If you're looking for a place where you can capture Georgia's contradictions in a photograph, this is the place. The Black Sea stretches out before you, calm or turbulent, depending on the day. Behind it, the skyline of Batumi rises, as if Las Vegas had married an architectural firm from Baku. In front of it: the wooden pier. Simple, functional, weathered at the edges, but solidly built. It leads a short distance out onto the water—not far, but far enough to leave everything behind for a few minutes.
The shore is lined with umbrellas, beach bars, and stalls selling beer, roasted corn on the cob, sunscreen, and unicorn-shaped inflatable rings. If you prefer a quieter setting, it's best to come in the morning or off-season. The view of the city is particularly clear then, and the light plays off the facades of the high-rise buildings, as if it briefly forgets that most of them are still under construction.