The Ferris wheel, the Piazza and the botanical garden appear on every list, but this guide is about a different Batumi: a banana grove with a train running through it, planes a hundred meters above your head, a village higher than the clouds and a market where salmon is cleaned in front of you. Only places missing from standard guidebooks made the cut, each with coordinates and an honest note on who will enjoy it and who won't. For the classics, head to the top 20 attractions of Batumi; the unconventional part starts here.
Table of contents
Banana grove and the wooden beach
A place nicknamed the "Georgian Bali": a slope of real banana plants between the Castello Mare hotel and Petra Fortress, a staircase down to a wooden beach under the cliffs, a small waterfall and a railway line where a train passes from time to time - shots of the train among the bananas have become the signature of this spot. The bananas, by the way, never ripen: the Adjarian summer is too short for them, and the green bunches hang on until the cold sets in.
The descent starts at 41.759001, 41.748901, entry is free. The stairs are steep, so wear non-slip shoes; there are no lifeguards on the beach, and currents occur along the shore. A full breakdown with minibuses and every warning is on the banana grove in Tsikhisdziri page.
Abandoned lemon greenhouse by Petra Fortress
At the foot of Petra Fortress stands an old Soviet greenhouse where lemons were once grown. Today it is an atmospheric ruin with a note of nostalgia: glass spans, rusty frames with greenery growing through them, and the feel of a "secret facility" half an hour from Batumi. Photographers and urban explorers have plenty to work with here, and for kids it is an adventure.
Use the fortress parking lot as a landmark (41.767257, 41.753078); the greenhouse is further down the slope. There is no entry ticket and no supervision either: you go inside at your own risk, and watching your step is a must.
Plane spotting by the runway
The only entry on this list that also made the top 20: a viewing spot at the end of the Batumi airport runway (41.618303, 41.586697), where planes pass right overhead - lower than you have ever seen them. Open the online arrivals board in advance to catch more aircraft, and keep in mind that delays are routine here. A blanket, takeaway coffee from the cafes nearby - and you have an unusual picnic under the roar of turbines.
Confluence of two rivers
On the way out of Batumi toward the mountains, the Chorokhi and the Adjaristskali meet - two rivers of different colors that flow side by side for a few dozen meters without mixing: the border between the muddy and the turquoise stream is visible to the naked eye. It is a viewpoint on the route of every tour to Mountain Adjara, but you can also stop here on your own - details are on the confluence of two rivers page. The effect is strongest after rain in the mountains, when the color contrast peaks.
Gomismta: the village above the clouds
The farthest and most impressive entry on the list: a mountain village in Guria at about 2100 meters, where clouds regularly lie below the viewpoint and the setting sun sinks into a white sea. Wooden summer houses inhabited three months a year, stars with no city light pollution and zero shops - the village is only alive from June to mid-November, after which snow buries it above the rooftops.
The viewpoint coordinates are 41.827123, 42.158182, about 88 km from Batumi, and the final stretch is a steep serpentine road you should not attempt in a weak car. Season, road rules and overnight options are on the Gomismta page.
Fish market
The market by the port (27 Baku St., coordinates 41.649185, 41.663251) is open from 10:00 to 22:00: stalls of fresh catch, salmon at around 25 lari per kilogram, and the fish is cleaned in front of you on request. To be honest: the market is smaller than tourists expect, and the atmosphere can get pushy - vendors and touts from the neighboring restaurants actively offer to cook your purchase on the spot. If you enjoy market bustle and haggling, this is your kind of attraction; if not, a quiet dinner in the city is the better choice.
Lech and Maria Kaczynski Park
A park in the modern part of the city (41.627106, 41.598768) that most tourists never hear about: fountains, well-kept paths, benches and noticeably fewer people than on the boulevard. A perfect pause between the spotting point and the shopping malls - all three sit close together, and from the park it is easy to continue toward Ardagani Lake and the illuminated towers.
Mini zoo in the 6 May Park
A free mini zoo (41.646628, 41.627249) in the oldest park of the city - a place people walk past without suspecting it exists. The animals are few, but entry costs nothing, century-old trees give shade around Nurigeli Lake, and children have to be dragged away. An honest alternative to the paid entertainment of the seafront, especially in the heat.
Mirveti waterfall and the bridge in the forest
While everyone heads to Makhuntseti, the Mirveti waterfall remains a shady secret: a short trail through subtropical forest, a stone pool and far fewer people. On the way there is the old Queen Tamara arch bridge, built without mortar: the same genre as the famous bridge in Makhuntseti, only without the queue for a photo. Half an hour from the city - and you are in a place where all you hear is water.
Tours of the unusual places
Half of this list can be covered with two trips. The "Georgian Bali" tour combines the banana grove, the wooden beach, the lemon greenhouse and Petra Fortress into one day with lunch at a trout farm, while the evening tour to Gomismta brings you to a sunset above the clouds with a picnic at the top:
The confluence of the two rivers is part of the Mountain Adjara routes, and along the way the guide will show you one more little-known detail - the Eiffel bridge over the Adjaristskali, a riveted structure built with the technology of the Eiffel bureau, assembled without welding.
For an independent route through the out-of-town spots on this list, it is convenient to rent a car via Localrent: Tsikhisdziri, Mirveti and the confluence of the rivers combine easily into a single day by car.
Batumi itself is the most logical base for these outings: every spot on the list lies within an hour's drive of the city, and in the evening you are back by the seafront and the restaurants. It is easy to pick a hotel or apartment on Booking.com for any budget: most options can be booked without prepayment.
Frequently asked questions
Which unusual places in Batumi are free?
Almost all of them: the banana grove, the lemon greenhouse, the spotting point, the confluence of the rivers, Kaczynski Park, the mini zoo and the trail to the Mirveti waterfall cost nothing. You only pay for the road, and at Gomismta for the toilet and the cafe.
Which of these places can I reach without a car?
The fish market, Kaczynski Park and the mini zoo are reachable on foot or by city transport; the banana grove by a minibus toward Kobuleti to the Castello Mare stop. For Gomismta, Mirveti and the confluence of the rivers you need a car or a tour.
What should I pick for a trip with kids?
The mini zoo and the spotting point are safe bets, and the banana grove also works if the kids handle stairs confidently. At Gomismta children love the very fact of clouds below their feet, but the serpentine road is tiring.
Is it safe to visit the abandoned greenhouse and the railway by the grove?
With reasonable caution, yes: in the greenhouse watch your step and do not touch the structures, and by the grove stay off the tracks and photograph the train from the roadside. Both places have no fences and no supervision, so keep children by the hand.
When is the best time for the unusual places?
The city spots work year-round. The banana grove and Mirveti are at their best from May to October, Gomismta is accessible from June to mid-November, and the confluence of the rivers is most striking after rain in the mountains.
The unusual places are the Batumi that stays in your stories longer than the standard postcard list, and the hardest-to-reach spots on it are easiest to see on our tours.