Gozo is the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago. It sits to the northwest of Malta, with the little island of Comino and its Blue Lagoon in between.
Its capital, Victoria (Rabat in Maltese), is right in the centre of the island. This is where you will find St George’s Basilica, nicknamed the “Golden Church” of Gozo because it is covered from top to bottom in marble and golden stucco.
Then there is the Citadel, a wonderful fortified town that looks out over Victoria. From up here you get a 360-degree view of the surrounding villages and countryside. Built on a plateau, it once served as a lookout for the Knights of St John, who used it to protect the locals from enemy invasions.
Inside the Citadel you can visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, built by the Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà. There is also the Cathedral Museum, the Old Prison, the Archaeology Museum, the Folklore Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Dwjera Bay
This is where the Azure Window stood before it collapsed in 2017, a rocky arch that dropped down into the sea and was a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can still see the Fungus Rock, named after a mushroom that the Knights of St John discovered there. They used it as a remedy for various illnesses, and only the noble families were allowed it. The Knights even banned access to the rock to protect it.
Even with the Azure Window gone, there are still other arches to discover across the archipelago, including the Wied il-Mielaħ Window, which is also in Gozo, in the village of Gharb.
Inland Sea
The Inland Sea is a small bay linked to the open sea by a tunnel of about 80m through the cliffs. You can take boat trips through it to the many caves, where you will see the colourful rocks and all sorts of fish.
Blue Hole
The Blue Hole is a water hole cut into the rocky coastline and joined to the sea by an underwater arch. It is one of Malta’s most famous dive sites.
Temples of Ggantija
In the village of Xaghra you will find a complex of two megalithic temples dating from 3600-3000 BC, called Ggantija, which means “Giant” in Maltese.
The site is made up of two temples, the southern and the northern one. Together they cover a vast area more than 40 metres long and 6 metres high.
According to Gozitan legend, only giants of incredible strength could have moved and put together stones this size.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these temples are older than the pyramids of Egypt and the famous stones of Stonehenge. They are also the oldest free-standing stone buildings in the world.
Xlendi Bay
Once a small fishing port, Ix-Xlendi is a bay with a calm, relaxed feel, where you can enjoy good fresh fish.
It is hemmed in by rocky cliffs that give you a lovely spot to watch the sunset, and there is a small beach too.
Ta’Pinu Basilica
The Ta’Pinu Basilica was finished in 1931, and it is a place of pilgrimage for the Maltese and Gozitans.
Its story begins in 1883, when a woman from the village of Gharb heard the voice of the Virgin Mary in the chapel, which was the only building on the site at the time. After this, several miracles were said to have happened, and the locals decided to honour the Virgin by building a larger church.
The original chapel still stands behind the main altar.
Marsalforn salt pans
To the west of Marsalforn are the Xwejni salt pans, which stretch on for almost 3km.
These salt pans go back to Phoenician and Roman times, and a few families still work them today. Salt-making here is passed down from one generation to the next and is part of Gozitan tradition.
The beaches
- Ramla Bay
- San Blas
Sandy beaches.
- Hondoq Ir-Rummien, Qala
Down in the south of the island, this pebble beach is very popular for its turquoise water and its handy location, with caves, diving and snorkelling, and a view of Comino and the Blue Lagoon.
Ta Cenc cliffs
The Ta Cenc cliffs rise over 130 metres high and give you a wonderful view. You can reach them on foot, and they sit south of Victoria, in the village of Sannat.