The town was founded by the Greeks in the 5th century B.C. as a trade Colony Pitiunt. Excavations unearthed remains of three 4th-century churches and a bath with superb Mosaic floors. The former "Great Pityus" harbour is now a mere lake within the town. In the 6th century, the town was the capital of Egrisi Kingdom. Saint John Chrysostom was exiled there and died near the shore in 407. An archbishopric of Pitiunt was instituted in 541. In the 13th century, the area was taken over by the Genoese merchants, who called it Pezonda.
The principal historical monument of Pitsunda is a large cathedral of the 10th century. It contains vestiges of wall-painting from the 13th and the 16th centuries. There are many hotels for Russian tourists, who frequent the area in summertime.