Genova, or sometimes called Genoa, holds a special spot in my heart. It’s a beautiful coastal town at what I would call the knee of the Italian boot, and it’s the capital of the Liguria region. Unfortunately, I was only able to spend about 48 hours in this lovely city, but I’ve dreamt of returning ever since. So, here are a few things I can recommend you try during your time in Genova.

Explore the port

Despite being one of Italy’s busiest and most important ports, the Port of Genoa is actually a pretty nice spot to spend your time, especially the boardwalk area. There are shops, restaurants, cafes and street performers, and it really comes to life in the evening and nighttime.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from the port.

Hit the Beach

Even though Genova is a coastal city, it was relatively hard to find a nice beach to relax on. Most of the beaches/coves in the city were super rocky and uncomfortable, so we took a short train ride to a few of the nearby towns and found some nice quiet Italian beaches to spend a day on. I highly recommend Bogliasco beach.

Try fresh handmade focaccia bread

Genovese focaccia flatbread is easily the best bread I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, and I highly recommend you make it a priority to try it at least once in your life. It melts in your mouth, and the butter and salt make it a delicious savory treat to enjoy at any time of the day. My personal preference is to have it with scrambled eggs and some jamon crudo, but I’ve also had it with pesto and with Nutella (on separate occasions, together would be gross) and they were both incredible.

I recommend you go to one of the focaccia bakeries scattered around the city and buy it fresh in the morning, but hurry – the lines to the bakery can get long, and for good reason!

Walk Along the Coast

Genova’s coastline, like every other coastline in Italy, is unparalleled compared to any other coastline in the world. In the distance you can see the rolling Italian hillsides flowing into buildings built into seaside cliffs, with the Mediterranean pushing out over the horizon. It’s always an experience to walk along the coast here, and I highly recommend you take some time to do so.

Watch the Sunset from Spianata castelleto

Finally, one of the best views in Genova. Spianata Castelleto has a panoramic view overlooking the Port of Genoa and the Mediterranean beyond, and a summer sunset here is a sight to behold. My recommendation: grab some focaccia and some toppings and eat it on one of the benches at Spianata Castelleto – there’s few picnic spots that’ll rival this one.

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I hope you love Genova as much as I do! Let me know in the comments if there’s anywhere that I missed, and follow the blog for a new post every Wednesday!

Happy travels!