Batumi is Georgia's seaside city, and it feels a little like three cities layered together. The old Black Sea port still has its cobbled streets and nineteenth-century buildings, the boulevard runs for miles along a pebbly beach, and behind it all rise the glassy towers of a recent building boom, some of them rather outlandish. Behind the city the Lesser Caucasus climbs steeply into green hills, and that backdrop is what makes the town interesting for riders.
The ride out is the draw. Within half an hour you can be among tea terraces, citrus groves and steep wooded valleys where the road narrows to a single lane and the villages come with chickens, cows and the occasional unexpected pothole. Adjara is one of the wettest parts of the Black Sea coast, with warm, humid air and heavy rain through much of the year, so the vegetation is thick and lush and the road surfaces can be greasy. Summer is hot and sticky, and early autumn is a good compromise.
Batumi has a botanical garden, laid out in the late nineteenth century on a headland north of the city, and a seaside promenade that locals use from morning to night. Food is the real reason to hang around. Adjarian khachapuri, the boat-shaped bread with cheese, egg and butter in the middle, is the local signature, and you will find it everywhere from simple counters to smart restaurants. Wash it down with the local lemonade or a glass of Georgian wine.
Practical matters are straightforward. Batumi is a city of well over a hundred thousand people, with fuel stations all around it, plenty of cafes, and hotels of every price. Out in the hills, villages are small and stations are fewer, so start with a full tank. Drivers here have their own style, with overtaking on blind bends a common sight, and cows are another hazard on the quieter roads, so keep your speed under control and your eyes up.
It is a lively place to start and finish, and after a long day on mountain lanes, the sea air and a seat by the water are a welcome reward.