💧 Sioni Reservoir: A Mountain Lake Near Tianeti Where You Can Swim and Fish
💧 Sioni Reservoir Near Tianeti
A mountain lake 45 km from Tbilisi where, unlike at Zhinvali, swimming and fishing are allowed. Built in 1963 on the Iori River: the village of Sioni went under the water, and a beech forest reaches the shore in places.
Sioni Reservoir is an artificial lake in the Tianeti Municipality of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, in the valley of the Iori River, between the village of Sioni and the settlement of Lelovani. It sits about 45 km from Tbilisi along a mountain road through Tianeti. Locals call it various names: Sioni Lake, Lake Sioni, sometimes the Sioni Sea.
The key thing to know in advance: people swim and fish here. That sets Sioni apart from the two other large bodies of water near the capital. Swimming is banned at Zhinvali, which feeds Tbilisi's water supply. Tbilisi Sea is closer to the city, with a water park and crowds. Sioni is farther out, calmer, and ringed by a beech forest that reaches the water in places.
🏞️ How Sioni Reservoir Came to Be
The reservoir was created in 1963 to regulate the flow of the Iori River and supply water to nearby fields and the Sioni hydroelectric plant. To do that, the valley was dammed and several old villages were flooded, including part of the village of Sioni, which gave the lake its name. The settlement itself remains at the bottom of the basin, under the water.
Medieval monuments went under too. A basilica from the second half of the 5th century that stood in the village was dismantled before the reservoir filled and moved to the Tbilisi Open Air Museum of Ethnography. So if you want to see what was here before the lake, part of the answer is kept at that museum on the edge of Tbilisi.
The flooded-village story links Sioni to the better-known Zhinvali, where the Jvari-Patiosani church remains underwater and surfaces in dry years. The difference is that Sioni was built more than two decades earlier and for a different purpose: less for a power plant and drinking water for the capital, more for irrigating local land.
📋 Sioni Reservoir in Facts
🏊 Can You Swim and Fish Here?
Yes, and it's the main reason people drive out from Tbilisi for the day. The water warms up in summer: the August average is around +21 °C, comfortable for a mountain lake at roughly a kilometre of altitude. Swimming mostly happens along the gentle stretches of shore, closer to the village of Sioni.
Fishing works too. The reservoir is constantly replenished by the Iori River, so fish are present, unlike in karst lakes such as Ertso where the water periodically drains away. People come with rods for the whole day, often as families.
Keep in mind this is a mountain body of water with sharp changes in depth: shallow at the edge, but the bottom drops quickly, and the maximum depth reaches 67 metres. The right bank is steep and rocky. So it's best to enter the water at established spots and keep an eye on children.
🌲 What's Around: Beech Forest and the Sioni Resort
The forest is a value of its own here. The upper part of the shoreline slopes is covered with deciduous woodland, and beech trees reach the water in places. That gives the combination visitors come for: you can swim, then step straight into forest shade, all in mountain air.
Next to the reservoir is the Sioni climatic resort, known for its mix of three types of air: lake, mountain and forest. The resort, its guesthouses and its therapeutic climate are covered in detail in the Sioni resort guide, so there's no need to repeat it here.
New infrastructure is gradually appearing on the shore: a large hotel complex with a recreation zone has been announced. For now the place stays wild and quiet rather than developed, which for many is the point. If you want more service and beach infrastructure, look toward Tbilisi Sea instead.
🚗 Getting There
The drive from Tbilisi runs through Tianeti, about 45 km. The Tbilisi to Tianeti road is mountainous and scenic, so the journey becomes part of the trip rather than just a transfer. By car it's roughly an hour.
Public transport is harder: minibuses run from Tbilisi to Tianeti, but from the village to the reservoir a taxi or your own car is more practical. If you're planning a full day of swimming and fishing with gear, a car makes it noticeably easier.
Bear in mind this is a mountain direction: the weather in Tianeti is cooler than in Tbilisi, and the water is cold in the shoulder seasons. The swimming season here is shorter than on the lowlands, and mid-summer is the most comfortable time.
🗺️ Sioni Reservoir on the Map
Open in Google Maps🆚 Sioni, Zhinvali or Tbilisi Sea?
Three bodies of water near Tbilisi often get confused, but they serve different purposes. A short cheat sheet on where to go for what.
🆚 Three Reservoirs Near Tbilisi
In short: for views and history it's Zhinvali Reservoir with Ananuri fortress, for city recreation with a water park it's Tbilisi Sea, and for quiet swimming and fishing in the mountains it's Sioni. Anyone collecting Georgia's clean mountain lakes will find the rating of the cleanest lakes useful.
Sioni stays a place for those who want a mountain swim without crowds or city noise. It has neither the beach infrastructure of Tbilisi Sea nor the postcard views of Zhinvali, but it has quiet water, beech forest at the shore and the sense that Tbilisi is far away, even though the drive is only an hour. The flooded village on the bottom adds a quiet layer of history that most people coming to swim never think about.
Have you been to Sioni Reservoir? Tell us in the comments on Madloba: where it's easiest to get into the water, whether the fish are biting, and whether it's worth a single day trip or better with an overnight stay at the resort.
Information is current as of June 2026. Before your trip, check the road conditions through Tianeti, the mountain weather and the water temperature: the swimming season here is shorter than in Tbilisi.
📚 Read Next water and nature near Tbilisi
❓ FAQ
In the Tianeti Municipality of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, in the Iori River valley, between the village of Sioni and the settlement of Lelovani. About 45 km from Tbilisi via the road through Tianeti, roughly an hour by car.
Yes. Unlike Zhinvali, which supplies drinking water, people swim here. The water warms up in summer, with an August average around +21 °C. Because of the deep sections, it's best to enter at established, gentle spots.
Swimming is banned at Zhinvali, where people go for views and Ananuri fortress. Tbilisi Sea is closer to the city, with a water park and crowds. Sioni is farther out and quieter, and people swim and fish in a mountain forest.
Yes. The reservoir is replenished by the Iori River, so fish are present. People come to fish for the whole day, often as families.
Minibuses run from Tbilisi to Tianeti, but from the village to the water a taxi is more practical. For a trip with swimming and fishing gear, your own car is noticeably simpler.
No. Several places in Georgia are named Sioni: the cathedral in Tbilisi, a village near Kazbegi and this reservoir in Tianeti. They share only the name.
When the reservoir was created in 1963, the valley was flooded and the village of Sioni was left under the water. A 5th-century basilica was dismantled before the flooding and moved to the Tbilisi Open Air Museum of Ethnography.
From mid-summer to early autumn, when the water warms up. This is a mountain direction, so the water is cold in spring and autumn and the swimming season is shorter than on the lowlands. The road through Tianeti is best in clear weather.
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