Kobuleti: a guide
Kobuleti: when to go, how to get there, and what it costs.
Kobuleti is a seaside town about 25 km north of Batumi, strung out along the shore and built mostly for the summer. It is quieter and cheaper than Batumi and the beach runs for several kilometres, so it is popular with families from Tbilisi and from Armenia. Outside July and August much of it is shut.
When to go
- ·July and August are full, the sea is warm and prices are at their highest. Many guesthouses only really open for these two months.
- ·June and September have fewer people and lower prices. The sea is warmer in September than in June.
- ·October to May is wet and quiet, and most of the beach cafes are closed. Fine for a cheap, quiet stay, not for a beach holiday.
Getting there
- ·By train from Tbilisi to Kobuleti station, on the same train that goes on to Batumi. About five hours. In summer buy tickets well ahead.
- ·By marshrutka or bus from Batumi, about forty minutes along the coast road.
- ·From Batumi airport by taxi, about forty minutes, longer in summer traffic.
What it costs
A night in a guesthouse, in season60 to 150 GEL
A night in a hotel, in season120 to 300 GEL
A night out of season40 to 100 GEL
A meal out25 to 50 GEL
Rough figures. They move with the season and the place.
Worth doing
- ·The beach, several kilometres of it, and a walk along the shore in the evening.
- ·The Ispani peat bogs, part of the Kobuleti protected areas and known for birdwatching.
- ·Petra fortress at Tsikhisdziri, a few kilometres south.
- ·The Kintrishi protected area, up the valley inland. A day out by car.
One thing worth knowing
Kobuleti is very long and very thin. Check exactly where on that strip a place is before you book: a room in Kobuleti can be a long way from the station, the shops or the part of the beach you had in mind.
