What is the Tbilisi Sea area?
The Tbilisi Sea is the large reservoir on the north-eastern edge of the city, and "Tbilisi Sea area" is the name buyers and sellers give to the housing on its shores: Soviet blocks of the "Sea District" on the north-west side, a new resort strip on the west shore, and the Chinese-built Hualing towns at the southern tip. It is not a district on the official map, and it is not one market. What links these places is the water, the parks and the open space, together with the distance to the metro.
Many people say the reservoir is in Gldani. It is not. Tbilisi City Council's decision No 16-35 of 2014 names the reservoir only in the boundaries of three units of Nadzaladevi (27, 28 and 29, Temka) and two of Samgori (17, Varketili, and 19). By our test of OpenStreetMap outlines, about 91% of the water lies in Nadzaladevi and about 9% in Samgori; the north-shore housing that many call "Gldani" is officially part of Temka. The neighbouring Gldani district has its own guide.
Map and boundaries
The reservoir stretches about 9 km from the Chronicle of Georgia and the Sea District in the north-west to the Hualing blocks of Varketili in the south-east, with the new zoo and the Dendrological Park on its south-west shore and mostly open land on its east side.
Open the mapFour shores, four different stories. The north-west shore is the Zghvisubani or "Sea District" of Temka, with the main public beach. The west shore, reached from Ivertubani and Beshenova Street, has the Gino Paradise water park, the Tbilisi Sea Resort flats and the Tbilisi Boulevard construction site. The south tip belongs to Samgori, where Hualing built its Tbilisi Sea New City. The east shore, around Sadjeirno, is mostly empty, with water works run by Georgian Water and Power. By our calculation from the OpenStreetMap outline, the mapped water covers about 9.6 km², less than the encyclopedia's 11.8 km² because the level was lower when it was mapped.
Portals do not help. The ss.ge "Tbilisi sea" filter held only six sale ads in October 2026, all from the west-shore strip; the same site files the Sea District under "Temqa" and Hualing under "Varketili". Search by street, not by the label.
Who the Tbilisi Sea area suits
Suits
- Buyers who value parks, open views and the water over a short commute.
- Families who want space and quiet within the city limits.
- Buyers of a holiday or second home near the water, for summer use.
- Long-term investors betting on the zoo, the parks and the new bypass road.
Does not suit
- Anyone who needs the metro on the doorstep.
- Buyers who expect a beach town with year-round shops and cafes.
- Land buyers who have not checked whether a plot may be built on.
How the reservoir and its shores were built
According to the Georgian Encyclopedia, the reservoir was created by filling the basins of three former salt lakes, Avlabari, Ilguniani and Kukia, with water from the Iori river, and it has been in service since 1953 as the regulator of the Samgori irrigation system. It is 9 km long and up to 2 km wide, with an average depth of 26.6 m and a design volume of 308 million m³. Later, according to a peer-reviewed study cited by Wikipedia, the working level was lowered from 548 to 540 m above sea level because water was seeping towards built-up areas. Since the Zhinvali reservoir came into use, water from the Aragvi has reached it through a tunnel, and a 2017 government strategy put about 85% of withdrawals for drinking water.
The encyclopedia notes that the north and south-west shores were landscaped as a recreation zone, and archaeologists have found Bronze and Iron Age burials on the shores. On the hill above the north-west shore stands Zurab Tsereteli's Chronicle of Georgia, 16 tall columns with scenes from Georgian history and the Gospels.
The biggest change came from China. On 30 March 2012, FactCheck Georgia reported, the government signed a treaty with the Hualing Group for a general plan covering 420 hectares, and Hualing said it would invest USD 150 million by 2015. It built the Olympic Village for the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival, part of which the state later bought for displaced families, and in 2017 it opened the 110,000 m² Tbilisi Sea Plaza mall. Sources give conflicting totals for the investment, so we do not print one.
