Sataplia Nature Reserve (Region of Imereti)
Sataplia Nature Reserve (Georgian: სათაფლიის ბუნებრივი ნაკრძალი ) – Sataplia Nature Reserve or Sataplia Reserve, from the footprints of prehistoric dinosaurs (120 million years ago) to karst caves, highlights the diversity of Georgia’s history and nature. Its grandeur arouses great admiration among visitors and ranks among the world’s leading natural reserves. The reserve also includes a crater of an extinct volcano, a Stone Age site, and 20 species of endemic plants. The name translates as “honey”, which the reserve received in honor of the mountain, which has been home to bees since ancient times. Because of the abundance of honey it is called “Honey Mountain”.
The unique karst caves of the reserve were formed by the erosion of rocks over 30 million years. The size of the caves and their relief are amazing. The reserve has hiking trails, a museum, exhibition halls, a glass panorama with a beautiful view of the surrounding area, as well as a dinosaur reserve building where you can see unique geological objects – the footprints of real dinosaurs, which are a piece of limestone rock. Scientists have determined that the footprints date back to the Cretaceous period, which means they are about 160 million years old. A building has been erected over the place with the footprints, and a path has been laid along them so that tourists can easily observe this miracle of archeology and take pictures of it. You can go into the forest, where realistic life-size sculptures of these ancient animals are exhibited.
Mount Sataplia (Georgian: სათაფლიის მთა), Tskhaltubo Municipality (Georgian: წყალტუბოს მუნიციპალიტეტი)
