მარტვილის კანიონი

Martvili Canyon - Gachedili Canyon - Gochkadili Canyon - Abasha Canyon

Useful Information

Location:	Gachedili Canyon Natural Monument. Fur Bridge, Martvili 3100. From Martvili north on Martvili-Taleri-Chkhorotsku road towards Didi Tchkoni. Parking lot left side of the road, signposted. (42.456717, 42.375708)
Open:	All year daily 10-19. [2021]
Fee:	Adults GEL 10.35, Foreigners GEL 17.25, Children (6-17) GEL 5.50, Children (0-5) free. Boat Tour: Per Person GEL 15. [2008]
Classification:	Gorge
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	L=2,400 m, W=5-10 m, D=20-30 m, A=200-240 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Martvili Canyon, Fur Bridge, Martvili 3100, Tel: +995-579-80-28-42. Visitor Service Specialist Ani Tsikarishvili, Tel: +995-595-80-54-55. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1928	Abasha hydroelectric power station built.
2010	footprints of herbivorous dinosaurs, ammonites, brachiopods, and sea urchins from the Late Cretaceous (100.5–65.5 Ma) discovered by the Ilia State University expedition.
OCT-2013	Martvili canyon declared a protected area by the government of Georgia.

Description

მარტვილის კანიონი (Martvili Canyon) actually has a lot of names. It is named Martvili Canyon after the nearby city Martvili, it is named აბაშის კანიონის (Abasha Canyon) after the river Abasha which flows through, and it is named მარტვილის კანიონი (Gachedili Canyon) after the village Gachedili, where it actually begins. The Abasha river is 66 km long and has a catchment area of 370 km². It is formed by the mountain streams Rachkhitskali and Toba, near the village of Baldi, at 325 m asl. It ends meeting the Tekhuri as its left tributary.

Martvili Canyon is 2.4 km long, 5 m to 10 m wide and 20 m to 30 m deep. There are several waterfalls with 12 m to 15 m high drops.

The visitor center for Martvili Canyon is located in the village Inchkhuri, right in the middle. It has a large parking lot, a café, an exhibition, a walking trail along the gorge, and offers boat tours. The walking trail is 700 m long along the most impressive section of the gorge. It is paved and has two bridges and three viewing platforms. There is a historical staircase down to the water built of 30 limestone steps, which is part of the Dadiani trail. The Dadiani trail is named after the House of Dadiani, a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, which used the gorge as a bath place. The staircase leas to the place, which is said to be the most beautiful part of the gorge and is named დადიანების საბანაოს (Dadiani Bath). According to legend the Georgian Saints Giorgi Mtatsmindeli and Davit Agmashenebeli once used this staircase. For some reason they never tell what the significance of this simple fact is. We guess there are local legends which are known by Georgians, which would explain this.

The boat tour is only 300 m long, but includes numerous rapids and small waterfalls. All necessary equipment is provided, boat, helmet, safety vest and so on, but you should wear appropriate swim wear and shoes which can get wet. For safety reasons there is no boat tour during rainy and snowy weather, and during floods, obviously. The site is open all year, nevertheless the best time to visit is between April and October.

Almost unknown and only visited by locals, the gorge became popular in the early 2000s. The drawbacks were destruction and several accidents by people jumping from waterfalls. As a result the area is now only accessible with a valid ticket through an electronic ticketing system.