Prometheus cave: the myth, the chains, and what’s really underground

By Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD · 15/09/2026

Updated 17 October 2026

The name is a marketing decision, and a good one. Prometheus, in the Greek myth, was chained to a rock in the Caucasus for giving fire to humans; Georgians have their own version, Amirani, chained inside Mount Kazbek. Neither has anything to do with a cave in Imereti. But when the Kumistavi cave near Tskaltubo was opened to visitors in 2011, it needed a name that a foreigner would remember, and it got one. Now everyone calls it Prometheus, and everyone comes.

What it is

A karst cave system in the limestone hills west of Kutaisi, discovered in 1984 and mapped over the following decades — some eleven kilometres of passages, of which 1.4 kilometres are open, on a concrete walkway with handrails and coloured lighting. Six halls follow one another, each larger than the last: stalactites hanging in curtains, stalagmites the size of trees, flowstone like frozen waterfalls, and a ceiling that disappears into the dark. At the bottom an underground river runs, and in summer, when the water is high enough, the tour ends with a short boat ride out through the last chamber to daylight.

The lights

The cave is lit theatrically — reds, greens, blues, changing slowly, with music in the largest hall. Geologists sigh; children adore it; most adults decide within a minute that they don’t mind. If you want to see the rock as it is, ask the guide to pause the show for a moment in the great hall; the natural cream and grey of the calcite is, in its own way, more impressive.

Practical

The temperature is a constant 14 degrees, in July as in January — bring a layer. The walkway is 1.4 kilometres with about 600 steps, gently up and down, and takes an hour; it is fine for children and for anyone who can manage stairs, and not for wheelchairs. Tours run every half hour or so with a guide in Georgian, Russian or English. The boat is extra and seasonal. There is a café and a good view of the Imeretian hills at the entrance. The cave is fifteen minutes from Tskaltubo and twenty-five from Kutaisi.

The neighbours

Imereti is riddled with karst. Sataplia, ten kilometres away, is smaller but has dinosaur footprints in the rock and a glass-floored viewpoint over the plain. The Okatse and Martvili canyons, an hour west, are the river version of the same limestone — deep, green, with walkways and boats. All four make a day, which is exactly what the tour is.

See it with GTour

Prometheus opens the Martvili & Okatse canyons + Prometheus cave day from Kutaisi, and is the second day of the Kutaisi & Western Georgia three-day tour.

This story in Georgian — ქართულად: shenidasveneba.ge

Quick answers

Why is the Kumistavi cave called Prometheus Cave? The name comes from the Greek myth of Prometheus, who was chained to a rock in the Caucasus for giving fire to humans, though the myth has no real connection to this cave in Imereti. It was chosen as a memorable name for foreign visitors when the cave opened to the public in 2011.

How big is Prometheus Cave and how much of it can visitors see? The karst cave system stretches about eleven kilometres underground, but only 1.4 kilometres are open to tourists along a concrete walkway with handrails. This open section is divided into six halls, each larger than the one before, featuring stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone formations.

Is there a boat ride in the cave? Yes, in summer when the underground river is high enough, the tour ends with a short boat ride through the last chamber out to daylight. The boat ride is an extra, seasonal activity on top of the standard walking tour.

What should visitors wear or bring to the cave? The cave maintains a constant temperature of 14 degrees Celsius year-round, in both July and January, so visitors should bring a layer of warm clothing. The walkway covers 1.4 kilometres with about 600 steps and takes about an hour to complete.

Is Prometheus Cave accessible for people with mobility issues? The cave is fine for children and anyone who can manage stairs, since the walkway involves gentle ups and downs over roughly 600 steps. However, it is not accessible for wheelchairs.

How far is Prometheus Cave from Kutaisi and Tskaltubo? Prometheus Cave is located fifteen minutes from Tskaltubo and twenty-five minutes from Kutaisi, in the limestone hills of Imereti. Tours run every half hour or so with guides available in Georgian, Russian, or English.

What other karst attractions are near Prometheus Cave? Sataplia, about ten kilometres away, is a smaller cave featuring dinosaur footprints and a glass-floored viewpoint over the plain. The Okatse and Martvili canyons, an hour west, offer a river version of the same limestone landscape with deep, green gorges, walkways, and boats.