What property costs
No bank or statistics office publishes a "Tbilisi Sea" figure. Galt & Taggart counts the north and west shores in its Nadzaladevi zone and Hualing in its Samgori zone, so we combine those averages with our own reading of ads.
| Area or measure | Price or rent | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Hualing, Kupradze Street, flats | USD 1,520 per m² | Median of 37 ads; typical flat USD 92,000 for 59 m² |
| Sea District, Soviet blocks | About USD 1,190 per m² | Median of only 5 ads |
| West-shore resort strip | About USD 1,600 per m² | Median of only 5 ads, small flats |
| Nadzaladevi zone, new flats | USD 1,294 per m² | July 2026, rent USD 9.5 per m² |
| Samgori zone, new flats | USD 1,178 per m² | July 2026, rent USD 8.5 per m² |
| Hualing rents | GEL 1,430 a month | Median of 18 ads, about 50 m² |
| Shore land | About USD 70 per m² | Median of 21 ads; many plots not zoned for housing |
A few examples from the ads: in Hualing's first stage at 72 Kupradze Street, a 70 m² flat on the 6th of 9 floors asked USD 108,000; in the Sea District, a 63 m² flat in the 3rd microdistrict, about 10 minutes' walk from Sarajishvili metro, asked USD 75,000; and on the west shore, a 40 m² flat in a finished seven-storey block of the boulevard complex asked USD 70,000. Rents on the west shore were much higher, a median of GEL 2,600 a month in 10 ads, because most were large new flats; treat such small samples as signals, not market statistics.
Houses appear too: in the Temka area, a 178 m² house built in 2021 in the Sea District asked USD 220,000. Compare rental returns across the city in our page on rents by district.
The three housing clusters
The Sea District (north-west shore). Soviet microdistricts of Temka run down towards the Central Beach, the Chronicle of Georgia and the 25-hectare Zghvisubani Park, which the mayor described in July 2025 as the city's largest municipal park, built on former marshland. Some blocks are only about 300 metres from the water by our measurement, and Guramishvili and Sarajishvili metro stations are about 1.4 to 2 km away. This is the most lived-in part of the shore, with schools, clinics and shops nearby.
The resort strip (west shore). Gino Paradise, a year-round water park, stands next to the Tbilisi Sea Resort, three seven-storey blocks of 117 furnished flats by Gino Group delivered in 2020 and 2021, and the Tbilisi Boulevard site. Nadzaladevi metro is about 3.3 km away, so a car is close to a necessity here.
Hualing (south tip). The first-stage blocks on Kupradze Street are about 650 to 750 metres from the water, while the mall itself is about 2.2 km away, so "by the sea" is relative. Varketili metro is about 2 to 2.4 km from the blocks. More detail on this side is in our Varketili guide.
New projects
- Tbilisi Boulevard by Eco Invest, 7 Utsnob Gmirta Street, on the west shore: six blocks of six or seven floors with 285 flats in the layout table, from USD 1,600 per m², with phases due between the fourth quarter of 2027 and the first quarter of 2029. The developer's adverts promise a promenade, a pier and a school; treat these as plans until built.
- SEU Varketili by SEU Development, 22 Kupradze Street on the Hualing side: blocks of 11 to 16 floors, two delivered and the rest due in the first quarter of 2027, from USD 1,200 per m².
- Tiplisi Varketili, 38 Kupradze Street: 13 floors and 59 flats, due in the third quarter of 2028, from USD 1,020 per m².
- Zgvis Ubani on Tariel Putkaradze Street in Temka: 9 floors and 112 flats, due in the third quarter of 2027, from USD 1,100 per m², though it stands about 1.7 km from the water by our measurement.
Names can mislead: "Seaside Varketili" is about 1.4 km from the shore and Nova Park on Kupradze Street about 2.3 km. Check the distance on a map, and the developer with our developer checklist.
