Underrated Italy: Genoa

genoa italy

As the plane descended into Genoa, Italy, I couldn’t help the perma-smile on my face. This was Italy. I was back. Italy has (obviously) always held a special place in my heart, and seeing the hills, the colorful houses, the aquamarine water—it felt like I was seeing Italy again for the first time. (Really though, this was only the second time I’ve flown into Italy—and that last flight was seven years ago!)

After a ridiculously long and horrendous day of delayed flights, running to make my connection (and being the last one to board), lost luggage, and a bus ticket machine not taking my credit card, I was on the brink of losing it. But I calmed down, resigned myself to the fact that I was about to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a cab to my hotel, but that I was in Italy where the language, food, scenery, clothes, and men were gorgeous. Thankfully, a little old couple shared a cab with me, and my ride ended up only being €8!

genoa italy

I finally arrived at the Genoa City Best Western, which is rated one of the top hotels in the city, and was pleasantly surprised to see that my friend Cindy and I had the penthouse suite. She had already checked in and when I walked into the room to say hello to her, I couldn’t concentrate on much as the expansive views from the windows just kind of stopped me dead in my tracks. I immediately dropped my things, threw the door open, and ran onto the deck to check out the city from above.

genoa italy

After a few moments of “ohmigod, I’m in ITALY!”, I thought I better settle in as much as I could without luggage before heading out to explore some of the city. Because Genoa was just a stopover point for me before heading to a few other areas, I knew I didn’t have much time there. So, Cindy and I just wandered around aimlessly for a couple of hours, checking out the architecture, walking along the water, photographing the fountains, churches, window shutters, and crumbling building facades.

genoa italy

I don’t think Genoa gets much coverage from travelers, which is a shame as it’s really a beautiful city. It’s a relatively small city, easily walkable and accessible from the airport and train station, and home to Marco Polo’s home. It’s a great place to visit if you’re in the Liguria region to see Portofino or Cinque Terre.

Another fun fact: it’s also the birthplace of pesto! (So don’t forget to try it when you’re there!)

genoa italy

My stay in Genoa was courtesy of Genoa City Best Western. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Author: Megan

Megan is an ordinary girl who outgrew her small town and decided to try the world on for size. She's on a mission to travel, photograph, and write about the world.

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