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Imagine floating in a small boat down a river with bright, greenish-blue water. Tall cliffs covered in green moss and ivy rise straight up on both sides, almost touching above you in some places. Waterfalls tumble down the rocks, making a gentle splashing sound. Sunlight filters through the leaves high above, making the water sparkle. This beautiful place is Martvili Canyon in the Samegrelo region of Georgia.
Martvili Canyon is special because you can explore it right from the water. Unlike some canyons where you mostly walk along the top, here the main adventure is a boat ride through the most stunning part. It feels like entering a hidden, magical world. The water is so clear you can sometimes see the smooth stones on the riverbed below. The air is cool and fresh, filled with the smell of damp earth and plants.
Your visit usually starts at the Martvili Canyon Visitor Centre. Here, you buy tickets for the boat ride and the walking trail. The boat ride is the first part. You’ll get into a small inflatable boat with a guide who paddles you gently down the Abasha River. The ride is short, maybe 15-20 minutes, but it takes you through the narrowest and prettiest part of the upper canyon. Look up at the huge cliffs, watch the waterfalls, and enjoy the peaceful feeling. It’s a great trip for families and anyone who loves nature.
After the boat ride, you get out and start the second part: a walk along well-made paths and bridges. This walking trail goes through the forest along the side of the canyon. It lets you see different parts of the river and more waterfalls from above. There are several viewing platforms built over the canyon, giving you amazing spots to take photos. You can look down at the beautiful water and the shapes the river has carved into the rocks over a very long time. You might even see the boats floating below where you just were. The walk is easy and pleasant, about 700 meters long, and shows off the beauty of the Dadiani Gorge, named after the noble family who once lived here. You’ll also see some old stone steps and ruins that hint at the area’s past. The whole visit, including the boat ride and the walk, usually takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. It’s a wonderful way to see one of Georgia’s natural treasures up close.
The story of Martvili Canyon didn’t start with people, boats, or bridges. It started a very, very long time ago, even before the dinosaurs whose footprints were found nearby! The history of this place is mostly about how water slowly shaped the land over millions and millions of years.
The rocks you see at Martvili Canyon are mainly limestone. Limestone is a type of rock made from tiny bits of shells and sea creatures that lived in warm, shallow oceans a huge amount of time ago – during the Cretaceous period, which was the last part of the age of dinosaurs, maybe 70 to 100 million years ago. Back then, this whole area of Georgia was under the sea. Over millions of years, the skeletons and shells of tiny sea animals piled up on the ocean floor, got squashed together, and slowly turned into the limestone rock we see today.
After the seas went away, the land started to rise up because of huge movements in the Earth’s crust (the same forces that build mountains). As the land rose, rivers started to flow across it. One of these rivers was the Abasha River, which flows through Martvili Canyon today. Rivers are powerful things. Even though water seems soft, over long periods, it can cut through solid rock. The Abasha River started flowing over the limestone beds. Limestone is softer than many other rocks, and it can also be slowly dissolved by slightly acidic water (rainwater naturally becomes a bit acidic). So, the river began carving a path for itself.
Think of it like this: imagine dragging your finger through wet sand over and over again along the same line. Slowly, you’d make a little channel. The river did something similar, but much, much bigger and over millions of years. It carried sand and pebbles that acted like sandpaper, grinding away at the rock. The slightly acidic water also helped dissolve the limestone. Year after year, century after century, millennium after millennium, the river cut deeper and deeper into the rock. Where the rock was a bit weaker or had cracks, the river cut faster, making the canyon twist and turn. The very steep cliffs we see today were formed as the river cut straight down faster than the sides could crumble away. This whole process, called erosion, created the beautiful gorge, which is about 2.4 kilometers (about 1.5 miles) long and between 20 to 40 meters (65 to 130 feet) deep in the parts visitors see. The amazing shapes, smooth curves, and deep pools were all sculpted by the patient work of the Abasha River.