Getting around
No metro line reaches the reservoir. By our straight-line measurement, the middle of the water is 5 to 6 km from the nearest stations, Nadzaladevi, Varketili and Gotsiridze. The Sea District is best placed, 1.4 to 2 km from Guramishvili and Sarajishvili; Hualing is about 2 km from Varketili; the west shore is more than 3 km from Nadzaladevi; and the east shore is about 5.9 km from any station. Freedom Square is about 6.2 km from the shore.
A ring road runs round the reservoir, Marshal Jozef Pilsudski Avenue links the south tip with Vazisubani and Varketili, and Nikoloz Khudadov Street leads to the new zoo on the west side. OpenStreetMap shows several bus routes at Hualing and few on the west and north shores; confirm routes in the Tbilisi Transport Company app before you count on one. The fare is GEL 1 with 90 minutes of free transfers.
A larger change is planned: the Tbilisi bypass road. In April 2026, Georgia Today reported that the tender for its third section, 22.5 km of four-lane road from Avchala via Gldani to the airport, was worth about GEL 932 million. We found no award and no map showing exactly how close it will pass to the shore.
Swimming, parks and the new zoo
Swimming is a summer habit here, but the reservoir is first a drinking-water source and we found no official bathing zones or lifeguard service. The National Environmental Agency tests the water: in 2023 it found no microbiological pollution in 12 samples and all chemical readings within limits, the best result of the city's three swimming waters, while in 2022 coliform bacteria were 3 times the limit in June and 2.1 times in August. Check the latest results before a family summer.
- Tbilisi Sea Club. On the south-west shore, with pools, a children's pool and yachts, open from late May to late September, according to the national tourism portal.
- The new zoo. City Hall is moving Tbilisi Zoo to about 50 hectares by the reservoir; its Caucasus section opened in test mode on 9 August 2026, with the official opening planned for the autumn.
- Dendrological Park. About 160 hectares on the south-west side, where in October 2025 the mayor announced a large amusement park, with no dates or budget given.
- Zghvisubani Park and the Central Beach. On the north-west shore, below the Chronicle of Georgia.
Rules and risks for buyers
Land is the main trap. Many plots advertised "by the Tbilisi Sea" are sold with agricultural status or in a recreation zone, so they cannot automatically be built on, and some carry cadastral codes that start with 81 rather than Tbilisi's usual 01, which needs checking on the registry map. Government Decree No 440 bans most construction inside water protection strips, but its 300-metre strip applies to reservoirs not used for drinking water; the protection zones of the Tbilisi Sea itself fall under separate rules whose widths we could not find. Ask the city's urban development service what may be built before you buy land.
In January 2025, 1TV reported, municipal inspectors cleared about 30 unfinished structures from up to 2 hectares of recreational land seized near the shore. The water level also moves by 7 to 10 m a year, according to the encyclopedia, so the shoreline and the view change with the seasons, and the seepage that once forced the level down is a reason to ask about damp in basements near the water. Outside the Sea District and Hualing, shops, schools and clinics are far away.
Air quality
No official air monitor of any kind stands on the shore. The nearest automatic station, in Varketili, is about 1.2 km from the Hualing blocks by our measurement and recorded an annual PM2.5 mean of 14.6 µg/m³ in 2024, according to Tbilisi State University researchers; for the Sea District and the west shore the nearest measuring points are more than 3 km away. The open, windy setting may well mean cleaner air than in dense districts, but no measurement shows it, so we publish no figure for the shore itself.
