Kintrishi National Park - tourist route to Lake Tbikeli

Kintrishi National Park

This hike was one of the most impressive hikes of my life. One rainy day, a jeep took us to the village of Khino, which is located about 38 km from Kobuleti and 20 km from the village of Chakhati. It was June and it rained almost every day.

However, the fresh bright green colors of spring, Adjarian summer houses, plants of the kingdom of the tropics and subtropics, and the hospitality of the locals made our stay in Adjara unforgettable, despite the rain. We also visited the Khino waterfall, which is located in the dense forests. We decided to start our trip early - at 5 am.

Kintrishi National Park

When we woke up, we saw that the weather was foggy and damp. Not everyone dared to make a 24-kilometer hike, designed for a day (12 km one way). Passing the Khino monastery, we crossed several fields and a small bridge over the river, and then began our ascent to the mountain range.

It was so humid that we were all sweaty and couldn't breathe properly. However, everything was brightened up by an exotically beautiful path: tall trees, chestnut and beech forest untouched by people - I have never seen so much greenery and colors in my life.

Most of the way there was fog, but when we climbed to an altitude of 1800 m (approximately), the sun appeared through the trees. Tired, at first we did not pay attention to this, but then we almost took it for a miracle!

Kintrishi National Park

From the contemplation of such beauty, we were uplifted until the end of the day. We soon climbed the mountain range and indeed saw that the day was sunny, while it was still raining on Hino and its surrounding lowlands.

We were above the level of clouds - they floated under us, and we enjoyed majestic snowy peaks, bright greenery, rhododendron flowers, taking photos along the way. Having reached the highest point of this ridge (by the way, there is a hut very close by), we were able to see the Gomis Mta Resort park hotel.

By the way, the photos from Gomis Mta Resort are also amazing, so if you have time, you can go down to the river gorge from the observation deck and climb the mountain range where Gomis Mta Resort. From the park-hotel you can walk to the Bakhmaro Resort and watch the beautiful sunset or sunrise from there.

Then we saw the lake. Our hike would have been much more pleasant if it were in close proximity to the top of the ridge, say, right at an altitude of 2400 meters above sea level. Tired, we went down the path, and then got to the lake and again climbed to the observation deck of the mountain range. It was tiring, but the lake was worth it.

It was a stunning color, and all around was snow and rhododendron blossoms. We rested for a few hours, enjoyed the magnificent views and took pictures, but soon we started our way back. It took us 3-4 hours to go down to the Hino Falls, and when we finished, a dark night fell, in addition, it rained in the forest. (Overall, it took us 6-7 hours to get to the lake, given that we stopped many times to take photos).

Hino Waterfall

We again spent the night in a cozy, but devoid of some amenities, house of Adjarian cattle breeders, and the next day we stopped at Chakhati. There we looked at the magnificent Adzharian bridge, a waterfall and a monastery. We spent half a day on everything about everything - not so little, considering that we set Lake Tbikeli as the main goal. That day the weather was good, so in Kobuleti we swam in the Black Sea, and then went to Tbilisi.

A few words about protected natural areas of Kintrishi. They are located in the Kobuleti municipality in the gorge of the Kintrishi River at an altitude of 300-2,500 meters above sea level. Kintrishi protected areas offer their visitors two tourist routes: both on foot and on horseback. There are places for picnics and campsites along the entire route, as well as places for a fire.

Kintrishi National Park

Tourists can visit these territories at any time of the year, but the best time to admire the lake is from June-early July to September-October. Excursions are organized in protected areas, horse and local transport is provided.

Transport: the road to Hino waterfall by jeep takes about 3-4 hours (depending on the driver, road conditions, etc.). Kobuleti can be reached from Tbilisi by bus (leaving from Didube station (20 Georgian lari)) or by train (15-30 Georgian lari).

Route length to Lake Tbikeli (from Khino village): 24 km (12 km one way); complexity route: high.


Useful information:

– You can shorten the route by starting the hike from the village of Khino and leaving the car on the territory of the monastery.

– The best time for this route is June-September.

- Due to the relatively humid climate, walking is quite difficult, however, once you reach the Alpine zone, it becomes easier.

– You can climb the lake and return to the village of Hino in one day (starting at 5 am), or you can spend the night in a small hut in the alpine zone or in a camp on the lake.

For more information, please visit the official website of Kintrishi Protected Natural Areas. The tourist route is not very clearly marked, so you will definitely need a GPS or a guide. You can find the GPS track below.

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