New Athos Cave | TravelDojo

New Athos Cave is a karst show cave system near the town of New Athos in Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast of Georgia. It is one of the major developed caves in the region and is open to visitors.

The site features extensive decorated chambers with stalactites and stalagmites and an underground lake; a marked visitor route leads through multiple large halls. Lighting and a short underground shuttle are provided to assist public access, and tours typically use prepared walkways and stairways.

Exploration and development have transformed natural cave passages into a show cave with visitor infrastructure; the system has been altered to allow safe public access. Management and access arrangements have changed over time with local administration.

The cave lies just outside the town of New Athos on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia. It is reachable from local roads serving the town and sits inland from the shoreline in a karst landscape.

Visitor access: Tours follow a developed route of walkways and stairs through large decorated chambers; parts of the cave are illuminated for visitors and temperatures remain cool year-round.
On-site transport: A short underground rail shuttle connects the cave entrance area with deeper show sections, reducing walking distance for some visitors.

How to Get to New Athos Cave #

New Athos Cave (Novy Afon) is on the Black Sea coast beside the town of New Athos, about 20 km southwest of Sukhumi. From Sukhumi local minibuses (marshrutkas) and occasional buses run to New Athos; by car it is a roughly 20-30 minute drive along the coastal road from Sukhumi. Once in New Athos the show cave is a short walk from the town center and monastery area (under 1 km from the main street).

Tips for Visiting New Athos Cave #

Visit early in the morning when the first guided tours run to avoid the larger coach groups that arrive later in the day.
Buy tickets at the site's official ticket office and join one of the timed guided tours - the cave visit is normally organized and you'll miss most interpretation if you go without a guide.
Combine a visit to New Athos Cave with nearby New Athos Monastery and the coastal viewpoint for a full half‑day itinerary, since the attractions are close together and easily reached from the town.

Best Time to Visit New Athos Cave #

Best to visit outside the summer peak - spring and autumn offer fewer crowds and easier access to guided tours.

Peak (summer & holidays)

June-August, major holidays · N/A

The cave is busiest in summer and on public holidays - expect guided tours to fill up and slightly longer waits.

Shoulder (spring & autumn)

April-May, September-October · N/A

Quieter than summer with shorter lines; good times to visit if you prefer smaller tour groups.

Off‑peak (winter)

November-March · N/A

Fewer visitors and more availability on tours; cooler outside weather but the cave experience itself is largely the same year‑round.

Weather & Climate near New Athos Cave #

Climate

New Athos Cave's climate is classified as Humid Subtropical - Humid Subtropical climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 1°C to 26°C. Abundant rainfall (1531 mm/year), wettest in December.

Air Quality: AQI 45 Good

Best Time to Visit

JulyAugustSeptember

Temperature & Rainfall

Temperature Range

38°

Warmest Month

-2°

Coldest Month

Monthly Conditions

January

January is the coolest month with highs of 8°C and lows of 1°C. Significant rainfall (146 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

37 Poor

Comfort

4°

Feels Like Cold

4°C

Temperature

1° – 8°

74%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

146 mm

Rainfall

2.7 m/s

Wind

Calm

0.1

UV Index

Low

9.2h daylight

February

February is cold with highs of 10°C and lows of 1°C. Significant rainfall (105 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

47 Poor

Comfort

5°

Feels Like Cold

5°C

Temperature

1° – 10°

74%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

105 mm

Rainfall

2.8 m/s

Wind

Calm

0.3

UV Index

Low

10.3h daylight

March

March is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 4°C. Significant rainfall (116 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

47 Poor

Comfort

8°

Feels Like Cold

8°C

Temperature

4° – 12°

74%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

116 mm

Rainfall

2.7 m/s

Wind

Calm

0.6

UV Index

Moderate

11.8h daylight

April

April is cool with highs of 17°C and lows of 8°C. Significant rainfall (116 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

59 Acceptable

Comfort

12°

Feels Like Cool

12°C

Temperature

8° – 17°

73%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

116 mm

Rainfall

2.6 m/s

Wind

Calm

1.0

UV Index

High

13.3h daylight

May

May is cool with highs of 20°C and lows of 12°C. Significant rainfall (108 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

61 Good

Comfort

16°

Feels Like Cool

16°C

Temperature

12° – 20°

74%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

108 mm

Rainfall

2.3 m/s

Wind

Calm

1.5

UV Index

High

14.5h daylight

June

June is mild with highs of 24°C and lows of 16°C. Significant rainfall (117 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

73 Very Good

Comfort

20°

Feels Like Mild

20°C

Temperature

16° – 24°

73%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

117 mm

Rainfall

2.3 m/s

Wind

Calm

1.8

UV Index

Very High

15.2h daylight

July

July is the warmest month with highs of 26°C and lows of 18°C. Regular rainfall (94 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

81 Excellent

Comfort

22°

Feels Like Mild

22°C

Temperature

18° – 26°

72%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

94 mm

Rainfall

2.2 m/s

Wind

Calm

1.9

UV Index

Very High

14.9h daylight

August

August is mild with highs of 26°C and lows of 18°C. Significant rainfall (108 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

79 Very Good

Comfort

22°

Feels Like Mild

22°C

Temperature

18° – 26°

70%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

108 mm

Rainfall

2.2 m/s

Wind

Calm

1.7

UV Index

Very High

13.8h daylight

September

September is mild with highs of 23°C and lows of 14°C. Significant rainfall (131 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

75 Very Good

Comfort

19°

Feels Like Mild

19°C

Temperature

14° – 23°

67%

Humidity

Humid

Weather

131 mm

Rainfall

2.3 m/s

Wind

Calm

1.1

UV Index

High

12.4h daylight

October

October is cool with highs of 19°C and lows of 10°C. Significant rainfall (151 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

59 Acceptable

Comfort

14°

Feels Like Cool

14°C

Temperature

10° – 19°

68%

Humidity

Humid

Weather

151 mm

Rainfall

2.5 m/s

Wind

Calm

0.6

UV Index

Moderate

10.9h daylight

November

November is cold with highs of 14°C and lows of 6°C. Significant rainfall (157 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

51 Acceptable

Comfort

10°

Feels Like Cold

10°C

Temperature

6° – 14°

69%

Humidity

Humid

Weather

157 mm

Rainfall

2.6 m/s

Wind

Calm

0.3

UV Index

Low

9.5h daylight

December

December is cold with highs of 10°C and lows of 2°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (182 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

45 Poor

Comfort

6°

Feels Like Cold

6°C

Temperature

2° – 10°

71%

Humidity

Very Humid

Weather

182 mm

Rainfall

2.8 m/s

Wind

Calm

0.1

UV Index

Low

8.8h daylight

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