💧 The Cave, Waterfall and Boxwood Grove of Intsira: A Route Through Chkvaleri

The municipality of Tsalenjikha sits on the border of Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, in the valley of the Inguri and Chanistskali rivers. Its name comes from the ancient Colchian tribe of the Chans: "Tsalenjikha" translates as "fortress of the Chans." It's within this municipality, in the valley of the Intsira River near the village of Chkvaleri, that three natural features sit hidden together, a cave, a waterfall, and a boxwood grove, all reachable on a single hike.

Few people know the place, largely because of how remote it is: the paved road ends at Chkvaleri, and from there it's a forest trail along the gorge on foot.

🕳️ The Cave of Intsira

The Intsira River rises in the southern part of the Kvira limestone massif, within the same municipality. One of its branches originates directly inside the Kvira cave and emerges as an underground river. The Intsira cave itself, reached by a steep trail along a sheer rock face, formed within massive limestone deposits: its entrance stands about a metre to a metre and a half high and roughly three metres wide, and about 14 metres further in, the passage narrows again before a large stream, said by some accounts to flow at around 350 litres per second, emerges from an underground lake.

Part of that water is piped to residents of the Tsalenjikha municipality, while the rest tumbles over the rock face to form the waterfall itself.

💧 The Waterfall and the Emerald Pool

Worth being upfront here: Madloba's own sources disagree on the waterfall's height, anywhere from 26 to 30 metres, and we don't have a single verified figure. At the base, the falling water collects in a small pool with a distinctive emerald tint, that colour comes from dense vegetation and algae on the bottom rather than any unusual mineral content.

🌿 The Boxwood Grove

A grove of boxwood spreads around the waterfall and cave, an evergreen that thrives specifically on limestone soil, in humid conditions with limited direct sun, its branches thick with moss. That grove, together with the rocky gorge, is what gives the place its near-untouched atmosphere, the reason wild-nature enthusiasts come here rather than tourists after resort comfort.

🥾 Getting There and What to Expect

Use Chkvaleri village as your navigation point, the road there has improved noticeably in recent years. From there, the walk begins: some accounts put the trail to the waterfall at around 1.6 km, others at closer to 3 km, the difference likely comes down to whether you measure from the edge of the village or from a specific trailhead. Expect the walk to take anywhere from half an hour to an hour each way, depending on pace.

Either way, no vehicle reaches the waterfall itself, cars are left in the village. The trail follows a forest road before turning onto a steeper stretch along the gorge, described in some accounts as "difficult but manageable for any adult." No special preparation is needed, but sturdy closed shoes are essential.

For reference, distances run roughly 370 km from Tbilisi, 20 km from Tsalenjikha, 8 km from the Jvari valley, and by independent estimates, about two hours by car from Kutaisi.

📌 What to Pack

There are no cafes or shops nearby, so bring water and snacks, though you can also fill up on clean drinking water straight from the pipe at the cave. Trekking poles are worth having on the steeper sections, and a spare pair of shoes if you're planning to get closer to the pool at the base. Mobile signal can drop in the gorge.

Dry weather is best for a visit: after rain, the slope near the cave gets slippery and the trail less predictable.

Have you been to Intsira Waterfall? Leave a review on Madloba: tell us what condition the trail was in, whether you made it to the cave, and what first-timers should know.

Information is current as of July 2026. Trail and road conditions to Chkvaleri can change, check the current situation locally before you go.

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