Duration:
9h
Activity Level:
Moderate
Experience:
Adventure, Historical, Nature
Language:
English
Photo permit included
Tour by public transport
Canal Boat tour included
Train tickets included
Suitable for little children
Wheelchair accessible tour
Museum ticket included
Light snack included
Lunch included
Transportation included
Walking Tour
Overview
Famous places and hidden beauties of Abkhazia are waiting for you. First, you will admire the views from your car window in Gagra, where your tour will begin. After that you will have an opportunity to admire Abkhazia through the spray of waterfalls, you will see three of them. After that you will visit the viewpoints to see Abkhazia from a different angle, from a height. Finally, having visited the pearl of Abkhazia - Lake Ritsa, you will go back, having a chance to taste local delicacies along the way: honey, wine and cheese.
What's included
- English-speaking guide
- Pick-up and drop-off
- Transportation
- Entrance fee to the Ritsa National Park
- Tasting local delicacies
- Food and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal expenses
Highlights
Blue Lake
On the way to Lake Ritsa, among the rocks, you can see a small sapphire-colored lake - the Blue Lake of Abkhazia. So it was named for the unusual color of the water - blue. It was believed that this unusual colour comes from lazurite deposits at the bottom of the lake, however, it is not true. Since the Blue Lake is located among the rocks, the sun's rays, refracting against the rocks, are reflected on the surface of the water, which gives the lake such a color. There is another feature of this lake: it, like the sea, changes its color depending on the weather. The depth of the lake reaches 76 m. The Blue Lake fills many underground streams, but its surface always remains smooth, despite the fact that a noisy mountain stream immediately flows into it from the cliff. There are several legends regarding the origin of this lake. The water in Blue Lake is very cold, even in summer. However, the lake does not freeze all year round. Still you will not find any living creatures there.
Bzyb River
The Bzyb is one of the two largest rivers of Abkhazia, along with the Kodori and the twelfth longest river in Georgia.The river valley has rich biodiversity of herbaceous garden plants, particularly in the gorge section in the upper reaches where the most prominent and colourful bellflower Campanula mirabilis with profuse growth of 100 flowers per plant is given the name, the "Queen of the Abkhazian flora". From 1904-1917 it served as the border between Abkhazia and Russia.The river valley has a rich biodiversity of flora, right from the mouth of the river at Pitsunda and extending upstream to the Ritsa Lake.The river is popular for kayaking and rafting. The mountainous Ritsa Lake region in the Ritsynsky reserve of Abkhazia is well known for its wines, grown between forests and mountain rivers. Pitsunda Cape at the mouth of the Bzyb has many important landmarks such as the ancient settlement of Pitiunt, a lighthouse, a temple of the 10th century, a museum and an old pine tree maintained from 1926.
Chabgar cornice
Right behind the Yupsharsky Gate you can see a sharp rise, the road passes at an altitude of 750-800 meters above sea level. This is the Chabgar cornice (from the Abkhaz chabgara - a precipice), from here you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Yupsharsky gate.
A small platform has been built here from which a view opens down to the Yupsharskoe gorge. The height of the site is 800 m above sea level. The road in this place is very narrow, bounded on one side by a rock, on the other by a deep abyss.
Gagra
Gagra is a town in Abkhazia sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Gagra a popular health resort in Imperial Russian and Soviet times.
Gagra occupies a narrow coastal belt and the slopes of the Gagra Range, which are covered with thick forests. The summers are very warm (average August temperature of 23° C), and the winters are mild (average January temperature of 6° C). The season lasts the whole year round, and swimming extends from May through October. Along the coast of the Black Sea stretches a beautiful seafront and park (about 14 sq km in area) with ponds and rich subtropical vegetation. Gagra has picturesque environs (the gorges of the Zhvava-Kvara and Tsikherva rivers), and to the south of the city is located the new health resort of Pitsunda. The industry of Gagra is mainly connected with services to the health resort; it includes a meat-packing complex, a dairy, a winery, and a fish-processing plant, among others.
Gega Waterfall
The Gega waterfall, also called Circassian waterfall is the most famous and beautiful waterfall of Abkhazia. Located at an altitude of 530 meters above sea level, and the waterfall itself has a height of 70 meters. Its feature is that it comes out of the rock, not from the top. This is because the Gega river goes deep into the rocks, and passes through a stone channel then breaking out of it. The waterfall is also interesting due to the fact that several times it was shown in different movies.
