Ratnagiri with its beautiful beaches has become the famous holiday destination today. This port city is famous for its beaches, picturesque hills, rivers, lakes waterfalls and more. Ratnagiri has many historical monuments and forts that are still in good condition and is worth visiting.

Ratnagiri is bordered by Sahyadri Mountains on the east which gives heavy rainfall in this area. The valley is very fertile and is good for cultivation of fruits, rice, coconuts, cashew nuts and more. Being the port city, fishing is a major occupation of the people here. The new Jaitapur nuclear power plant is also located in Ratnagiri.

The place is also famous for Hapus or Alphonsa mangoes. Here, the people speak Konkani as well as Marathi.

History of Ratnagiri

Ratnagiri was under the rule of Satara kings in 1731. Earlier, during the rule of Shri Chenna Reddy of Bijapur, the king built a fort which was renovated by Shivaji Maharaja in 1670. In 1818, Ratnagiri came under the reign of British Empire.

The King of Burma had built a great palace in Ratnagiri known as Thibaw in 1910, where the great freedom fighter VD Savarkar was confined during the British rule.

There is also a legend related to this place that the Pandavas stayed in Ratnagiri during their period of exile.

Major Places of Attraction

Gateway of Ratnagiri

The gateway of Ratnagiri is located on one of the popular beaches, Mandavi beach. The place is a must to see place in Ratnagiri.

Ratandurg Fort

Ratandurg fort is a massive structure which has the shape of a horse shoe and it is spread over an area of 120 acres. The fort was under the Muslim rule for a long period, it was a massive structure once. The remains of the fort can be still seen here which gives a glimpse of the glory of the rule at that time.

Mandavi Beach

It is one of the beautiful beaches in Ratnagiri that attracts a lot of crowd. The closeness to Ratnagiri town makes it a favourite holiday spot. The special feature of the beach is its black soil and hence it is nicknamed as the black sea. The beach is crowded on most of the days.

Thibaw Palace

Thibaw palace was built in 1910 by the last king of Burma during their exile to India. It is another popular tourists spot in Ratnagiri as it gives a perfect view of the entire Ratnagiri city.

Shopping in Ratnagiri

Ratnagiri is famous for many exotic fruits especially mangoes which can be bought fresh at cheap rates here.

Best Time to Visit

Ratnagiri has very warm and humid coastal climate with hot summers during the months of March and May. Hence, it is not a good time to visit the place. Winters are pleasant with cool nights hence the ideal time to visit the place is during the months of December and February. Konkan region receives heavy rainfalls but the place is very beautiful during the monsoons with many natural waterfalls from the Ghats.

How to Reach Ratnagiri

By Rail

Ratnagiri is one of the important railway stations in the Konkan region. There are daily trains that run between Mumbai and Ratnagiri. Most of the express trains pass through Ratnagiri.

By Road

There are regular bus services from various cities of Maharashtra to Ratnagiri. There are daily buses from Mumbai to Ratnagiri.

By Air

Ratnagiri Airport is the nearest airport which is only 12 km away from the city’s centre and well connected with Mumbai and Pune.