Churia and Grigoleti

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Churia

   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.

   Read the complete Churia write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Churia is where the day begins. Next is Pitshora.

2. 2. Pitshora

   Close to the Black Sea coast of western Georgia, north of the port city of Poti, the land dissolves into marsh. This is the Colchic lowland, where the Rioni and smaller rivers have built a wide plain of peat bogs, alder swamps and lakes, and Pitshora is one of the wetland areas protected here as part of the Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands World Heritage site, listed in 2021. The rains are heavy, the air is warm and humid, and the vegetation is lush in a way that feels almost tropical, surprising if you think of the Caucasus as dry mountains.

   Read the complete Pitshora write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Pitshora comes up about 35 km into the recorded legs. Next is Grigoleti.

3. 3. Grigoleti

   Grigoleti is a strip of pine woods and black sand on Georgia's Black Sea coast, squeezed between the sea and the great reed beds of Lake Paliastomi, a few kilometres north of the resort of Ureki and a short hop south of the port of Poti. It is a holiday place for Georgian families rather than foreign tourists, with guesthouses among the trees, wooden cafés and a beach that stretches as far as you can see. The sand here, and even more at Ureki, is dark and magnetic, full of iron-rich minerals washed down from the mountains, and locals swear it does wonders for aching joints. After a long day in the saddle feel free to test the theory.

   Read the complete Grigoleti write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 61 km into the recorded legs you reach Grigoleti. Next is back through Pitshora.

4. 4. back through Pitshora

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Pitshora write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Pitshora, late in the day. Next is Churia.

5. 5. Churia

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Churia write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Churia. That is the ride.