Kolkheti National Park

Kolkheti national park covers what remains of the wetlands of the Colchis plain, the low ground behind the Black Sea coast that classical writers knew as Colchis: Lake Paliastomi, a large shallow brackish lake connected to the sea, the rivers and canals around it, wetland forest of alder and oak, and the percolation bogs, raised peat domes fed only by rainfall that are rare in this part of the world and are among the reasons the area was inscribed by UNESCO in 2021 as part of the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands. Boat trips run from Poti onto the lake and into the channels, and the birdlife on passage is substantial.

What you actually see

• Lake Paliastomi - the shallow brackish lake behind the coast.
• Percolation peat bogs - rain-fed raised mires, rare at this latitude.
• Wetland alder forest - the flooded woodland of the plain.
• Migrating birds - the passage over the Black Sea coast.

When to go

April to June and September to November for bird passage; summer is hot and humid with heavy mosquitoes. A day. Boat trips are arranged at the Poti visitor centre.

Honest expectations

Mosquitoes here are severe from late spring to autumn. Boat availability depends on weather and staff. Parts of the park are degraded by drainage and past peat extraction. Poti itself is an industrial port with limited appeal.

Nearby

Poti is adjacent; Kobuleti bogs lie south along the coast.