🌿 Shekvetili in One Day: Beach, Dendropark, Miniature Park and Tsitsinatela
🌿 Shekvetili in One Day
Five sites along one road: a dendropark with flamingos and lemurs, a eucalyptus grove with musical sculptures, three kilometres of black beach, 54 miniature Georgian landmarks and an amusement park that comes alive after dark. All within 4 km.
Shekvetili is a village in the Guria region at the delta of the Natanebi River, between Kobuleti and Ureki. In Soviet times people came here for the magnetic sand and the quiet under the pines. Then the dendropark arrived — built over several years with private money and opened in 2020. The Musicians Park followed, then Tsitsinatela grew into a full amusement park. Today, in one day along the S2 highway, you can move through five completely different spaces.
The sites run in a line. The dendropark sits in the north, near Paragraph Resort — start here. The Musicians Park is 5-10 minutes on foot south, in a eucalyptus grove near the Black Sea Arena. The beach stretches along the whole village. The Miniature Park and Tsitsinatela stand side by side, closer to Kobuleti, across the road from each other.
What determines the order isn't distance but opening hours. The Ivanishvili Dendropark is best in the morning while it's cool and the flamingos are active. The Musicians Park is open around the clock. The beach is for midday. The Miniature Park runs from 10:00 to 18:00. Tsitsinatela opens only at 18:00 — that's when the lights come on and it becomes what it was designed to be.
From Batumi the drive is 40-45 km along the S2, around 50 minutes. Minibuses heading toward Tbilisi or Kutaisi stop along the route on request. Without a car, a taxi for the day is more practical: the sites are close but walking between them along the highway shoulder isn't comfortable.
Five Sites in Shekvetili by Time of Day
Open the section that matches when you plan to be there.
🌅 Morning: parks (9:00–13:00) 2
🏖️ Midday: beach (13:00–17:00) 1
🌆 Evening: miniatures and rides (17:00–00:00) 2
All five sites on one map. Green markers: dendropark and Musicians Park. Blue: beach. Gold: Miniature Park and Tsitsinatela. Click any marker to open the catalogue entry.
🗺️ Five Sites of Shekvetili
Open in Google Maps🌿 Ivanishvili Dendropark: 60 Hectares of Trees, Flamingos and Lemurs
Ivanishvili Dendropark opened in July 2020 on 60 hectares next to Paragraph Resort. Entry is free. Coordinates: 41.962494, 41.765830.
The park is divided into two sections. The first holds Georgian species: oak, chestnut, Colchic fir, boxwood. The second brings trees from five continents: baobabs, eucalyptus, Japanese maples, sequoias, cypresses. Animals live throughout the park, not in enclosures but in open areas. Pink flamingos stand at an artificial lake. Lemurs sit in the trees or on fences along the paths. Parrots are usually near the entrance. Peacocks walk the alleys on their own. Ducks and swans stay near the water.
Walk clockwise from the main entrance: Georgian species first, then exotic, and the exit brings you to Kaprovani beach. The bamboo grove at the far end is worth reaching. Rules to know: stay on the marked paths, no cycling or scooters or rollerblades, no walking on the grass. Free brochures with a park map are available at the entrance. Toilets are near the entrance and near the beach exit.
The park is open five days a week — check the schedule the day before. Visitors are admitted no later than one hour before closing. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
A full guide to the trees, animals and route inside is in the Shekvetili Dendropark article.
🎵 Musicians Park: Sculptures and Live Music in a Eucalyptus Grove
Musicians Park is a 5-10 minute walk south of the dendropark along the highway, in a large eucalyptus grove near the Black Sea Arena concert venue. Coordinates: 41.941434, 41.772668. Free entry, open around the clock.
The concept is simple and works better than it sounds: wooden and metal sculptures of well-known Georgian and international musicians are placed along paths between the eucalyptus trunks. Walk up to one and it begins playing that artist's music. Each has a QR code — scan it for a biography and discography.
The collection grows over time, so the park looks slightly different between visits. Try to identify the artist before reading the plaque: it turns the walk into a game.
In the evening the park is lit up and the feel changes completely — quiet music from the sculptures, almost nobody else around, the scent of eucalyptus. If you leave the Musicians Park until after Tsitsinatela, it makes for a calm end to the day.
🏖️ The Beach: Three Kilometres of Black Magnetic Sand
Shekvetili Beach runs the length of the village, about three kilometres. The sand is black because it contains magnetite — the same mineral found on the famous beach at Ureki nearby. People were coming here for it in Soviet times, and they still do.
The floor is shallow: 30 metres from the shore, the depth is still only about 1.5 metres. That makes it comfortable for families with small children. Pine forest comes close to the waterline on the landward side, so shade is available at any time of day. Sun loungers and umbrellas can be hired. A few cafés operate on the beach. Swimming season runs from May to mid-October.
The beach fits naturally into the middle of the day: after the morning parks and before the afternoon miniatures and evening rides. More about the resort side of Shekvetili in the Shekvetili resort guide.
