There are two natural features in western Georgia that you don’t want to miss. One is Martvili Canyon, where a deep, tree-covered gorge leads to dozens of small waterfalls. Another is the large Prometheus Cave, loaded with dramatic stalactites and stalagmites. With their close proximity to Kutaisi, it is easy to see both in one day, making it a perfect day trip.
Martvili Canyon
Millions of years ago, the Abasha River cut its way through the limestone cliffs to create the stunning Martvili Canyon. Tall walls covered in lush vegetation, stand only meters apart creating a beautiful, natural scene.
As the river races down the gorge, it carves out dozens of troughs in the cliffs, making multiple pathways for the water to drop down the canyon walls. Most are concentrated in one area, so they appear as one large waterfall.
Historically, these falls were a favourite bathing place of the medieval Dadian Royal family, from Zugdidi, 60 km away. You can no longer go under the falls as the royals would have, but instead, view them from a paved pathway above. The 2.5 km long path features several lookouts and bridges that offer wonderful viewing opportunities of the gorge. It’s called the Dadiani Walkway after the Royal family.
In one area, the gorge is very narrow, only a few meters wide. It was a picture of these tight walls that first attracted us to Martvili Canyon. Although not a large area, it is just as dramatic as we hoped.
Surrounding the gorge is a healthy forest where spindly trees hang over the narrow canyon, while the river swirls with eddys below. We stared in awe at the twisted limbs reaching out to find their spot in the sun.
It’s a very pretty canyon and worth a visit.
Depending on conditions, it may be possible to take a rafting trip on the river. These tours will take you through a different part of the canyon that you can’t see on foot. Tours don’t operate when the water is too rough or too high from the rain. Unfortunately for us, that was the case. Given that the annual rainfall is over 1,800 mm, we think they’re closed more often than they are available.
Entrance is 20 GEL (€6.25), and raft rides are another 20 GEL; Opening Hours – 10am to 11 pm, summer, 10am-9pm winter.
Getting to Martvili
Located only 45 km from Kutaisi, if you have your own car, it’s easy to visit on your own. The roads are in fair condition though, and there are numerous potholes to watch out for. Where the highway runs through Martvili town, it is exceptionally rough. Another concern if you drive yourself are the cows. They graze along the side of the road and frequently cross or stand in the middle of the highway.
If you prefer, there are many tour companies in Kutaisi that have day trips that include the canyon and Prometheus Cave. Another option is to take a marshrutka to the town of Martvili, and then a taxi to the canyon. This isn’t necessarily an easy or cheap option, and you would likely not be not be able to see the cave in the same day.
Prometheus Cave
Located in an overgrown forest, this 70,000 year old karst cave is a popular site in central Georgia. Prometheus Cave is part of a 17 km long underground river system, making it one of the largest caves in Georgia. It was only discovered in the 1980s when the Soviet military was searching for potential underground evacuation sites in the event of a nuclear war.
Instead of a being used as a nuclear refuge, today Prometheus Cave is open to visitors. A 1.4 km long pathway takes you through 6 of its 22 caverns and allows tourists to get deep inside this mammoth and see its many wonders.
Not long after entering the cave, you reach the first cavern. It is named Argonauts’ Hall, after the Greek epic about Jason and the Argonauts. The cave is not mentioned in the story, but the nearby city of Kutaisi plays a major role. To commemorate this, a mural was painted on the cave wall. Seeing this newly added painting, though, made us wonder if the cave was going to be very kitschy and that we’d regret our decision to visit.
After Argonauts’ Hall, the cave was rather bare with very few pinnacles or typical cave features. We were quite disappointed. That started to change, though, when we arrived at Medea’s Hall. Medea, from The Argonautica myth, was known for her healing abilities. This cavern was named after her because it is free of allergens.
As we walked deeper into the cave from Medea’s Hall, the wow factor intensified. The cave walls were overloaded with fascinating formations created by water slowly dripping down the limestone walls. We gazed at the many stalactites and stalagmites that presented in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
One Cavern is called Hall of Love because two of its columns appear to be facing one another, as if they were a bride and groom. We’re not exactly sure which ones they’re talking about, since there are several to choose from. Maybe you can. Apparently, many weddings are performed in this cavern.
The tour not only takes you deep into the cave, it also descends many levels. At its deepest, we were 80m (260ft) below the surface in Prometheus’ Hall. The name refers to the Greek legend where Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to the mortals. In punishment for his actions, Prometheus was chained to a cave in a mountain. Many believe it was Mt. Kazbek; others say it was Mt. Elbrus. No one claims it to be this cave. It was originally called Kumistavi, but was renamed Prometheus Cave in 2010 as a marketing gimmick, since the legend may have occurred in Georgia.
You can read about our trip to Mt. Kazbek here, and Richard’s climb on Mt. Elbrus here.
When the cave was discovered in the 1980s, Prometheus’ Hall was the first cavern entered. To commemorate this, the most notable stalagmite here is called Victory Stalagmite. Its darker colour is the result of manganese, which can be seen in a few other parts of the cave.
In addition to the typical cave features, the walk also takes you by some of the many underground rivers and springs in the cave.
After taking our time walking through the cave, we lined up at the boat ride that would take us the final 900m to reach the exit. The boat trip, though, was a let down. It zoomed through a narrow passageway so fast that we were barely able to look around. There weren’t many cave features anyway, but we had hoped for a boat ride similar to ones we had in Pai, Thailand, Kong Lor, Laos or Hpa An, Myanmar.
The other way out is a short walk, which is a better option. There’s an extra fee for the boat ride, and since there’s nothing to see, we suggest skipping it.
Entrance Fee – 25 GEL (€7.80). The boat is an extra 20 GEL (€6.25). Opening Hours – 10am-6pm, closed Mondays. Fees include the mandatory guided tour. They begin every thirty minutes and take around 45 minutes. Guides speak Georgian, English and Russian. Photographs are allowed, but flash is not.
How to get to Prometheus Cave
If you have a car, you can easily drive to the cave, but the highways are not in great condition. If you don’t have a car, you can take a marshrutka to Tskhaltubo, and then a taxi to the cave. The other, easier option is to take a tour from Kutaisi, most will include Martvili Canyon.
You can read about Kutaisi in our post Cultural Highlights of Kutaisi.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Georgia.
To read more of our adventures in Georgia, click here.
Coming Next – Exploring The Architectural Gems In Batumi.
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