Imnati sits on the Kolkheti lowland, the flat, wet corner of western Georgia where the Rioni river reaches the Black Sea. The land here is marsh, reed bed and alder forest, laced with canals and small lakes, and it is one of the most important wetlands in the region, with a coastal national park that UNESCO recognised in 2021 for its Colchic rainforests and wetlands. Poti, ten kilometres away, is a port town of nearly fifty thousand people, with a harbour full of cranes and a quiet old centre.
The old Greeks called this place Colchis. In the myth, Jason and the Argonauts sailed here to steal the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes, and the Rioni, then called the Phasis, was the river they ascended. The story may preserve a memory of real gold-washing in Georgian streams, where fleeces were once used to catch gold dust. Today the area is the heartland of Samegrelo, or Mingrelia, whose people have their own language and a strong local pride, and whose food is among the best in Georgia.
For a rider the plain is flat and demanding in an unexpected way. The roads are straight, but the surface can be broken, with potholes, standing water after rain and no warning of a sudden hole. Cows, pigs and dogs wander across the tarmac, and drivers overtake with optimism. Keep your speed down and your eyes up. The main highway to Tbilisi runs inland, and the coast road is quiet. Spring and autumn are mild, summer is hot and humid with mosquitoes, and winter brings rain and mist.
Poti has fuel stations and supermarkets, while Urek'i, a seaside resort twelve kilometres away, is known for its dark magnetic sand. Khobi is another small town nearby. For lunch, ask for a Megrelian khachapuri, a round bread with cheese baked inside and more melted cheese on top, or elarji, a cornmeal and cheese dish that stretches into long strands. Hazelnuts, tea and tangerines grow in the area, and the smell of woodsmoke is everywhere in the evening.