Good national parks in Georgia. Colchis National Park.

The protected area is the first site of the Ramsar Convention in Georgia and the Caucasus. Currently, the park consists of several parts that are located on land with high humidity (swampy) and in the Black Sea. The total area of the park is 44.3 km2, 1/3 of which is allocated to the marine territory.

The Colchian territories with high humidity are the remains of a relict, tropical swampy landscape. Several million years ago, such territories occupied a much larger territory. Among the plants there are species that are characteristic of swampy places of temperate and subtropical climatic zones.

Among the plants of the temperate zone there are: sphagnum moss, marsh moss, plantarium (Spagnum imbricatum, palustre, acutiflium), round-leaved dewdrop (Drosera rotundiflora), hair-bearing sedge (Carex lasiocarpa), as well as plants of Alpine zones - sedge and Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum). There are many plants of relict and endemic species preserved in the park, which belong to plants of both swamp and river forests, as well as coastal dunes and underwater places. Two species - yellowish maces and marine pancras are listed in the Red Book. Of the rare and endangered species, it should be noted the Hartvis oak (Quercus hartwissiana), the winged lapina (Pterocarya pterocarpa) and the Colchian boxwood (Buxus colchica), etc.

The Colchis National Park also includes a lake of coastal origin - Paliastomi, which several millennia ago was a bay of the Black Sea. The lake is separated from the sea by a strip of dunes several meters high. The area of the lake exceeds 18 km2, and the depth reaches 3 meters. Despite its small size, Lake Paliastomi is rich in different types of fish. This diversity is due to the alternation of different living environments. When the water level drops sharply, seawater flows into the lake.

There are about 200 species of birds on the territory of the National Park. Among them is the Colchian pheasant, about the very exotic beauty of which the civilized world learned many millennia ago, thanks to the Argonauts. Territories with high humidity are a traditional stopping place for migratory birds on the migration path. Millions of birds "rest" here in autumn and spring, and many who arrived in winter stay here until spring.

There are three types of dolphins in the Black Sea: bottlenose dolphin, white-sided dolphin and porpoise. There are also Atlantic sturgeon and beluga, mackerel and salmon, herring and pike, gobies and roach. Among the 90 species of ichthyofauna, half are inhabitants of salty waters, and 1/4 are freshwater.

Several significant historical and archaeological monuments can be viewed on the territory of the park and in the surrounding areas. Among them are the ancient capital of Lazica - Archeopolis and Christian monuments of Colchis, the medieval monastery complex in Martvili, the monastery in Khobi, the church in Tsaishi, etc.