Most of Georgia's Black Sea coast is subtropical, with tea plantations, citrus groves and lush forests, and on the plain near Kobuleti, between the sea and the hills, lies one of the strangest landscapes in the Caucasus. The Ispani mires are raised peat bogs, domes of sphagnum moss that have grown over thousands of years, fed only by rain, and they are among the few such bogs in the subtropics. They are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, inscribed in 2021.
The Colchis lowland, the land of the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology, is one of the wettest places in Europe, with heavy rain throughout the year, and its forests and wetlands are relics of the vegetation that covered much of Europe before the Ice Ages. The Ispani bogs are protected in the Kobuleti protected areas, and boardwalks allow visitors to walk out over the moss without damaging it. The bogs are home to rare plants, including carnivorous sundews, and to birds that use the coast as a migration route.
Riding in Georgia is an experience. The main road along the coast, between Batumi and Kobuleti, is busy, with fast and sometimes erratic driving, so stay alert. Overtaking on blind bends is common, and cows wander onto the roads. Inland, the roads climb into the hills of Adjara, with tea plantations and forests, and the road up the Adjaristsqali valley towards the mountains is spectacular, with winding sections, old stone bridges and villages. The climate is humid, with rain at any time of year, and summers are hot and sticky.
Kobuleti, five kilometres away, is a resort town with fuel, shops and restaurants, and Batumi, the main city of Adjara, is about thirty kilometres south, with all services and a lively seafront. Georgian food is a delight: khachapuri, cheese bread, with the Adjarian version shaped like a boat and topped with an egg and butter, and khinkali, dumplings filled with meat and broth. Georgian hospitality is legendary. Walking on the boardwalk over the Ispani bog, with the moss stretching away and the mountains behind, is a peaceful and unusual experience.