Snow-white hotels with balconies along the coast, bordered by palm trees, roses, and oleanders, overlooking turquoise waters, with all-inclusive dining and Russian spoken widely. No, this is not Turkey or Sochi. Abkhazia has stepped into the spotlight to attract Russian travelers. Resorts, some gaining prominence even before major events, are increasingly recognized. The republic aims to prove it can compete with the top holiday destinations. The hotel stock grows every year, and new amenities and entertainment options enhance the familiar draws that Sochi visitors recognize from day trips.
New hotels – new holidaymakers
Two decades ago, Abkhazia drew mainly intrepid travelers. The damage from the 1992-1993 conflict and sanctions left Gagra and Pitsunda, once renowned across the Soviet Union, as ghostly resorts. Collapsed sanatorium buildings, abandoned pre-revolution villas, and overgrown estates slowly began to reclaim their terrain.
Back then, the tourist scene depended on private entrepreneurs; lodging came in old buses like UAZs, and mountain excursions were arranged informally. A rare visitor sparked interest in cafes, sampled chacha and fig jam, and the beaches, though desolate, did not lack space. The colonnade in Gagra remained a silent reminder of past splendor, albeit with plaster cracking from time.
Today, Gagra, Pitsunda, Sukhumi, and Gudauta welcome visitors again with holiday homes, hotels, new spa hotels, and restored sanatoriums offering therapeutic programs and all-inclusive meals.
“Recently, efforts have focused on increasing tourist flow. If we compare post-Covid numbers from 2021 to today, the trend shows growth each year,” stated the Ministry of Tourism of Abkhazia at a press briefing. “In 2021, roughly 1.1 million tourists visited; by 2023, that figure reached about 1.4 million.”
Officials say the rise is tied to more hotels. “New comfortable hotels have appeared in Abkhazia, enabling guests to enjoy a holiday comparable to the Turkish coast.”
Russian tour operators recognized Abkhazia’s potential years ago.
“In recent years, Abkhazia has become a strategic part of our product portfolio. The steady hotel base growth and improved tourist infrastructure support higher service standards,” said Oksana Bulakh, commercial director of the national tour operator “Alean.” She noted the portfolio now includes more than 150 accommodation facilities.
We are going to Gagra
For a carefree getaway, travelers fly to Adler, cross the Abkhazian border in minutes, and use an internal passport to enter. The closest settlement for first-time visitors is Tsandripsh, with Gagra about 22 km from the border. Gagra’s pre-revolutionary growth stemmed from its malarial swamp origins and transformed into a resort for Russia’s aristocracy and the Soviet elite.
The resort’s creation owes much to the husband of Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg, a grandson of Nicholas I. He visited in spring 1901, saw the potential, and persuaded Nicholas II to fund a resort. Alongside doctors and engineers, he returned and laid the groundwork near the Gagra fortress. What emerged was a hydropathic clinic, the famed Gagripsh Hotel with a clock on the façade, and Primorsky Park.
In 1902, a castle in Art Nouveau style was erected on the hillside for the Oldenburg prince. Today it has been restored in part, though some windows remain open, awaiting full restoration by private patrons.
Gagra has been carefully restored, with Seaside Park, the temple of St. Hypatius, the Abaata fortress walls, and the rehabilitated rest houses. The newer sections blend with remnants of grand-era villas, slowly re-clothed in ivy as history breathes anew.
From the park, planted with bamboo, acacia, and palm trees—home to over 800 plant species—the walk toward the colonnade reveals row after row of sanatoriums and rest houses restored or rebuilt. Some showcase Stalinist Empire aesthetics, reminding visitors how Soviet leaders rested.
Today one still finds the same atmosphere, though it is not pristine. A new structure houses the Nart Spa Hotel, renovated in 2022, while older buildings from 1974 were restored, preserving semicircular arches and thick walls that give a solid, timeless holiday vibe. Back then, spa offerings were not as elaborate.
Take a deeper breath
Abkhazia has long been a top sanatorium destination, rivaling Crimea for the title of a premier all-encompassing health resort. Modern sanatoriums in Gagra and Pitsunda offer programs focused on prevention, treatment, and simple beach vacations with three meals daily and evening screenings.
Staying at a sanatorium can mean not wanting to leave the facility; with multiple daily procedures, there is little time to explore beyond the grounds.
Spa hotel Alex in Gagra has led the way in sanatorium and resort recreation during this new tourism phase. The hotel opened as a sanatorium in 2015 and now runs an endoecological rehabilitation program, featuring its own mineral waters and hydrogen sulfide baths.
Nearby, the Boxwood Grove sanatorium near Pitsunda offers a retreat from city life. Discovered in the early 90s, it has reborn in nearly its original form, with modernized rooms. Visitors arrive for therapeutic programs or a leisurely stay.
The site’s popularity is evident: many guests arrive with Nordic walking poles, and families stroll in search of oxygen cocktails. The arboretum on site feels like a botanical garden, hosting diverse plant species with informative signage. Tree varieties include Japanese osmanthus, Himalayan cedar, Indian lagerstroemia, nandina, and North American liquidambar.
The standout plant in Pitsunda remains the Pitsunda pine. A 4-km seaside grove offers crowds a restorative experience, with air rich in phytoncides.
Leaving the coast
The Ministry of Tourism of Abkhazia says the region aims not only to compete with Turkey and Sochi but also to extend the season beyond June to September.
“There is a plan to implement an off-season format for year-round recreation,” Deputy Minister Astamur Bartsits said. Excursions are expected to broaden tourists’ knowledge beyond New Athos, Lake Ritsa, and notable caves.
In 2021, Apsny Park opened near Gudauta. This ethnopark presents Abkhaz culture in an immersive setting, allowing visitors to understand traditional life through demonstrations of cuisine, crafts, and daily routines. It is a place to discover how Abkhaz dwellings vary by size and purpose, including gendered architectural forms and riding saddles.
Guided tours enhance the experience, though signs in Abkhazian and Russian help self-guided visitors. The ethnopark underscores Abkhazia’s commitment to preserving its distinctive culture even as new hotels rise in Gagra, Pitsunda, New Athos, Gudauta, and Sukhumi. The sea, pristine hotels, beaches, palm trees, and all-inclusive stays can still be found elsewhere, yet the depth of Abkhaz history and culture remains uniquely compelling.