# Guria > gtour.ge — G Tour, Gateway to Georgia. Cite as: GTour desk, gtour.ge. - Canonical: https://gtour.ge/georgia/guria/ - Author: Mariam Lomidze (GTour desk, Tbilisi) - Published: 2026-09-15 - Updated: 2026-10-17 - Language: en - Russian edition: https://gtour.ge/ru/georgia/guria/ By [Mariam Lomidze](https://gtour.ge/author/mariam-lomidze/), GTour desk · Fact-checked against the sources listed · Last checked 17 October 2026 · [Editorial policy](https://gtour.ge/standards/editorial-policy/) ### Overview Guria is a small region of western Georgia, wedged between Imereti to the east, Adjara to the south, Samegrelo to the north and the Black Sea coast on the west. Its administrative center is Ozurgeti, and the region covers roughly 2,958 square kilometers with a population of about 178,900. Guria sits naturally on the route between Kutaisi and Batumi, yet most travellers pass straight through on the highway without stopping, which is part of its appeal: fewer crowds, slower rhythms, and a landscape of tea terraces, hazelnut orchards and forested hills rising quickly from the shore. The region matters for several reasons beyond scenery. It gave Georgia a distinct branch of polyphonic singing, famous for its speed and vocal ornamentation, still performed at ordinary family feasts rather than only on stage. Its beaches at Ureki and Shekvetili are known for dark, magnetite-rich sand, long marketed for a reputed therapeutic effect, while Bakhmaro, a wooden-house summer settlement at around 2,000 meters, has drawn Georgians uphill for clean mountain air since the early twentieth century. For visitors building a west-Georgia itinerary, Guria is a natural stop between [the Kutaisi region and the Adjara coast](/georgia/). ### History Guria emerged as a distinct political unit in the late medieval period, after the breakup of the unified Kingdom of Georgia. From roughly the mid-fifteenth century it was governed as a principality by the Gurieli dynasty, nominally under the suzerainty of the Imeretian kings but in practice largely autonomous, with Ozurgeti and the fortified monastery centers of the region serving as seats of power. The Gurieli princes endowed and fortified churches such as Shemokmedi and Jumati, which remain among the region’s most important architectural monuments and fall under the protection of the [National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation](https://heritagesites.ge/). The Principality of Guria was abolished in 1829, when the Russian Empire formally annexed the territory and absorbed it into the administrative structure that later became the Kutaisi Governorate. Resentment at new taxation and conscription produced the Guria uprising of 1841, one of the larger peasant revolts against Russian rule in western Georgia. Decades later, between 1902 and 1906, peasants and intellectuals in Guria organized a parallel system of self-government that bypassed imperial administration during the unrest of the 1905 Russian Revolution, an episode sometimes referred to as the “Gurian Republic” and noted by contemporary observers as an unusually organized rural movement. Under Soviet administration Guria was developed as a center of tea, citrus and tobacco cultivation, with state farms covering much of the lowland near Ozurgeti and Chokhatauri; tea plantations still mark the landscape today, though production fell sharply after 1991. Bakhmaro grew from a scattering of herders’ huts into an organized highland resort through the twentieth century, prized for its altitude and clean air. Since Georgian independence, the region has focused on reviving small-scale tea production, hazelnut export and coastal tourism, aided by national programs promoted by the [Georgian National Tourism Administration](https://georgia.travel/). ### What to see #### Bakhmaro A summer village of timber houses scattered across a ridge at about 2,000 meters above sea level, Bakhmaro is reached by a winding mountain road from Chokhatauri. Georgians have come here for clean air and views over seas of cloud since the early twentieth century, and the village still has no permanent winter population. Short walks lead to surrounding meadows and forest edges with wide views toward the Black Sea on clear days. #### Ureki and Shekvetili beaches The Guria coast is known for its fine, dark magnetite sand, unusual on the Black Sea and long reputed locally for therapeutic qualities, particularly for children. Ureki has been a modest family resort for decades, while Shekvetili has developed more recently with newer hotels and a long promenade. The sea here shelves gently, making the beaches popular with families. #### Shemokmedi Monastery Shemokmedi, near Ozurgeti, was a principal seat of the Gurieli princes and houses medieval churches with carved stone decoration and surviving frescoes. It functioned as a spiritual and political center of the principality for several centuries. The complex is protected as part of Georgia’s national heritage list. #### Jumati Monastery Jumati, set on a hill above Ozurgeti, was the seat of the Bishops of Guria and another key religious center under the Gurieli dynasty. Its main church preserves portions of medieval wall painting. The site offers a quiet view over the surrounding tea hills. #### Ozurgeti The regional capital has a compact old center, a historical museum covering the Gurian principality and the 1905 self-government episode, and a small but active market culture. It is a convenient base for day trips into the hills and toward Bakhmaro. #### Shekvetili Dendrological Park A large botanical park on the coastal plain near Shekvetili brings together mature trees relocated from across Georgia, alongside an adjoining amusement park