Ureki. Oh, how many tourists have been cured here and had a wonderful time doing nothing on the beach of this little spot on Georgia’s Black Sea coast! But Ureki is not a resort for everyone, and before you go, you should know what you are heading for.
Ureki: holiday in brief (2026)
- Where: Guria, not Adjara as many people think. About 60 km north of Batumi, roughly an hour by car, and about two hours from Kutaisi.
- Beach: wide, with black magnetic sand instead of pebbles. The sea gets deep very gradually: you can walk 50 metres or more and still be knee-deep.
- Who it suits: families with small children, older people and those coming for sand treatment.
- Honest downsides: the water is cloudy after rain, there are more mosquitoes than in Batumi, and young people find the evenings boring.
- Season: from late June to September. The sea here warms up a couple of degrees more than on pebble beaches.
Ureki’s magnetic sand: what it treats and who should avoid it
The sand in Ureki is black for a reason: it is rich in magnetite. It is easy to check — hold a magnet to the sand and the grains stick to it at once. In the 1960s a local doctor suggested using this shore for treatment, and soon the first sanatoriums appeared here: Megobroba, Kolkhida and Magnetiti.
Sand therapy (psammotherapy) is believed to help with:
- cerebral palsy;
- musculoskeletal disorders;
- arthritis;
- nervous system disorders;
- urogenital conditions.
A holiday in Ureki is not recommended for people with cancer or with heart or respiratory problems. And of course, before going “for treatment”, talk to your doctor: the sand is not a medicine but an addition to it.
The beach and the sea in Ureki
The beach is wide, with a pine forest along the shore. The water gets deep so gradually that children can splash about safely and even those afraid of depth feel confident. But do not relax too much: little ones quickly lose their fear of water, so keep a close eye on them.
Compared with Kobuleti and the beaches between Batumi and the Turkish border, the water in Ureki is less clear, because of the black sand and especially after rain. After a couple of days it clears up and swimming is a pleasure. Because of the pine forest, there are twigs and cones on the sand, and at the height of the season the beach is almost full — the further you go from the centre, the more space there is.
You can rent sunbeds and umbrellas, there are water activities and bike rental. In the evening the rides open in the park in the centre of the village, and in peak season a circus sometimes comes to town.
Where to stay: the centre, Grigoleti, Magnetiti, Shekvetili
Ureki is a village, and in the centre, by the park, do not expect quiet. Locals themselves prefer to holiday in neighbouring Grigoleti: guesthouses there stand in a pine grove by the shore, the sand also contains magnetite, and there is no loud music from beach cafés. The Magnetiti area is fairly quiet too.
Further south, almost on the border of Adjara and Guria, is Shekvetili, with the Black Sea Arena concert hall, the Tsitsinatela amusement park and the dendrological park. This is what the beach in Shekvetili looks like:
Hotels and guesthouses in Ureki
There are plenty of hotels and guesthouses in Ureki, but from late July to late August it is hard to find good accommodation, so book ahead. Here are the options with the best guest ratings:
- Aparthotel Alfa (9.6 on Booking, over 440 reviews): an aparthotel 800 metres from the centre.
- Dreamy Hotel (9.8 on Booking): a small hotel with very high guest ratings.
- Cottages Ureki (9.9 on Booking): separate cottages 400 metres from the centre.
- Cottages in Kaprovani “Family nest” (9.8 on Booking): cottages in quiet neighbouring Kaprovani.
- Apartment comfort in Ureki (9.5 on Booking): apartments with a kitchen if you want to cook yourself.
All options with prices and free dates: hotels in Ureki on Booking.
In private guesthouses you can cook for yourself, but there are plenty of cafés with Georgian cuisine around, and in western Georgia it is especially rich and tasty. If your accommodation is far from the sea, the “kukushka” runs to the beach: an open minibus with an awning instead of a roof.
Local produce and the market in Poti
Many people in Ureki keep vegetable gardens, cows and chickens, so you can buy dairy, vegetables and fruit straight from the locals. For a bigger choice, it is easy to go to Poti, 15 km away: minibuses run roughly every half hour, and the driver will show you where the market is. While there, have a look at the centre of Poti: its cathedral was built on the model of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, only much smaller.
What to see near Ureki
Ureki lies exactly halfway between Batumi and Kutaisi, so the main sights of Adjara, Imereti and Samegrelo are close at hand:
- Adjara: Kobuleti, Petra Fortress and Batumi, for a day or with an overnight stay.
- Imereti: Kutaisi, Sataplia and Prometheus Cave.
- Samegrelo: Martvili Canyon, the Dadiani Palace in Zugdidi and the ancient town of Nokalakevi.
For day trips, the easiest option is to join the local minibuses and minivans that gather groups, or agree with a taxi driver. For Samegrelo it is better to go by car straight away: it is calmer and more convenient.
How to get to Ureki
- From Batumi: by minibus towards Kutaisi, Tbilisi, Poti or Lanchkhuti, by train to Ureki station, or by taxi, about an hour on the road.
- From Kutaisi Airport: walk out to the Tbilisi–Batumi highway right by the airport and stop a minibus marked Batumi. In about two hours you will be in Ureki.
- From Tbilisi: by minibus to Batumi with a stop in Ureki, or by train towards Batumi; check which trains stop in Ureki when you buy your ticket.
- By car: you can leave it in the guesthouse yard or in a paid car park.
A little history
As recently as the middle of the last century, Ureki was an ordinary seaside village: people grew tangerines and kept smallholdings, and the name means “deep forest”. The magnetic sand turned it into a resort. In Soviet times there were sanatoriums here, including the well-known Kolkhida children’s sanatorium, but after the USSR collapsed many fell into decline; you can still see the ruins of the once-rich Gorny Khrustal holiday home.
Gurians are a special people: cheerful and sharp-tongued, able to laugh at themselves as well as their neighbours. In Georgia they are often compared to the people of Odessa. And language is hardly a problem here: many locals, especially older ones, speak Russian well.
Ureki on the map
Who Ureki suits
This is a family resort: for small children, older parents and those who prefer sand to pebbles and quiet to discos. Young people who want to party are better off in Kobuleti or Batumi, where there is more entertainment. But if you are a big group who just want to lie on the sand and swim, Ureki is a great choice.
Ureki FAQ
Can you swim in Ureki?
Yes. After rain the water can be cloudy because of the black sand, but sanitary services check it, and within a couple of days the sea clears by itself.
What is Ureki’s sand good for?
It is rich in magnetite and is believed to help with joint and nervous system problems and cerebral palsy. Talk to your doctor before any treatment.
When is the best time to go to Ureki?
From late June to September. In July and August the sea is warmest, but it is also busiest, so book accommodation in advance.
How far is Ureki from Batumi?
About 60 km, roughly an hour by car or minibus.
Read also: Kobuleti, Shekvetili Dendrological Park, Sataplia.
Hello!
I am Victor, the founder of this site and its main, but not the only author.
Traveler and photographer. Visited more than 60 countries.
Born and raised in Batumi. I love to travel in Georgia.
More about me here.