Relaxing at Chreli Abano: Our Tbilisi Sulfur Bath Experience

No visit to Tbilisi would be complete without experiencing the city's famous sulfur baths, a tradition that dates back to the city's founding. We saved this experience for our final activity in Tbilisi, right before our airport transfer—a perfect way to end our Georgian adventure.

We booked a small private bath room for two persons for one hour at Chreli Abano, one of the popular bathhouses in the Abanotubani district. These private rooms are perfect for those who prefer more privacy while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of the sulfur waters. Our room included a pool filled with hot sulfur water, shower facilities, and basic amenities.

To enhance the experience, we each added a traditional peeling scrub (kessa) to our package. This scrub treatment involves a bath attendant using a special glove to exfoliate your skin, removing dead skin cells and leaving your skin feeling incredibly smooth and refreshed.

The sulfur water itself has a distinctive smell (somewhat like eggs), but you quickly get used to it. The water is naturally warm and rich in minerals like sulfur, calcium, and magnesium. These minerals are known for their therapeutic properties, helping with skin conditions, joint pain, and improving circulation.

The entire experience was deeply relaxing. Soaking in the warm sulfur bath melted away the tension from days of walking around Tbilisi's hilly streets. The peeling scrub, while quite vigorous, left our skin feeling amazingly soft and renewed.

Located in the historic Abanotubani district, Chreli Abano is surrounded by the charm of old Tbilisi. The bath district itself is worth exploring, with its distinctive brick domes rising from the ground - a unique architectural feature that's become emblematic of this part of the city.

For anyone visiting Tbilisi, I'd recommend setting aside a couple of hours for this experience. It's not just a spa treatment but a glimpse into an ancient tradition central to Tbilisi's identity for centuries. The city's name comes from the Georgian word "tbili," meaning warm, a reference to these natural hot springs.

Afterward, heading to the airport, refreshed and relaxed, felt like the perfect conclusion to our time in Georgia.