirala National Park

It so happened that we spent most of our time in Georgia just near the Mtirala National Park in the village of Hala. This small mountain village lies exactly in the middle between the park and the village of Chakvi, 8 km in both directions. Since we came to Georgia by our own car, the distance from the sea did not seem to be a problem. The advantages of such placement include favorable price and distance from noise resort towns and villages. Here the only noise is created by the Chakvistali River and livestock. In the morning you will almost certainly be woken up by mooing, bleating, or a rooster... In general, this is what is called the now fashionable term “eco-rest.”

So, here is a selection of guest houses and hotels located near the Mtirala National Park.

Mtirala Guest House

This is actually the guest house where we stayed. Best place for eco tourism cannot be found. The owners keep calves, piglets, chickens and dogs.

All this company will prevent you from basking in bed for too long in the morning. While you go to the river, you can pick up walnuts, tangerines, pears and other food depending on the season.

Above is the landscape that opens from the window of the guest house.

Guest House Mtirala National Park

This guest house is located deep in Mtirala Park. Considering everything that has been written above regarding transport accessibility, you need to understand that there is no paved road to this place and those 5-6 km that separate the guest house from a more or less civil highway can hardly be overcome in less than an hour; in the dark, the road to the house will turn out to be a real adventure with real the risk of ending up at the bottom of the gorge. So if you plan to spend most of your time in the mountains, then this is an excellent choice, but if you plan on frequent trips to the sea, then you should think about this option more than once. I would choose this guest house if I planned to spend a couple of days in the park.

Villa Tengiz

Villa Tengiz is also located on the territory of Mtirala Park (if you look at the map). However, this option should be treated with some caution, since information on booking about it is presented extremely sparingly, and there are no reviews.

Country House Mamuka

The guest house is located in the village of Hala, that is, in the same place as Mtirala Guest House, but according to the photographs and the map, on the other side of the river and a little closer to the road. If you are planning regular trips to the sea, then this option will definitely be more interesting than the previous two. It is also suitable if you just need to spend the night before or after a trip to the National Park.

Hi all! Recently, from our Makhinjauri, we decided to go to Mtirala National Park– I’ll tell you below what came out of this idea.

Mtirala – general information

What is Mtirala? This is a picturesque national park, spread over six thousand hectares, 25 kilometers east of the Adjarian village of Chakvi. The 1761-meter Mount Mtirala, around which a national park was formed in 2006, is considered the wettest place in all of Georgia (4.5 thousand mm of precipitation per year!) due to its intense rainfall - in fact, the mountain owes its name to this feature : “Mtirala” means “Weeping Mountain”, it is almost constantly shrouded in dense fog.

Mtirala National Park- This mountain landscapes, clean air, lush subtropical vegetation, as well as a waterfall, a lake and two tourist walking routes. According to some environmentalists, Mtirala is this moment one of the few remaining places on Earth with such a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Among the rare animals that live there are the badger, weasel, Caucasian salamander, newt and other interesting animals - however, you are unlikely to see them on the tourist route: due to their small numbers, they are somewhat wary of people.

The same Colchis forest

So if you are already bored with a lazy holiday on the Adjarian beach and your soul is asking for something like that - IMHO, Mtirala will easily dispel boredom and bring into your life beach holiday fresh stream.

How to get to Mtirala National Park from Batumi and Chakvi

Mtirala National Park is located 25 kilometers away and, without your own transport, getting to it is not so easy. The point is that on public transport you can only get to the village of Chakvi, located on the Batumi-Tbilisi highway. And from Chakvi to the national park you will have to take a taxi or hitch a ride. You can get to Chakvi from Batumi by any minibus going north; from - by any minibus towards Batumi.

The distance from Chakvi to Mtirala National Park is 12 kilometers. The first 8 of them are excellent new asphalt, right up to the entrance to the park and the rangers' house.

Rangers' house at the entrance to the national park

GPS coordinates for the entrance to the park and the ranger lodge: N41.69432, E41.82220.

Immediately after entering the park, the asphalt road ends and a mountain dirt road begins, replete with holes and potholes. There are at least two places on it where I personally would regret the suspension of my car: the first is where you have to ford the river, the second is next to an ancient 200-year-old water mill (the road is apparently the same age as this mill).

Mill in Mtirala Park

We didn’t take risks and in Chakvi we agreed with a taxi driver named Dato in a Subaru Forester - in September he charged 40 lari for a round trip and three hours of waiting, in the summer the price could rise to 50-60 lari, depending on the influx of clients . In my opinion, this is quite acceptable for a trip to Mtirala.

