Living in Batumi: climate, seasons, transport, districts

Batumi is Georgia's second city and its main Black Sea resort: 170,000 residents in winter and several times more in summer. Here is what matters before buying an apartment here.

Climate

Humid subtropical: a mild snowless winter on the coast (January +5…+10 °C), a hot humid summer (July–August +25…+30 °C) and a lot of rain — about 2,500 mm a year, most of it in autumn. The swimming season runs from late May to early October, with the sea warming to +24…+26 °C. In winter the city is quiet and part of the resort infrastructure closes.

Getting there

• Batumi airport — 5 km south of the centre, next to Gonio; direct flights from Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Yerevan, Dubai, Eastern European and CIS cities.
• Kutaisi airport — 2–2.5 hours by car, low-cost carriers from Europe.
• From Tbilisi — 5 hours by fast train (2 departures a day) or 6 hours by car via Kutaisi.
• Turkey — the Sarpi border crossing is 15 km from the centre; buses and minibuses from Trabzon.

How the city is laid out

The centre stretches along the sea for 7 km of the Boulevard. The first line is hotel and apartment towers, behind them the Old Town and residential quarters. Inside the city: minibuses and buses, a bike path along the whole Boulevard, app-based taxis.

Districts

• The centre and Rustaveli Avenue — the first line, the highest price and liquidity; new builds in the centre.
• New Boulevard (Adlia) — the southern part of the Boulevard towards the airport, many high-rises, prices below the centre.
• Makhinjauri and Green Cape — north, slopes above the sea, the Botanical Garden, views; new builds in Makhinjauri.
• Gonio and Kvariati — south, the cleanest sea, low-rise complexes, family holidays; new builds in Gonio.
• The airport district — the cheapest, for long-term rental to locals.

Full list — new developments in Batumi.