Georgia: Mestia, Koruldi Lakes

Date: 17th Aug, 2025

Koruldi Lakes is located at an altitude of approximately 2850 meters in the Mestia region, en route to Ushba. It is a well-known day hike from Mestia, offering picturesque views of the small town, village life, and being encircled by mountains on three sides. The distance from Mestia is about 9 km or 12 km, depending on the chosen path. I opted for the shorter, yet steepest route.

The hike begins with a 1km walk around the town of Mestia before ascending a steep hill through a forested area. This section is enjoyable due to its full shade and the solitude it provides, giving a sense of being a lone adventurer. After a few hours of hiking, you emerge from the wooded area and arrive at the first viewpoint. Here, you will find a couple of cabins where you can rest and take some photos. You get amazing views of the distance glaciers.

Next is the meadow region, where you need to hike for an hour to reach the lakes. Many tourists take the car road to get to the lakes as well. A few tourists ride horses to the lakes and continue on to Ushba to visit the small town.

While the Koruldi lakes are not truly lakes, but rather resemble ponds in my opinion, the day hike is definitely worthwhile as it offers excellent views of the mountains and glaciers around Mestia.

While returning, I was somewhat running downhill and hurt my knee, which required me to rest for an additional day.

What I noticed is that not many Georgians are fond of hiking; they prefer to drive, enjoy the scenery, eat, and drink rather than hike. :)