Letting by the Tbilisi Sea
The short-stay market is thin. On 22 October 2026 the ss.ge "Tbilisi sea" filter had no daily-rent ads, and most of the 15 daily ads we found for Hualing offered rooms by the day or even by the hour at GEL 30 to 70. Long lets in Hualing, at a median of GEL 1,430 a month, are the more dependable plan. The resort flats on the west shore are marketed for holiday use, but we found no occupancy figures. Weigh the options in our comparison of long-term and short-term letting.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Water, parks and open views | No metro; 5 to 6 km from the middle of the water |
| New zoo and planned amusement park | Many plots not zoned for housing |
| Sea District flats at about USD 1,190 per m² | Thin services outside two clusters |
| Clean water tests in 2023 | No official beaches or lifeguards |
| Bypass road planned nearby | No air monitor on the shore |
To be added by the team: photos for the team to take: the Central Beach and the Chronicle of Georgia, the Sea District blocks, Zghvisubani Park, Gino Paradise and the Tbilisi Boulevard site, the Hualing first-stage blocks on Kupradze Street, Tbilisi Sea Plaza and the new zoo entrance.
Checking property by the Tbilisi Sea step by step
Find the cluster
Sea District, west shore or Hualing.
Measure the real distance
To the water and to the metro.
Check the land status
Residential, agricultural or recreation.
Ask about protection zones
At the urban development service.
Visit in autumn too
When the water level is low.
Test the rent
Against GEL 1,430 in Hualing.
Frequently asked questions
Which district is the Tbilisi Sea in?
Mostly Nadzaladevi, about 91% of the water, with the southern tip in Samgori; Gldani does not touch it.
How much does a flat near the Tbilisi Sea cost?
In Hualing the ss.ge median was USD 1,520 per m² in October 2026; Sea District flats asked less.
Can you swim in the Tbilisi Sea?
People do, but we found no official bathing zones; 2023 tests found no microbiological pollution.
Is there a metro near the Tbilisi Sea?
No. Guramishvili and Sarajishvili are 1.4 to 2 km from the Sea District, Varketili about 2 km from Hualing.
When was the Tbilisi Sea built?
It has been in service since 1953.
Where is the new Tbilisi zoo?
On the west side of the reservoir; its Caucasus section opened in test mode on 9 August 2026.
Can I build on land by the Tbilisi Sea?
Only if the plot's zoning allows it; many plots are agricultural or recreational.
Is IBSU on the Tbilisi Sea?
No. Its main campus is about 4.7 km from the water.
Sources
- Tbilisi City Council decision No 16-35 on territorial units, 5 December 2014, and Government Decree No 440 on water protection strips, 31 December 2013, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi reservoir, Georgian Encyclopedia, and Tbilisi Sea and Chronicle of Georgia, Wikipedia (accessed 22 October 2026)
- The 2012 agreement on a town near the Tbilisi Sea, FactCheck Georgia, 24 October 2014
- A mega-mall with few shoppers, OC Media (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi residential real estate, July 2026, Galt & Taggart (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi sea, Temqa and Varketili sections, with rents, houses and land, ss.ge (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi Boulevard, Tbilisi Sea Resort, SEU Varketili, Tiplisi Varketili and Zgvis Ubani, korter.ge (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Surface water quality yearbook for 2023 and for 2022, National Environmental Agency (accessed 22 October 2026)
- New zoo section opens in test mode, Georgia Today, 10 August 2026, and Tbilisi bypass road, third section tender, Georgia Today, 27 April 2026
- Amusement park in the Dendrological Park, 2 October 2025; Zghvisubani Park, 10 July 2025; and Illegal land seizure in Nadzaladevi, 24 January 2025, 1TV
- Tbilisi Sea Club, Georgian National Tourism Administration (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Air quality management plan for the Tbilisi agglomeration, 2024-2026, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, and Particulate matter in Tbilisi, 2017-2024, M. Nodia Institute of Geophysics, Tbilisi State University, November 2025 (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Tbilisi Sea, OpenStreetMap (accessed 22 October 2026)
Change log
- - Area guide published from the Tbilisi City Council decision on territorial units, Government Decree No 440, the Georgian Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, FactCheck Georgia, OC Media, Galt & Taggart data, ss.ge and korter.ge listings, National Environmental Agency water tests, Georgia Today, 1TV, the national tourism portal and Tbilisi air quality data.