From Chakvi to cable car in the village of Chakvistavi the taxi driver got us there in 40 minutes. If you go there by car, then most likely it will take you an hour and a half to get there - provided that nothing bad happens to the suspension and tires along the way.

The taxi driver, by the way, turned out to be very sincere. He invited me to his home - live with me, he says, for free. “We’ll drink wine, we’ll be friends. Why money? Literally forced me to give him a solemn oath that on my next visit to Adjara I would stay with him.

On the road from Chakvi to the entrance to the park there is an interesting suspension bridge over a mountain river:


On the way back, on Dato’s advice, we bought two jars of real mountain honey. The honey turned out to be very good - I then used up my jar in a week.

The coordinates of the place where it is sold: N41.67917, E41.85120. In principle, honey is sold there in many places, but Dato advised buying it here - and he did not deceive.

Mtirala National Park opening hours: daily from 9.00 to 18.00
Phone: +995 577 90 72 72; +995 577 10 18 89

Mtirala National Park on the map:

Transfer to Mtirala National Park from the GoTrip online service

If you are traveling to Mtirala with your family or a large group, you may want to consider a transfer directly to the entrance to the national park. Comfortable transfers throughout Georgia can be ordered using a local online service GoTrip. During the booking process, you have the opportunity to select the class, car brand and specific driver based on reviews from previous passengers. Considering the horseman habits of Georgian street taxi drivers and their not always serviceable cars, this is a very useful option. The price on the website is final, you won’t have to bargain with anyone.

Mtirala "tourist": routes, entertainment and prices

In the national park, tourists are offered two hiking routes - 6 km and 16 km.

Scheme of tourist routes in the national park

The walk along the 16-kilometer route requires an overnight stay for at least two days. Having only one day at our disposal, we set off along a short route - all the attractions described below and their photographs refer specifically to it. For a first acquaintance with the national park, IMHO, it is quite enough: here you can see a relict Colchis forest with endemic plants from the Red Book (including a unique boxwood grove), a 10-meter waterfall, a small mountain lake, an extremely original cable car traction" and 200-year-old houses built from chestnut.

Both tourist routes- both large and small - start from the parking lot in the village of Chakvistavi, where a taxi driver will most likely take you.

A short 6-kilometer route leads from the cable car across the Chakvistavi River to the Tsabilnari Waterfall. From the parking lot, you need to go down the stairs to the river - and before your eyes you will see the first attraction of the Mtirala National Park: a unique cable car across the river.

Once upon a time it was built local, an ordinary school teacher named Hasan. The crossing to the opposite bank costs 2 GEL - a very interesting attraction. You enter a wooden cabin, turn the “wheel” yourself (or a special guy turns it) and, due to muscle effort, the cabin moves along the cable from one bank to the other.

After the crossing, we go three hundred meters up the path - the next attraction will be a low zip line stretched over a mountain river.

We were unable to find out how much this fun cost - there were no locals nearby. But, given the modest scale of the attraction (this, frankly, is not a zip line over a gorge in Bohol, the Philippines, the flight over which I remember for a long time), I think it’s inexpensive.

Near the zipline, the path ends at a mountain river - you can ford it, or you can cross it along a carefully placed log:


After the crossing, the trail bifurcates: one 1.5-kilometer path leads to the Tsabilnari waterfall, and a 700-meter path leads to the lake. We first decided to go to the lake - the path leading to it is very picturesque:

Mountain lake in Mtirala National Park

Near the lake there is a picnic area where some pigs left watermelon scraps.

Although, if you look more closely, these are not gnawed rinds, but a completely whole watermelon broken into pieces. Maybe this is an offering to mountain or lake spirits?

After exploring the lake, we returned to the fork at the crossing and went further to the Tsabilnari waterfall.

You can swim in both the waterfall and the lake, so in summer don’t forget to bring your swimming trunks and swimsuits.

Important! The path to the waterfall is quite steep and rocky - to walk along it you need appropriate comfortable shoes; there is absolutely nothing to do there in flip-flops. In addition, you need to be prepared for the fact that the path is slippery: Adjara is a very rainy region, and it rains here quite often.


At the very cool places There are even some semblance of steps along the path:


Tsabilnari Waterfall:

GPS coordinates of the waterfall: N41.66976, E41.87781.

It took us exactly three hours to walk along the short route - if your plans include a picnic and swimming in a waterfall or lake, I recommend setting aside at least four hours and negotiating with the taxi driver about the return trip during this time. Usually taxi drivers wait for their clients in a cafe near the cable car across the river - if desired, you can have lunch or just refresh yourself there. But I would recommend being patient a little and eating normally already - it will turn out both tastier and cheaper.

Mtirala – where to live?

