Ureki

Ureki has the unusual distinction of a black beach: the sand here carries a high proportion of magnetite, an iron oxide that gives it its colour and a weak magnetic property, and the belief that lying in it helps circulatory and joint conditions has made the resort a destination for Georgian families for generations, with sanatoriums and guest houses built around it. The sand heats strongly in the sun. The beach is broad and the sea shelves gently, which makes it popular with families, and the resort fills in July and August. Outside the season it is very quiet, and the pine woods behind the beach are pleasant to walk.

What you actually see

• Black magnetite sand - the iron-rich beach the resort is known for.
• A gently shelving sea - the shallow water families come for.
• Pine woods behind the beach - the planted belt along the shore.
• Sanatoriums and guest houses - the treatment tradition around the sand.

When to go

June to September; the resort largely closes outside those months. A day, or longer as a family base. The sand gets extremely hot at midday.

Honest expectations

The claimed health effects of the sand are folk belief rather than established medicine. The resort is crowded and noisy in high season and dead outside it. The beach is not clean everywhere. The sand stains clothes and towels.

Nearby

Kobuleti is south; Ozurgeti lies inland.