GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Poti

Where merchant ships meet ancient wetlands

Poti

Why go

Poti is Georgia's principal Black Sea port, founded in 1858 on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis—mythic river of the Golden Fleece. The town carries the weight of this deep history while functioning as a working harbor where container cranes loom over fishing boats. Its seafront promenade, Mtsvane Kontskhi (Green Cape), offers unpretentious Black Sea atmosphere: locals strolling, children fishing from the breakwater, Soviet-era sanatoriums fading into palms. The real treasure lies eastward: the Kolkheti National Park, a RAMSAR wetland preserving the Colchic lowland ecosystem that Jason would have navigated. Here, water lilies choke silent channels, and pelicans descend from the Pontic mountains.

On the ground See

  • The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1906-1911), a blue-domed Byzantine Revival landmark built by Catholicos-Patriarch Kevork VI, with interior frescoes by Armenian artists from Tbilisi
  • Mtsvane Kontskhi boulevard at sunset, when the port's industrial silhouette softens and families gather at the small amusement park near the lighthouse
  • Kolkheti National Park boat tours through the Paliastomi Lake reedbeds, where you drift through submerged forests and watch for pygmy cormorants and rare Colchic lilies

Practical Know before you go

Best visited May through October; marsh boat tours depart from the park visitor center 15km east of town (arrange in advance, as English-speaking guides are limited).

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly