Canyon · Gachedili, Martvili Municipality, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Martvili Canyon
მარტვილის კანიონი
A limestone canyon on the Abasha river near Gachedili, with a walkway along the water and short boat trips through the narrow section.
Why go
Martvili is the canyon people picture when they picture Georgian canyons: turquoise water between mossy limestone walls, a walkway at the level of the river, and an inflatable boat ride through the narrowest part. The canyon runs about 2.4 kilometres and sits low, around 210 metres, which is why it is green and humid in a way the higher canyons are not. The boat is the reason most people come and also the part most worth understanding before arriving: it is short, it is weather-dependent, and it is the first thing suspended when the river is high. Going for the walkway and treating the boat as a bonus is the way to avoid a wasted drive.
Getting there
About 5 km from Martvili town on a surfaced road, and roughly 34 km in a straight line from Kutaisi — further by road. There is a car park and a managed entrance; the walkway and the boat launch are reached on foot from there.
Best time to visit
Late spring to early autumn. Midsummer is busiest and the queue for the boat is the limiting factor.
Through the year
River level governs the boat: high water after rain or snowmelt suspends it, and the walkway is slippery in the same conditions. The canyon is at its most photogenic in the green months.
Safety
Wet limestone and wooden decking are slippery, and the water is cold and moving. The boat operates at the site's discretion and is suspended when the river is high.
Base yourself nearby
Town and Nature Base
Martvili
Martvili is a small town in Samegrelo surrounded by limestone canyons, waterfalls, forested river valleys, historic churches and some of western Georgia's most distinctive Megrelian food traditions.
City
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is one of Georgia’s oldest cities and the cultural heart of Imereti, combining medieval monuments, lively markets, bridges over the Rioni, distinctive western Georgian food and easy access to caves, monasteries, canyons, spa towns and wine country.
Near Martvili Canyon
Waterfall
Kaghu Waterfall
A moss-covered waterfall in the Abasha valley near Balda, twenty minutes on foot from Balda Monastery and a short drive from Martvili Canyon.
6 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Waterfall
Oniore Waterfall
A 67-metre waterfall in the Toba gorge above Balda, fed by an underground river that emerges from a cave, reached on a half-day forest walk from Balda Monastery.
7 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Canyon
Okatse Canyon
A narrow limestone canyon in Khoni municipality with a metal walkway pinned to the cliff, reached from a visitor centre near the village of Zeda Gordi.
12 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Waterfall
Kinchkha Waterfall
A three-stage waterfall dropping through the hills of Khoni municipality, high above the Okatse valley and reached on the same road as the canyon walkway.
15 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