Lake Ritsa
Lake Ritsa is a lake in the Caucasus Mountains, in the north-western part of Abkhazia, Georgia, surrounded by mixed mountain forests and subalpine meadows. The road from the Black Sea coast was built in 1936. The resort of Avadhara lies to the north of the lake. The lake was an important tourist attraction during the Soviet period. Lake Ritsa is the deepest lake in autonomous republic of Abkhazia (116 m), and is rich in trout. It is fed by six rivers and drained by one, the Iupshara River. Lake Ritsa water is cold and clear. Mountains with heights of 2,200 to 3,500 m surround the lake.
In 1930 the Ritsa Nature Reserve (162.89 km2) was established to protect the natural state of the lake and the surrounding land.
Maiden Tears
The waterfall Maiden Tears is located on the bank of the Bzyb River, on the way from Gagra to Lake Ritsa. Travelers do not have to climb mountain paths to see it: the waterfall is located right along the road and is a kind of "bonus" for those who go to admire the beauty of the national reserve.
The water rushes down from the high-mountainous meadows and seeps through the thickness of limestone rocks, getting extraordinary transparent and pure. In sunny weather, the drops shimmer in the light, and in early spring, during the melting snow, they turn into crystal threads. On such days, the waterfall looks like an outlandish stringed instrument. Crashing against stones, the drops create a refreshing veil of the smallest splaches.
Men's Tears Waterfall
Waterfall Men's tears, as well as the Maiden tears waterfall is located on the way to Ritsa lake, only a little further, about 30 kilometers further along the way, and already in the territory of the Ritsa national Park. Only here the water flows in a thin stream, as if recalling that men's tears are stingy. But in addition to the waterfall the surrounding area is a very beautiful forest, which is worth a stroll. The origin of the waterfall is a legend, which is a continuation of the legend of the Maiden tears waterfall. As it states when a young man Akhra was hunting, in his heart he felt that his girlfriend Amra was lost. Thus, he could not restrain silent man's tears, which turned into a waterfall.
Ritsa relic national Park
The Ritsa relic national Park is the most popular and visited tourist nature reserve Abkhazia. The Park is located in the southern mountainous part of Abkhazia, near Gagra, and almost at the border with Russia (Ritsa Park on the map). Almost the entire national Park is located in the mountains with difficult terrain, with elevations from 100 to 3256 meters, numerous mountain lakes, rivers, waterfalls, caves, glaciers, gorges. The lake Ritsa is located in the Park and it is its hallmark and the most popular tourist attraction. From the coast to lake Ritsa through the Park runs an asphalt road, which, however, does not end after the lake, and leads on to other attractions. Along this road are several other interesting sights of the reserve, which usually are visited during excursions to lake Ritsa.
Yupsharsky Canyon
Yupsharsky canyon ("Stone bag") is one of the most beautiful places in Abkhazia and in the entire Caucasus. It is located on the road to Lake Ritsa at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level. The canyon with age-old boxwoods, moss and ivy hanging from rocky cornices looks really impressive. The road passes between two very close standing rocks that were once split by an earthquake. The narrowest point of the canyon is called the Yupsharsky Gate, where two rocks practically converge, the distance between them does not exceed 20 meters. On the bottom of the gorge, the picturesque river Yupshara flows, from the Lake Ritsa, the water in which is crystal clear. Not far from the canyon there is the famous Gega waterfall. Here, near the road, there is a huge stone - popular among tourists “Stone of Kisses”, and even lower there is a waterfall “Men's tears”. At the end of the Jupsharsky canyon there is an observation deck with a magnificent view.
Itinerary
09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00
You will meet your tour guide at the lobby of your hotel in Gagra. From here you will start your trip.
First, you will b able to enjoy views from the window of the car which will bring you to the first attraction you’re going to visit – waterfalls. On the way you will listen to the history of Abkhazia, its past and its legends.
Three waterfalls will also impress you with numerous legend. You will get to know hot they appeard (according to legends), what the names of these waterfalls mean and so on. Don’t forget to listen to Gega waterfall which is not really quiet.
One more attraction you are going to see is a suspension bridge over the Bzyb river. After that you will change the perspective and visit some view points to enjoy views from the height.
Next on your itinerary is the Blue Lake which is beautiful due to its unusual colour and is a curious place to visit. After that you will see Yupsharsky canyon.
Ritsa Lake is also waiting to share its charm and beauty with you. Feel the atmosphere of the place and don’t forget to take photos.
On your way back you can try some of the loal delicacies: wine, cheese and honey.
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