🏛️ Miniature Park: All of Georgia in One Hour
Shekvetili Miniature Park opened in 2016 on two hectares between Kobuleti and Shekvetili. It holds 54 scaled-down copies of Georgian landmarks: old Tbilisi mansions, the cave city of Vardzia, Gelati, the towers of Svaneti, Kakheti fortresses. Most objects reach roughly human height. The reproductions include window frames, railings, stairways and decorative detail — not just silhouettes.
Open from 10:00 to 18:00. In the evening the paths are lit up, which makes the miniatures noticeably more photogenic. If you want photographs rather than just a look, plan to arrive towards 18:00 and then cross the road to Tsitsinatela as the lights come on there too.
Allow 30 minutes to an hour. A closer look at what's inside is in the Miniature Park article.
🎡 Tsitsinatela: Amusement Park After Dark
Tsitsinatela means "firefly" in Georgian. The name is literal: at 18:00 the park lights up and the glow is visible from far down the highway. That's the point. Coming here in the morning makes no sense — the park is simply closed.
Inside: 36 attractions across age ranges, including a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, haunted house and room of laughter. Indoors there's a four-lane bowling alley and arcade machines. Entry to the park is free; rides are paid by a bracelet card — load any amount, tap on the turnstile. More on the attractions and current prices in the Tsitsinatela article.
The park is across the road from the Miniature Park. The natural sequence: walk around the miniatures, cross the road, wait for 18:00 if you're early, then stay for the evening. Food and cafés are on site.
🗺️ How to Plan the Day
Route options depending on your priorities
🚗 Getting There
From Batumi to Shekvetili is 40-45 km along the S2 highway, around 50 minutes. Minibuses heading towards Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Zugdidi pass through Shekvetili and stop on request — tell the driver which site you want and they'll drop you off. The fare from Batumi is around 5 lari.
A taxi for the full day is the most comfortable option if you're travelling in a group. The five sites span 4 km of highway; walking between them on the shoulder isn't practical.
From Kobuleti to the Miniature Park and Tsitsinatela is about 10 km. From Ureki it's around 7 km in the other direction. A minibus between Ureki and Shekvetili runs every 20 minutes.
Parking is available at each site. For the dendropark, the main car park is in front of the entrance near Paragraph Resort.
📌 Before You Go — Checklist
Shekvetili was a quiet health resort under the pines in Soviet times. In the Middle Ages it held a small coastal port with an Ottoman garrison. After 2010 the place changed: a dendropark built over several years with private money opened in 2020 and became the anchor around which other things grew. The Musicians Park, Paragraph Resort, the Black Sea Arena concert venue with 10,000 seats, the Miniature Park that opened in 2016. A village at the Natanebi delta became a cluster of five distinct places that can be walked in one day, from the dendropark gate in the morning to Tsitsinatela's lights after dark.
Have you been to Shekvetili? Leave a review on Madloba: tell us which site you liked most, whether all five in one day is actually doable, and whether the dendropark alone is worth the trip in winter.
Information is current as of June 2026. Check the dendropark schedule and Tsitsinatela hours before travelling — both may vary by season.
❓ Frequently asked questions
With all five sites, plan for a full day. Leave Batumi by 8:00-8:30 and expect to return around midnight if you stay for Tsitsinatela. Without the amusement park, half a day is enough.
Yes. Entry is free. The park is open five days a week, so check the schedule the day before — arriving on a closed day is a wasted journey.
The park is built around its nighttime atmosphere and lighting. In daylight it doesn't have the same appeal. Plan it as the final stop, after the Miniature Park.
Minibuses heading toward Tbilisi or Kutaisi stop along the S2 on request. Fare from Batumi around 5 lari. The downside: the five sites span 4 km of highway and walking the gaps on the shoulder isn't comfortable. A taxi for the day is more practical for a group.
Very much so. The beach has an exceptionally shallow floor. The dendropark has lemurs and flamingos roaming freely. Tsitsinatela has rides for small children as well as adults. The Miniature Park works well for school-age kids.
Easily. Ureki is about 7 km from Shekvetili, Kobuleti about 10 km. The minibus runs between them frequently. If you want Ureki's beach as well, add around an hour.
Black magnetic sand instead of grey pebbles, a very shallow floor instead of a sudden drop, fewer people. A pine forest sits close to the waterline. The tradeoff: less infrastructure and fewer cafés than Batumi.
The sand is black because it contains magnetite, an iron mineral — metal objects actually stick to it. As a health claim, long exposure to warm magnetic sand is traditionally associated with joint conditions. If you have a specific medical condition, consult a doctor rather than relying on the beach alone.
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عجبني انه ممكن تكتشف كل شي في يوم واحد، بس من ناحية تانية، كنت أتمنى لو كان في وقت أكثر لمزيد من الاستكشاف. أحياناً، الوقت يكون عدوك في رحلات زي هذي. 😬 في نهاية اليوم، تجمعت كأحباب في تسيتسيناتيلا، وكانت الأضواء تحكي قصص من الذكريات.
سؤالي هو: هل في أماكن أخرى تقدر توصيني عليها بعد كده؟ 🌊🏞️