Gega Waterfall, Mountain waterfall in Gudauta District, Georgia

Gega Waterfall drops about 70 metres from a horizontal fissure in Upper Jurassic limestone, emerging in three streams that join into a wide fan-shaped curtain over dark, moss-tinged rock. The water comes from the Gega River after a passage through karst corridors; the cave behind the fall runs 315 metres into the mountain. A grotto to the left, about 15 metres high and 35 metres wide, marks another water outlet.

The karst cave from which the water emerges formed over thousands of years through limestone dissolution in the upper mountain ranges. Soviet film crews used the site in the 1980s as a backdrop for scenes meant to represent the Swiss Alps.

The waterfall is also called Cherkessky, after the karst fissure into which the Gega River partly disappears. Its water is icy, and snow at the foot of the slope usually lasts until the end of summer. To the left of the fall, a grotto about 15 m high and 35 m wide marks where water emerges from side fissures; this water is prized for drinking.

The path to the cascade runs through damp forest where stones and roots can become slippery, especially after rain. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and be aware that the temperature in the gorge remains noticeably cooler than outside, even in summer.

The water travels underground through karst channels before emerging abruptly from the middle of the rock face. On hot days, the spray at the base of the cascade stays cold enough that patches of snow can linger in rock crevices until late summer.