Gozo: Malta's greener, slower sister island

Why go

Gozo offers what busy Malta sometimes lacks: quiet roads, wide views, starry nights and a strong village culture. It has some of the oldest freestanding buildings on earth, Malta's most famous red sand beach and dive sites that draw divers from across Europe. Stay a few nights and you will slow right down.

Top things to do

In **Victoria**, the island's small capital (also called Rabat), climb up to the **Cittadella**, a fortified hilltop town with a cathedral, museums and walls that look over the whole island. Below it, **It-Tokk square** and the lanes of the old town are good for coffee and lace shops.

The **Ġgantija Temples** in Xagħra are a UNESCO World Heritage site and among the oldest freestanding structures in the world, built over five thousand years ago. Nearby, **Ramla Bay** has soft red golden sand below green hills, and the **Calypso Cave** viewpoint looks down on it.

At **Dwejra** on the west coast, the **Azure Window** sea arch collapsed in 2017, but the **Inland Sea**, **Fungus Rock** and the cliffs remain spectacular, and the area is famous for diving. At **Xwejni Bay** near Marsalforn, centuries old **salt pans** are cut into the rock and still worked in summer. **Wied il-Għasri** is a narrow sea gorge for a quiet swim, and **San Blas Bay** is a small red sand beach reached by a steep path.

The **Ta' Pinu Basilica**, alone in the countryside near Għarb, is Malta's national shrine and a place of pilgrimage. **Xlendi** and **Marsalforn** are the main seaside villages, with restaurants, swimming and a relaxed evening walk.

Diving and outdoors

Gozo's clear water, caves, reefs and wrecks make it one of the Mediterranean's top dive destinations, with many dive centres for beginners and experts. Coastal walks around the **Ta' Ċenċ cliffs**, **Mġarr ix-Xini** and the north coast are beautiful in spring and autumn. Kayak trips explore caves and Comino.

Food and drink

Gozo is known for its **ġbejniet**, small sheep's cheeses, often peppered, as well as **ftira għawdxija**, a pizza like Gozitan flatbread, honey, capers and local wine. Look for village restaurants and seaside fish places in Xlendi and Marsalforn.

Where to stay

Gozo is famous for converted **farmhouses** with private pools, ideal for families and groups. **Victoria** is central for buses; **Marsalforn** and **Xlendi** put you by the sea; **Xagħra** and **Għarb** are quiet villages. Small hotels and B&Bs are spread across the island.

Getting there and around

The **Gozo Channel** car ferry runs frequently from **Ċirkewwa**, at the northern tip of Malta, to **Mġarr** harbour on Gozo, in about twenty five minutes; you pay on the return leg from Gozo. A **fast ferry** also runs between **Valletta** and Mġarr. On Gozo, buses fan out from the Victoria terminus, but are less frequent than on Malta, so many visitors use taxis or join tours for the more remote spots.

Practical tips

Buses can be infrequent in the evening and on Sundays, so plan return times. Summer days can be very hot with little shade on walks. Some beaches have no facilities, so bring water and snacks.