Gonio
Twenty minutes south of Batumi: a Roman fortress, a quieter beach and far fewer people.
What you would see
Gonio-Apsaros Fortress
A Roman fort from the first century, still standing as a complete rectangle of walls and towers with an excavation and a garden inside. Local tradition says the apostle Matthias is buried in the grounds. It is quiet, it is cheap, and it is fifteen minutes from Batumi.
Quiet pebble beach
The stretch of coast south of Gonio, where the mountains come down close to the water and the crowd thins out. Grey pebbles, deep clear water a few metres out, and far fewer people than the city beach even in August.
Kvariati bay
The last bay before the Turkish border, backed by steep green hills with houses stacked up them. The water here is the clearest on the Georgian coast — this is where Georgians themselves go to swim.