There are several accommodation options within the national park:

  • Expensive hostel - 40 GEL per bed in a dormitory room.
  • Camping is for motorist travelers who are unpretentious in terms of domestic comfort. The cost of camping in the national park is 5 GEL per day per person; camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, etc.) can be rented at the tourist center at the entrance to the park.
  • Guest house "Tengiz" on the territory of the national park. Opened in 2016, it offers ten double rooms.
  • Guest houses in the vicinity of Mtirala Park (for example, the guesthouse “Village House” in the village of Hala) - prices depend on the comfort offered and in general are significantly higher than the prices for similar housing in the village of Chakvi. The advantage of this type of accommodation: you can agree with the owners about delicious three meals a day and relax in the park without bothering yourself with thoughts about your daily bread.
  • If you are driving and want to spend no more than one day in Mtirala, then it would be best to stay in the seaside village of Chakvi and then drive from there to the national park. The choice of accommodation in Chakvi is much wider than in the park - from fashionable coastal hotels like

Mtirala National Park- a natural national park on the territory of Adjara, specifically in the Kobuleti municipality, east of the seaside village of Chakvi. It is located very close to Batumi and is the most interesting attraction in the vicinity of this city, rivaling the Batumi Botanical Garden. Mtirala is a wet subtropical mountain with lakes and waterfalls. There are two routes in the park, one of which is short and already visited by tourists, and the second is long, more difficult and wilder.

Story

Mtirala appeared recently. In Soviet times, there was a Kintrishi nature reserve in Adjara. Only in June 2007 it was decided to turn part of the Adjarian forest into another national park. For another five years, the new national park remained unknown to few people, and now the years since 2013 have attracted people here sightseeing buses and families simply bored at resorts. That's his whole story.

Modernity

The Adjarian coastal gorges are a unique area of ​​humid subtropical forest on the scale of the entire lost Union. The spurs of the Meskheti ridge fence off this forest from both the Anatolian highlands and the Colchis plain, so the climate here is consistently warm. When did the Ice Age begin and from Caucasian peaks glaciers descended, the climate of the entire Transcaucasus became colder, but it was still warm in these forests. Heat-loving plants were preserved there, and even monkeys lived there even when the rest of Transcaucasia became completely cold.

Now in the center of the park is the village of Chakvistavi - on the right bank of the Chakvistskali River. On the left bank there is a reception house. A large two-day route begins from the house. A short route immediately begins - to the Tsablnari waterfall and the lake. This is an easy route that even grandmothers and two-year-old children can walk on.

At the park's reception there is a restaurant, guest rooms, a campsite, next to it there is a large restaurant, and in the village of Chakvistavi there are other useful things like horses and honey.

It is important to understand: a truly interesting trekking is a two-day route. The short route is significantly easier than the Lagodekhi route to the Black Grouse, and visiting the Tsablnari waterfall is only slightly more difficult than the waterfall in Mukhuntseti. Travel agencies always offer visits to this waterfall, and in Batumi even taxi drivers hang “Mtirala” signs on their cars. By the way, visiting the Kintrishi National Park is almost never offered.

Yellow route

Let's first look at the most popular route - yellow. It is short and uncomplicated. Directly from the reception, a signposted trail begins, which first goes up and then winds through the hills among rhododendrons, chestnuts and ferns. There is nothing unusually subtropical here. There are no famous mossy boxwood bushes either - maybe just a few.

The road will lead to the Tsablnari waterfall. This is a fairly ordinary Adjarian waterfall, reminiscent of the Makhuntseti waterfall, except that there is less free space below. Its peculiarity is the ability to go behind the stream of water and stand there behind the waterfall. If you go to a waterfall on a hot day, you will be tired and sweaty just enough that you will want to stay in the cold water. It is not as cold as the glacial water of Black Grouse (in Lagodekhi), so it is not difficult to enter it. The waterfall has one noticeable drawback: it can be crowded.

If you return from the waterfall to the development near the ruins, you can go to the lake - it’s very close. This is not so much a lake as a dam on the Chakvistskali River. You can swim there and there is a “picnic site”. The lake has clear, clean, running water, and there is a nice subtropical forest all around. The disadvantages are the same as those of the waterfall - people. They come here in whole groups with cauldrons of meat, boxes of beer and watermelons. At the same time, they probably won’t be there at night, so it’s wise to stay overnight at the reception and come here with candles and food supplies. Romantically minded young couples will certainly be interested in this option.

Bottom line: the route is simple, nice, but there is nothing exciting here and there are a lot of people. At the same time, a cold freshwater lake in the forest is still an excellent alternative to the summer sea.

