Martvili and Okatse Canyons

Martvili Canyon looks invented: jade-green water sliding between tall moss-covered walls of limestone, with waterfalls dropping straight into the gorge. Once the private bathing place of the Dadiani princes, it is now explored by inflatable boat, gliding beneath fern-hung cliffs. Wooden walkways above give a second, bird's-eye reading of the same emerald water. It is the single most photogenic half-day in Samegrelo.

At Okatse the canyon experience is vertical: a 780-metre steel walkway bolted to the cliff face, ending in a viewing platform that hangs in space high above the river. Far below, the water threads between walls up to 100 m deep; around you is only Colchian forest and air. Nearby, the Kinchkha waterfall drops in two great steps beside the road. It is safe, spectacular and unforgettable, though a head for heights helps.