and open-air areas. It is one of the larger organized gardens on the Georgian coast and makes an easy half-day stop. ### Getting there From Tbilisi, Guria is reached by the main west-Georgia highway via Kutaisi, a drive of roughly 4 hours 55 minutes to Ozurgeti; marshrutka minibuses run from Tbilisi’s Didube station with a similar journey time, and the railway line toward Batumi, operated by [Georgian Railway](https://railway.ge/), passes through the Samtredia junction from which onward transport reaches Guria. From Kutaisi, the drive to Ozurgeti takes about 1 hour 30 minutes by car or marshrutka along the Kutaisi–Samtredia–Ozurgeti road. From Batumi, Guria’s coastal towns and Ozurgeti are about 1 hour away by road, making it a realistic day trip. Road conditions can be checked through the [road status page](/road-status/), and GTour arranges private transfers and guided days with an English-speaking driver; see the [tours](/tours/) section for itineraries. ### When to go Late spring through early autumn, roughly May to September, suits the coast and Bakhmaro, when the mountain road is clear of snow and the beaches at Ureki and Shekvetili are at their best. July and August are the busiest months for the coast and for Bakhmaro, which fills with Georgian holidaymakers. Spring and autumn are quieter and pleasant for visiting the monasteries and tea plantations, though Bakhmaro itself is generally inaccessible or empty outside summer. ### Where to stay and eat Guria has limited but growing formal accommodation, concentrated around Ureki, Shekvetili and Ozurgeti, with simple guesthouses in Bakhmaro open only in summer. For food, regional cooking relies on corn bread, local cheeses, beans and the region’s own sharp Gurian-style pkhali and pies; a verified option in the GTour register is [Taberne in Guria, Atsana](https://gtour.ge/georgia-places/place-taberne-in-guria-atsana/), offering regional dishes in an informal setting. GTour’s verified register lists further hotels, guesthouses and restaurants in the [Guria region hub](/georgia/), and the [guides](/guides/) and [best-of](/best-of/) sections cover wider west-Georgia recommendations. ### Practical notes Mobile coverage is reliable in Ozurgeti and the coastal towns but patchy on the Bakhmaro road and in the highest villages. Cash is advisable outside the main towns, as card acceptance is inconsistent in small guesthouses and roadside cafes. The Bakhmaro road is narrow and winds steeply; drivers unfamiliar with mountain roads should allow extra time and avoid the route after heavy rain or early and late in the season when ice or landslides can close sections, a condition worth checking via the [road status page](/road-status/) before travelling. ### Questions travellers ask #### Is Guria the same as Adjara? No. Guria and Adjara are neighboring but separate regions of western Georgia. Guria lies north of Adjara, with Ozurgeti as its center, while Adjara’s main city is Batumi. #### How far is Guria from Batumi? The Guria coast and Ozurgeti are about one hour from Batumi by car, making the region an easy day trip from the Black Sea resort city. #### Is the sand at Ureki really magnetic? The dark sand at Ureki and Shekvetili contains a high concentration of magnetite, which gives it its color and a mild magnetic property; it has long been marketed locally for a reputed therapeutic effect, though this is a traditional rather than clinically established claim. #### Is Bakhmaro open all year? No. Bakhmaro functions mainly as a summer resort, roughly from June to September, and most houses and guesthouses close for winter because of snow and the difficulty of the access road. #### Can Guria be visited as a day trip from Kutaisi or Batumi? Yes. Ozurgeti and the coast are about 1 hour 30 minutes from Kutaisi and about 1 hour from Batumi, which makes a day trip practical, though reaching Bakhmaro and returning in a single day requires an early start. #### What is Guria known for in Georgian culture? Guria is particularly known for its style of polyphonic singing, noted for fast tempo and complex vocal ornamentation, and for a regional reputation for wit and quick humor. #### Are there direct trains to Guria? There is no direct mainline passenger station in central Guria; travellers generally take the train toward Batumi and change to road transport at Samtredia, or travel the whole route by marshrutka or private car. #### What historical sites should not be missed? Shemokmedi and Jumati monasteries, both former seats of the ruling Gurieli princes and the Bishops of Guria, are the region’s most significant historical monuments and are within easy reach of Ozurgeti. #### Is Guria good for families? Yes. The shallow, gently sloping beaches at Ureki and Shekvetili are considered particularly suitable for children, and the dendrological park near Shekvetili offers an easy outing combining nature and a small amusement area. #### What was the “Gurian Republic”? Between 1902 and 1906, peasants and local intellectuals in Guria organized an informal system of self-government that operated largely outside imperial Russian administration during the unrest surrounding the 1905 Revolution, an episode remembered locally as an early experiment in organized self-rule. ### Sources - [National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation](https://heritagesites.ge/) - [Georgian National Tourism Administration](https://georgia.travel/) - [Georgian Railway](https://railway.ge/) Plan your Georgia Want Guria on a private itinerary with a driver who knows the road? A GTour travel expert designs the route and calls you back. [Start planning](/contact/)   [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/995577416314)