Main route

(Description of the route from Alisa Dorokhova)

Travel time, with stops: 7 hours
Distance: 11 km

As of May 2018, there are two hiking routes in the park, both can be completed in one day; if desired, the long route can be extended over two days with an overnight stay in the mountains. If you don't have the desire or time, just start early. At the end of May, the sun is already up at 6:00, and sunset is at 20:30, so there is plenty of daylight. Since I started late and didn’t plan to spend the night, and the climb turned out to be extremely difficult, I only managed to walk 11 km out of 15 km.

What I liked:
1. Privacy. After the waterfall I didn’t meet a single person
2. Nature. Clean mountain air, boxwood thickets, centuries-old beech trees from 20 meters in height.

3. Equipped picnic areas - with tables, benches, toilets and space for tents

What I didn't like:

1. Relief. First, in 4.5 km you gain 860 meters, and this is a steep climb - in some places steeper than 45 degrees. Then after 6.5 km you drop this height. Moreover, if at first you only go up, then on the way back there are sections where you also go up. As a result, the 70% descent slope is 45%, the same as the ascent. The plateau on the route takes about 10 meters.
2. Dense vegetation. This is both a plus and a minus. Plus because you walk in the shade, minus because there is rarely a gap between the trees and bushes to enjoy the views
3. Lack of natural water sources

In view of this, I recommend the route to people who are trained and resilient, with physical fitness. Photochromic glasses and poles will be useful equipment. Take water and food with you - there are none on the route. Bring repellent for the evening, if desired. Important: wear long trousers, there are thickets of hogweed on the trail that cannot be avoided.

Now more details. If this is your first time in the park, start the route from the waterfall, then return to the last fork with a sign and go up towards “PICNIC SITE”. If you have already been to the waterfall, just immediately turn to the “PICNIC SITE”. after 200 meters you will find yourself in a clearing with a table, benches and a toilet. On the right hand from the toilet there is an inconspicuous, but still readable path - you go there. Further, orientation to the area is simple - there is only one path and along it there are wooden railings, which will certainly prevent you from getting lost.

When I walked this route on May 20, 2018, I had a strong feeling that there were no tourists there yet this year. The trail is covered with a dense thick carpet of last year's leaves and no fresh traces of human presence.

After the first beech with an inscription, the railing ends, but the path is still one and obvious. From the turn to the waterfall, walk 3 km to the nearest fork. The first attraction is an amazing beech tree. As far as I understand, this is the oldest and largest tree on the route. There is a pleasant coolness under the crown, which is noticeable in the middle of the day, when it is already hot around. The diameter of the trunk is about 1.5 meters, the height is at least 20 meters, the crown spreads over 9 meters. These figures are arbitrary, for the sake of scale - of course, I didn’t run there with a centimeter.

Next, there will be wooden signs indicating the movement to “CENTER FOR VISITORS” in the opposite direction; you can safely ignore them if you went through the waterfall. They are made for those who choose a long ascent and rapid descent. You will also see 2 or three picnic areas. The latter is already in poor condition - very rickety tables and benches. When you reach it, it’s better to use it. This is the last equipped stopping point before the fork. There is not a single table along the descent, only 2 or 3 times in 6.5 km there are benches.

The fork is indicated by a double pointer. “MAIN ROAD” goes to the top and, in the opposite direction, “CENTER FOR VISITORS”. There is no sign to the national park office, the road is to the right and down.

It is also impossible to make a mistake on the descent - there is no longer just a path, but a road. And, judging by the ruts, heavy equipment or 4x4s were driving there already this year. But one section collapsed, another was under rubble and it is only passable on foot. Go down to the same office with hotel rooms. As a rule, after 7 pm tourists leave from there in cars and you can easily find a ride to Chakvi.

There are many false rumors about how to enter the park. They say that it is far away and the road there is bad. In practice, everything is easy and convenient. From the Batumi highway to the park reception is only 12 kilometers. This road begins in the village of Chakvi, about 300 meters north of the bridge over Chakvistskali. The first 8 kilometers of this road are smooth new asphalt. The road winds between houses scattered across the mountains and crosses the river on bridges a couple of times. In some places along the road they sell honey and mineral water. There is also a clearly visible spring.

After 8 kilometers there is a ranger post. Behind the post, the asphalt ends and a rocky road begins, along which light parquet vehicles move, but slowly. The area without asphalt is only 4 kilometers. It leads straight to the reception. The entire road from Chakvi to the reception is covered without any logistical problems. Just drive straight, without turning anywhere. There will be signs here and there.

By personal experience a Volvo passenger car took 30 minutes to drive 4 kilometers without asphalt and 20 minutes to drive 8 kilometers of asphalt. These are the speeds.