We're driving from Baku to Khinalig and will probably pass through Quba around lunchtime.
Most itineraries seem to treat it as a quick stop before continuing into the mountains. Is there enough to justify spending the night, or should we simply continue straight to Khinalig?
We nearly skipped Quba altogether. Very glad we didn't.
The town has a completely different atmosphere from Baku. It's greener, slower and much more relaxed. We checked into a small guesthouse almost by accident because we didn't feel like driving any farther that day, and it ended up being one of the nicest evenings of our trip.
After dinner we wandered through the local park, crossed the river and somehow ended up talking to a group of elderly men playing backgammon. Between gestures, a few words of Russian and lots of laughter, we spent nearly half an hour chatting. It wasn't planned. Those moments rarely are.
I'd stay overnight for one reason alone. The next morning the drive to Khinalig feels much more relaxed. Instead of leaving Baku before sunrise and spending hours in the car, you're already close to the mountains and can stop whenever the scenery catches your eye.
We did it as a day stop.
Coffee.
Apple market.
Lunch.
Then Khinalig.
Worked perfectly for us.
We visited in October. The autumn colours around Quba were beautiful, and the markets were full of fresh apples, nuts and homemade fruit preserves. Most visitors know Quba for its orchards, but many never stop at the roadside stalls outside the town. That's where local families often sell fruit directly from their farms.