Poti, on the Black Sea coast of Georgia, stands at the mouth of the Rioni, the river the ancients called the Phasis, and this is the legendary land of Colchis, where Jason and the Argonauts sailed in search of the Golden Fleece. Churia lies a short way inland, in the lowlands of Samegrelo, among maize fields, hazel groves and wetlands. The area is part of the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, a UNESCO site added in 2021, which protects a remnant of the ancient forests that once covered much of the coast, with alder swamps, peat bogs and rare ferns.
Kolkheti National Park, with Lake Paliastomi at its heart, is a paradise for birds, and the autumn migration brings thousands of raptors and waterfowl along the Black Sea flyway. The climate is subtropical, warm and humid, with heavy rain, and the ground is often wet. In summer the heat can be oppressive, with mosquitoes in the wetlands, so go in spring or early autumn. The smell of the place is damp earth, woodsmoke and wild flowers.
The Mingrelian cuisine of this region is among the most distinctive in Georgia. Look for gomi, a firm cornmeal porridge served with cheese, satsivi, a walnut sauce over chicken or turkey, and spicy adjika. Roadside stalls sell churchkhela, strings of walnuts dipped in grape must, and the hospitality is formidable, with toasts and wine at the slightest excuse. Poti, a port city of about forty-seven thousand people, has fuel and plenty of restaurants.
For riders, the roads here are flat and fast, but drivers can be unpredictable, and cows and pigs wander on the highways. The main road between Poti, Senaki and Kutaisi, the E60, carries heavy lorries, and the surface is a mix of good asphalt and potholes. Kutaisi, an hour or so inland, has the medieval monastery of Gelati, founded in 1106 by King David the Builder, with its golden mosaic of the Virgin and Child. Plan for sudden downpours, and carry water in summer.