Now, let’s talk about those dinosaurs! Not far from the main canyon area visited today, scientists found something incredible: fossilized dinosaur footprints! These footprints were left in mud that later hardened into rock, preserving the steps of creatures that walked here around 70 million years ago. Finding these footprints tells us that during the Late Cretaceous period, this area wasn’t deep under the sea anymore. It was likely a coastal area, maybe a muddy flat or beach near the edge of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Dinosaurs, possibly plant-eaters or even predators, walked across this mud, leaving their tracks behind. Over time, these tracks were buried by more sediment (like sand or mud), which protected them. Eventually, these layers turned into rock, keeping the footprints hidden until erosion exposed them again millions of years later. These footprints are a direct link to a time when giant reptiles ruled the Earth, right here in what is now Martvili. While you don’t see the main footprints on the regular tourist trail today, knowing they were found nearby adds another layer of wonder to the place. It reminds us just how ancient this landscape really is.
For most of human history, Martvili Canyon was probably a wild place, known mainly to local people. Its steep cliffs and rushing water might have made it difficult to access or use easily. However, the area around it became important much later, especially during the time of the Dadiani family. The Dadianis were powerful nobles who ruled the region of Samegrelo for centuries, from medieval times until the 19th century. They were known for their palaces, their wealth, and their influence.
The Dadiani family owned vast lands, and the area around Martvili, including the canyon itself, was part of their estates. Historical records suggest they knew about the canyon and perhaps even used it in some way. Some stories say they used the upper parts of the canyon, with its calm pools and beautiful scenery, as a private bathing place. Imagine the princes and princesses of the Dadiani family escaping the summer heat by visiting these cool, secluded waters! The old stone steps and paths, some of which can still be seen near the walking trail today, might be remnants from the time when the Dadianis visited or managed this area. The gorge is sometimes even called the “Dadiani Bathing Place” or “Dadiani Gorge.” Their connection adds a touch of noble history and romance to the natural beauty. They would have appreciated the unique landscape, even if they didn’t have inflatable boats or viewing platforms back then!
After the Dadiani period ended and Georgia became part of the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union, Martvili Canyon remained a local natural beauty spot. It wasn’t developed for large-scale tourism. People living nearby knew about it and might have visited for picnics or to enjoy the scenery, but it wasn’t widely known or easily accessible to outsiders. Its potential as a major attraction wasn’t realized until relatively recently.
The big change came after Georgia gained independence in the early 1990s and started looking for ways to develop its economy, especially through tourism. Like Okatse Canyon, Martvili was identified as a place with huge potential because of its unique beauty – the combination of the narrow gorge, the stunning water color, the waterfalls, and the possibility of boat trips. In the early 2010s, efforts began to develop the canyon for tourism in a safe and organized way.
This involved building the Visitor Centre to manage access and provide information. Importantly, they built the boat dock and organized the boat tours, allowing people to experience the most dramatic part of the canyon from the water level safely. They also constructed the walking trail along the upper gorge, adding bridges and viewing platforms at key points to give visitors different perspectives and photo opportunities. The goal was to make the canyon accessible while protecting its natural environment. The development aimed to showcase the beauty without spoiling it.
Since opening as an official tourist site around 2015-2016, Martvili Canyon has become incredibly popular. It attracts visitors from all over Georgia and around the world. People love the unique experience of the boat ride, the beautiful colors, and the easy walk through the lovely scenery. It has become one of the must-see natural attractions in Western Georgia, often visited along with Okatse Canyon and Prometheus Cave. This recent history is about making this ancient natural wonder accessible for everyone to enjoy, bringing jobs and visitors to the region while trying to preserve the magic that nature created over millions of years.
Martvili Canyon is in a great spot for exploring other cool places nearby. You can easily combine your visit with these attractions:
Martvili Canyon is located in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region of Western Georgia.
Find it on the Map:
For directions and the exact location of the visitor center, you can use this link:
View Martvili Canyon Visitor Centre on Google Maps
Important Tip: It’s always a good idea to check the official website or call ahead for the latest opening hours and ticket prices, especially as they might change with the seasons. The boat trips might stop if the river level is too high or too low, or during bad weather.
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