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Génova is a small town on the southern end of the Quindío department of Colombia. It’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Introduction to Génova
Génova was founded on October 12, 1903, and is named for the city of Genoa, Italy. It’s an important coffee producing town that’s off the beaten path. An interesting footnote is that the founder of the FARC, Manuel Marulanda (1930-2008), was born there.
I had no intention on visiting Génova until I read an article on The Culture Trip mentioning it as a one of “11 stunning alternatives to Salento“. I thought there must be some truth to it, so we set out one afternoon and took the three-hour drive from our home in Belén de Umbría.
Getting to Génova
To get to Génova, you can take a direct bus from Armenia. If you’re driving, keep in mind the road leading into town is not that great. During our drive, everything was going smoothly until we turned off on the road to Génova. It suddenly became extremely narrow and curvy, with spots where only two small cars would be able to fit safely. There was an accident when two large trucks got into a head-on collision on one of the curves. This set us back about two hours while we waited for the police to come and fill out their reports.
Plaza de Bolívar
Plaza de Bolívar, the focal point of Génova, was where we began. It’s a nice large plaza with several tall trees and benches.
Surrounding the plaza are some colonial buildings, including the colorful town hall (alcaldía).
In the center of the plaza there’s a statue of Simón Bolívar (1783-1830). We also found a café and a booth selling some delicious homemade tamales. We sat down and devoured them before exploring the rest of town.
Church of San José
The most important building on the plaza is the Church of San José (Iglesia de San José), which was built in the 1950s. The interior is nicer than the exterior.
Personally, I think the most impressive features of the church are the reliefs on the doors.
Cultural Center
A block behind the church is the Cultural Center (Casa de la Cultura). It features an exhibit of photographs of Génova, which isn’t terribly interesting. It’s located just inside the entrance and downstairs.
My Thoughts on Génova
To be completely honest, I don’t see Génova as an alternative to Salento. Of course, it’s scenic setting surrounded by mountains is nice, but it has nothing of interest. It doesn’t qualify as a hidden gem like Pijao or Buenavista. The effort it takes to get there and the dangerous road you have to travel on is not worth the trouble.
