Beaches of Batumi and around: Batumi, Gonio, Kvariati, Sarpi, Kobuleti, Ureki
Updated 3 November 2026
Batumi's beach is pebbly, free and about 7 km long, with the quietest stretch along the New Boulevard in the north; the water is cleanest south of the city in Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi (12–20 km, 20–40 minutes by bus 16 or a 15–30 lari taxi), and the only sand is 50 km north in Ureki, which is black and magnetic. The season runs from late June to late September, with the sea at 22–26 °C. Below are all the beaches within an hour, how to get to each and which one to pick for what.
| Beach | From Batumi | Surface | How to get there | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batumi city beach | 0–3 km | grey pebbles, marble- to palm-sized | on foot or city bus; from our building 7 min on foot | the Boulevard, sunsets, bars, no planning |
| Green Cape (Mtsvane Kontskhi) | 9–10 km north | pebbles, darker | bus 10 / 10a towards the Botanical Garden, 20 min | quiet, the Botanical Garden above |
| Gonio | 12 km south | wide pebble beach, calmer and cleaner water | bus 16 towards Sarpi or a minibus, 20–30 min; Bolt 15–25 ₾ | families, the Roman fortress, a slower day |
| Kvariati | 15 km south | large pebbles, the clearest water | bus 16 or a minibus, 30–40 min; Bolt 20–30 ₾ | swimming, snorkelling, diving, mountains over the sea |
| Sarpi | 20 km south, at the Turkish border | smooth pebbles under cliffs, deep clear water | bus 16 to the terminus, 40 min; Bolt 25–35 ₾ | a half-day trip, cliff jumping |
| Kobuleti | 25–30 km north | sand and pebble mix, long and flat, pines behind | minibus 3 ₾, 45–60 min; the Tbilisi train stops there | families, long walks, fewer towers |
| Ureki | 50 km north | fine black magnetic sand, shallow for 50 m | the Tbilisi train or a Poti minibus; taxi 60–90 ₾ | small children, the only sand nearby |
Prices and routes are as of November 2026; bus routes and fares change, so check the number with the driver. None of the Georgian beaches has a Blue Flag — Georgia is not in the programme — so judge the water by the stretch, not by a sign.
Batumi city beach: pebbles, free, 7 km
The city beach runs along the whole Boulevard, from the port in the south to the Makhinjauri headland in the north. The surface is pebbles everywhere — from marble-sized near the water to palm-sized higher up — so bring water shoes or sandals you can swim in; there is no sand. The seabed drops off within a few metres, which is good for swimmers and less good for toddlers. Entry is free; a sun lounger with an umbrella costs 5–15 ₾ a day (20–25 ₾ for a set of two in August), showers are free and toilets 1–2 ₾. There are changing cabins, lifeguard towers from June to September on the central sections, and red flags when swimming is banned in a storm.
Where to lie down matters. The centre, between the Alphabet Tower and the port, is the busiest from late June to early September, with bars and music until late. The New Boulevard stretch north of the stadium — the one 7 minutes from our building — is residential and much calmer, with the same pebbles and the same sea. Avoid swimming next to the port and for a day after heavy rain, when the rivers bring mud into the bay; the EU-funded sewage system now takes the city's waste water to a treatment plant, so the old complaints about the water are mostly history.
Jellyfish appear in the second half of summer; the moon and barrel jellyfish of the Black Sea do not sting. Sea temperature is about 22 °C in June, 25 °C in July, 26 °C in August, 24 °C in September and 20 °C in October — the velvet season in September is many people's favourite. Paddle boards are rented by the hour at the Hilton lifeguard tower (15 ₾ for 30 minutes, 25 ₾ an hour).
Gonio: the family beach with a Roman fortress
Twelve kilometres south, Gonio is the first village after the airport: a wide pebble beach, calmer and cleaner water than in the city, and cafés and small guesthouses along the road rather than towers. Bus 16 runs from Batumi towards Sarpi along the coast road and stops in Gonio in 20–30 minutes; minibuses go the same way; a Bolt is 15–25 ₾. The Gonio-Apsaros fortress on the main road is a first-century Roman fort with 18 towers, later Byzantine and Ottoman, and a quiet place to walk after the beach — 15 ₾ for foreign visitors, 10:00–17:00 (Visit Ajara). In summer the coast road south is jammed in the evening: go early and come back before six, or stay for dinner.
