There are so many places to visit in Georgia, and lakes are one of the most special among them, because of their location, views and other featuring characteristics. Each of them has their own different mood and history with which they make us visit them. In this article, we’ve tried to collect the most popular 5 lakes to hike in Georgia and decided to give you brief information about them.
Abudelauri Lakes
Probably, you’ve heard about Abudelauri Lakes which are one of the most Georgia hikes destinations. Because of this, so many visitors go there during the camping seasons. Abudelauri Lakes are located in Khevsureti. This location includes three lakes in total, which are called Green, Blue and White lakes. Green and Blue Lakes are located close to each other, but if you want to visit the White Lake, you have to go further and cover a much more difficult road. It is located 2800 meters above sea level, at the bottom of Chaukhi Glacier.
There are different trails to reach the lakes. You can start your trip from the village Roshka (Khevsureti) and go for about seven kilometers in total until your final destination. This trail is known as one of the easiest one but if you love challenges and you want something more extremal, you should go for Juta-Abudelauri trail which starts from the village Juta and you’ll need 2 days to cover the trail.
As we’ve already said, there are so many stories about different lakes that are popular for trekking in Georgia. According to one Pshavian legend, this place became a shelter for a mythical giant, who was trying to get away from Iakhsari’s (Pshavian people’s god) anger. One-eyed giant went into the depths of the lake. Iakhsari followed the giant and killed it. They say that the giant’s dirty blood closed the lake’s surface and Iakhsari wasn’t able to come out of the water anymore. The people killed a lamb as a sacrifice and sprayed its blood over the lake. Finally, Iakhsari escaped from the lake and the sacred blood defeated the evil.
Tobavarchkhili Lakes
Tobavarchkhili Lakes are located in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. You can see dense forests and waterfalls, as well as alpine and semi-alpine zones on your way to the lakes. It has amazing views and most importantly, this location includes several lakes in general: Tobavarchkhil (Silver Lake), Okhoje Toba, Lakumurash Toba, Kalalish Toba etc. and the lakes create a beautiful entity. As for the trails, there are different varieties of trails to reach the destination. Starting locations can be the villages Mukhuri, Skuri and Khaishi. The most popular one is Mukhuri trail.
As it was for Abudelauri Lakes, Toba (Silver Lake) also has its own mythological story. They say that in the past, this location was considered as a kind of sacred place for the locals. Because of this, everybody was trying to avoid stopping there. But one day a very thick fog showed up and a shepherd was made to stop with his sheep across the lake. When the shepherd woke up in the next morning, all of his sheep were devoured by the lake. Because of this old story, they say that Silver Lake is connected to magical events.
Koruldi Lakes
Koruldi Lakes are located in Zemo Svaneti region, at 2850 meters above sea level. You have to cover 10 km from Mestia (Svaneti) to reach the location. The center of Mestia is the starting location of the trail. During your journey, you’ll come across the alpine zone from where you’ll have the opportunity to see the view of Svaneti Range and Ushba Peak.
It is known that Koruldi Lakes aren’t so difficult to reach. You can walk there on foot or go by car and horse riding. When going to the lakes, you have to take weather conditions into consideration, which will make your journey much easier. The best periods of the year to visit this location are the late spring, summer and autumn.
Black Rocks Lake
Black Rock Lake is another magical place to visit which is located in Lagodekhi, Kakheti municipality. As it is widely known, the trail to Black Rocks Lake is loaded with beautiful views.
As for the trail itself, its starting point is Lagodekhi Protected Areas. That’s exactly the reason for your journey to be the exceptional one. Aside from the fact that this trail includes very beautiful views of Caucasus Mountains, dense forests and camping areas, you may come across rare animal and bird species. Following this track is a great experience but you have to know that this trail is considered as a difficult one. If it concerns you, Camp Caucasus offers a private tour with horse support where you will only carry light daypacks and ease your hike. As for the visiting seasons, the best seasons for going on this trail are summer and early autumn.
Whether you’ll decide to go to Khevsureti, Svaneti, Kazbegi or Lagodekhi, you can be sure that each of these places has its own amazing history. Aside from the fact that they are amazingly beautiful, they are an important part of the country’s authenticity which will help you to get a memorable experience on your own.
Kelitsadi Lake
Kelitsadi Lake is located in Kazbegi region, at 3081 meters above sea level. It’s important to mention that the track till the lake is considered as one of the most difficult trails in Georgia. As it was for the other ones, there are several trail alternatives to reach the point. In most cases, tourists choose Trusso Trail. At the beginning of Trusso Valley (Stepantsminda), you have to pass the river and different types of roads. To reach the lake, you have to go over Khorisari Pass which is also considered as one of the most difficult roads in Georgia. You will need to walk for about 2 hours from the pass to the lake.
Kelitsadi Lake is typically frozen during winter and spring seasons. The snow surface starts melting in June and the lake is in its best condition in about August and September. Sherkhota Peak and Khorisari Peak are also located near the lake. In spite of the fact that the roads are very difficult to walk and this journey demands a lot of energy, no one ever regrets going there. So, you can pin this place as one of the most amazing potential travel spots for your journey!
