See western Georgia’s Martvili and Okatse Canyons in drone footage (VIDEO)
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The picturesque sights of western Georgia's Martvili and Okatse Canyons are the focus of a new viral video, captured by drone footage of the unique waterfalls and boat passages found at the popular tourist sites.
Released by the Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia on Tuesday, the video shows a birds-eye view, as well as on-the-ground shots of the canyons, which are formed around the Abasha and Okatse rivers in Samegrelo and Imereti regions.
The state office managing Georgia's Protected Areas invited its social media followers to "take a deep breath and enjoy the beauty" of the natural environment shown in its video.
The canyons were the focus of Governmental projects to boost tourism in the regions by establishing and restoring adjacent infrastructure. Photo from the Press Office of the Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia.
Sights including the Kinchkha Waterfall in Martvili, as well as bridges and walkways that cantilever out over the rocky banks of the Okatse Canyon were all captured in the drone footage.
The Martvili Canyon is located in the Martvili Municipality of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region and spans a distance of 2.4km but only 5-10m wide.
The site is about five hours drive from capital Tbilisi. This year the site has undergone extensive works to establish new tourist infrastructure and restore existing facilities.
The $582,000 USD Governmental project involved installing and renovating tracks, bridges, lookout sites and docking areas for boats.
The new infrastructure at Martvili Canyon included new tourist tracks and walkways. Photo from the Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia.
Meanwhile the Okatse Canyon is found in the Khoni Municipality of the Imereti region, 50km north-east of Martvili.
Hugging the 14km-long Okatse River, the canyon's width ranges from 3-20m and its height from 20-100m.
The Martvili and Okatse Canyons are high on the list of popular destinations visited by locals and tourists.
Earlier today the Agency of Protected Areas released its official figures outlining the number of tourists who visited the various Protected Areas.
The data showed an increase in the number of visitors to natural parks and reserves from about 160,000 over the first six months of 2015 to nearly 250,000 during the same period of this year.
See the sights of the picturesque Martvili and Okatse canyons in the Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia footage below:
he Government of Georgia has allocated more than half million dollars to install tourist tracks, bridges, lookout points and more to rejuvenate and restore the Martvili Canyon in west Georgia.
Summer is the high season for travelling all over the country to see the most interesting and beautiful places of Georgia. There are a lot of choices depending on what you want to explore; from the sea in the west to the mountains in the north and the lush grapevines in the east.
Kobuleti and Kintrishi Protected areas in western Georgia have welcomed new infrastructure received through local and foreign support.
A zip line zone will be arranged in Martvili Canyon and in the village of Kinchkha, which is located near the Okatse waterfall, in western Georgia.
Okatse Canyon, located in the Khoni Municipality of the Imereti region, is now open for visitors after it underwent renovation work.
The state project for development of western Georgia's Martvili Canyon has been distinguished with the National Landscape Award from the Council of Europe Landscape Convention in recognition of the work done on the tourist spot.