Okatse Canyon is a natural landmark of the Khony region. This region is struck by the beauty of wildlife and scenic views. It is believed that Okatse Canyon has existed for many millions of years, but its opening as a hiking trail was completed only in 2014. And in 2011, the canyon Okatse was awarded the status of the National Park.
Okatse Canyon is located in Khony municipality in the west of Georgia, which is part of the Imereti region. It is located in 40-50 km from the city of Kutaisi. The name of this canyon comes from the Okatse River, thanks to which it was formed: flowing along the mountainous terrain, the river washed limestone and formed a gorge. Okatse is a canyon 16 kilometers long and about 50 meters deep. It has a stepped structure – the Upper and Lower Cascades. In fact, these are two different canyons, the distance between which is 4 km. The Lower Cascade is the last three kilometers before the confluence of the Okatse River in Tskhenistskali. The Upper Cascade is located to the north of the Lower Cascade, nearby you can see the famous waterfall Kinchkha.
Walking along the canyon Okatse is very spectacular. A hanging cantilever path up to 1 km long and an observation deck at the end of the road are installed on a high and inaccessible location.
There are 2 variants of travel: at the foot of a rock along the river or on a suspension road from above the canyon. The total length of the route is 2 kilometers. The first variant of the route: a ladder of 544 steps descends to the foot of the cliff. If the tourist is not prepared, he will quickly get tired. In addition, the steps begin at a 140-meter height, so you need to be careful and sometimes rest – parking for a few minutes. The second version of the route: the road from the visit center leads to a suspended cantilever road, along which you can walk over the canyon to the viewing platform. The height of the suspension road is 140 meters above the precipice. The 140-meter height of the road above the canyon is approximately 45 floors of the building. From the observation deck offers an amazing view of the mountains, forests, the river, which flows far below.