Batumi Boulevard: Travel Guide (4.8★)

A city that faces the sea

Batumi keeps its best side for the water. Between the apartment towers and the Black Sea runs a strip of palms, flower beds, footpaths and a separate cycle lane, roughly seven kilometres end to end. The pebble beach sits on one side and the city on the other.

The park dates from the late nineteenth century, when Batumi was a growing port. It has been extended several times since then. The old plantings are subtropical: tall palms, broad lawns and shaded benches. The newer stretches have wide paved promenades, sculpture and room for skaters.

This is the most popular public space in Batumi, so don’t expect solitude here. Expect a lot of company, and plan around it.

Old Boulevard, New Boulevard

The boulevard comes in two parts, and they feel different. The Old Boulevard starts near the port and the old town, around the official address on Nikoloz Baratashvili Street. It’s the leafier half: mature trees, gravel and paved walkways, cafés tucked among the greenery and the musical fountains.

Heading south, the New Boulevard opens up. The paths widen, the trees get younger and the high-rise hotels move closer. There’s less shade here and more room to move, which suits cyclists and runners.

Before you set off, decide which half you want:

• For shade, cafés and old trees: stay on the Old Boulevard.
• For a long, flat run or ride: carry on onto the New Boulevard.
• For the sculpture and towers: go to the port end, beyond the Old Boulevard.

Ali and Nino at the port end

The boulevard’s best-known stretch is the northern tip, past the port. There you’ll find the Ali and Nino sculpture: two tall steel figures, a man and a woman, built from stacked slices. They move slowly toward each other, pass through each other and part again. They’re named after the 1937 novel Ali and Nino, a love story between a Muslim boy and a Georgian Christian girl.

The Alphabet Tower stands close by, wrapped in a spiral of the letters of the Georgian script. The old Batumi Lighthouse is nearby too, along with a Ferris wheel. The whole cluster is lit after dark, which is why so many people walk out here in the evening. Give this end at least an hour on its own.

The pebbles and the water

The beach below the boulevard is pebbles, not sand. Those stones are hard on bare feet, so if you plan to swim:

• Bring water shoes or sturdy sandals.
• Bring a mat or thick towel; pebbles shift under thin ones.
• Expect the seabed to drop away quickly a few steps out.

Swimming season runs roughly from June to September, when the sea is warm enough for most people. Out of season, the beach is still worth a walk for the views. The coast faces west across the Black Sea, so sunsets fall straight over the water.

Beating the weekend tide

Timing matters more here than anything else. It’s quietest from 7am to 9am on weekdays and from 7am to 10am at weekends. That’s when you’ll share the paths mostly with joggers, dog walkers and the cleaning crews. Try not to arrive between 12pm and 11pm on a weekend; that long window is when the promenade is at its most packed.

A few habits make the visit easier:

• Keep out of the cycle lane. It’s marked separately from the footpath, and cyclists use it at speed.
• Pay by card at most cafés. They generally take cards, but carry some Georgian lari for small kiosks and beach vendors.
• Check prices before you sit. Seafront menus are on the pricier side compared with places a few streets inland, so look at the menu first.
• Rent a bike from the city’s public bike stations along the route to cover the full length.

Google currently lists the park as open 24 hours a day. The cafés and bars along the route keep their own hours, so check any you plan to visit.

Getting there and moving along it

The boulevard runs right along the city’s seafront, so most central hotels are a short walk away. From the old town, walk toward the sea and you’ll reach the Old Boulevard. Batumi International Airport is a few kilometres south of the centre, and a taxi to the seafront is quick.

Walking the full length one way takes a couple of hours at an easy pace, longer if you stop. Most visitors walk one stretch and ride or take a taxi back. Allow two to three hours for a relaxed visit covering the Old Boulevard and the port end. A full day is easy if you swim.

When you leave the shore

The old town sits just inland from the Old Boulevard, so you’re close to Batumi’s best-known squares. Europe Square, with its gilded statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece, is a few minutes’ walk from the seafront. Piazza, an enclosed square lined with cafés, is nearby, and so is the Chacha Clock Tower.

For more greenery, the park around Nurigeli Lake is a short walk from the New Boulevard. You can make a loop: old town in the morning, boulevard at midday, then back out to Ali and Nino for the lights.