Kvariati: the clearest water
Three kilometres further, Kvariati is the beach people mean when they say "the best beach near Batumi": large pebbles, deep and very clear water, and the mountains coming right down to the shore. It is small and fills up in July and August, with beach bars and bungalows playing music in the evening. Georgia's diving centres are here, and snorkelling from the shore is good on a calm day. The same bus 16 and minibuses stop on the road above the beach; a Bolt from Batumi is 20–30 ₾.
Sarpi: the beach at the border
Sarpi is the last village before Turkey: the border post is on the beach itself, and the sea here is the deepest and clearest of all — a short strip of smooth pebbles under the cliffs, with young people jumping from the rocks. There is not much else: a few cafés, the road and the border queue. Bus 16 ends here (about 40 minutes from Batumi); it is an easy half-day trip combined with Gonio or Kvariati.
North: Green Cape, Kobuleti, Ureki
Green Cape, 9–10 km north, is the pebble beach under the Botanical Garden — quiet, darker pebbles, a few cafés, and the garden's lower gate right there, so a morning in the garden and an afternoon on the beach is a natural pair (see the Botanical Garden). Bus 10 or 10a from the city gets there in about 20 minutes.
Kobuleti, 25–30 km north, is a long, flat beach of sand mixed with pebbles, with a belt of pines behind and a slower, family resort feel; the towers of Batumi are out of sight. A minibus from Batumi is 3 ₾ and 45–60 minutes; the Tbilisi train stops here too.
Ureki, 50 km north, is the one sandy beach in reach: fine black magnetic sand, which locals credit with healing properties, and water that stays shallow for fifty metres — the easiest beach for small children. The Tbilisi train and the Poti minibuses stop in Ureki; a taxi is 60–90 ₾ each way. See Batumi to Tbilisi for the train.
Where we go
Our two studios are on the 33rd floor of Blue Sky Tower, 7 minutes on foot from the beach by the New Boulevard — the calm northern stretch, where we swim before breakfast in September and watch the sunset from the pebbles in the evening (the coast faces west). For a beach day away we take a Bolt to Kvariati in the morning, walk to Gonio for lunch and the fortress, and come back on bus 16 before the evening traffic. After the beach, the studios have a washing machine for the towels, a drying rack on the balcony and a bathroom with a heated floor. You book directly with us on this site: see the studios.
More from our Batumi guide: weather and sea by month, what to see in Batumi and prices in Batumi.
Questions and answers
Are the beaches in Batumi sandy or pebbly?
Pebbly — grey pebbles from marble- to palm-sized along the whole 7 km of the city beach, and pebbles in Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi too. The nearest sand is in Ureki, 50 km north: fine black magnetic sand with shallow water. Kobuleti has a sand and pebble mix.
Which is the best beach near Batumi?
Kvariati, 15 km south, for the clearest and deepest water and the mountain backdrop; Gonio, 12 km south, for a wide, calmer beach with families and the Roman fortress; Ureki, 50 km north, for small children, with sand and shallow water. In the city itself, the New Boulevard stretch in the north is the quietest.
How do I get from Batumi to Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi?
City bus 16 runs along the coast road towards Sarpi and stops in Gonio (20–30 minutes) and Kvariati (30–40 minutes), ending in Sarpi after about 40 minutes; minibuses go the same way. A Bolt costs about 15–25 ₾ to Gonio, 20–30 ₾ to Kvariati and 25–35 ₾ to Sarpi.
Is the sea in Batumi clean?
In the city it is fine away from the port, except for a day after heavy rain, when the rivers muddy the bay; the sewage now goes to a treatment plant. South of the city, in Gonio, Kvariati and Sarpi, the water is noticeably clearer. No Georgian beach has a Blue Flag, because Georgia is not in the programme.
When is the swimming season in Batumi?
Late June to late September, and into mid-October in a warm year. The sea is about 22 °C in June, 25–26 °C in July and August, 24 °C in September and 20 °C in October. Jellyfish come in the second half of summer, but the Black Sea species do not sting.
Do you have to pay for the beach in Batumi?
No. Every beach is free; you pay only for a sun lounger with an umbrella, 5–15 ₾ a day, or 20–25 ₾ for a set of two in high season. Showers on the city beach are free.
Sources: Visit Batumi — Black Sea beaches, Visit Ajara — Gonio-Apsaros fortress, Visit Ajara — paddle board rental, Go Batumi — getting around the region, Batumi Boulevard — beach preparations for the season, Madloba — Batumi beaches: pebbles or sand, Madloba — Batumi to Gonio, Madloba — swimming season and jellyfish, Wander-Lush — day trips from Batumi, EU Neighbours East — how Batumi solved its sea pollution, Blue Flag — national operators. Checked in November 2026.