Ratnagiri is a port town on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, with a population of about seventy-six thousand, a lighthouse, a fort and a long strip of black-sand beach. The coast here is red laterite hills falling to the Arabian Sea, with coconut palms, cashew trees and mango groves along the roads, and the whole place feels green and slightly sleepy. It is the starting point for the ride south toward Goa.
The town is best known for the Alphonso mango, which is widely grown in the area and sold across India in spring. If your ride falls in April or May, buy a few from a roadside stall. Ratnagiri is also where the nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak was born, and where the last king of Burma, Thibaw, was kept in exile after the British deposed him in 1885. His former residence is a short walk from the centre. Ratnadurg, a fort on a headland, and the Bhatye beach with its lighthouse are good places for a view of the sea and sunset.
For the rider, the coastal road is a mixture of newly laid highway, older winding roads through villages and hilly stretches with sudden sharp bends. Winter, from November to February, is the best season, with clear skies and moderate temperatures.
Ratnagiri has fuel, ATMs, hotels and restaurants, and it is the largest town for a long stretch, so fill up here. Seafood is the local pride, particularly fried fish, prawn curry and the sweet-sour kokum drink that cools you down in the humid heat. Ganpatipule, a temple town with a beautiful beach, lies a short ride north.
Watch for cattle, trucks and sudden speed bumps in villages, and be ready for some heat and humidity in the afternoon. Starting early is the best way to enjoy the coast.