Gozo

The Azure Window at Dwejra

Gozo is probably a must-see if you are visiting Malta.  Not so much during the winter months, when a lot of the shops and restaurants close their shutters and there's a kind of empty feeling about the place, but you should definitely make it part of your itinerary any other time of year.

Of course there is a certain appeal to the place that doesn't exist when it's overrun by tourists, so take your pick.

The Gozitans are to the Maltese as Newfoundlanders are to Canadians, or Alaskans to Americans.  Regarded as having a certain quaint novelty value, glad you're part of the team, but different.  Gozo makes Malta seem like a cosmopolitan hub by comparison.  It has a charm of it's own though and if you are spending a week or more in Malta you are missing out if you don't  pay a visit to the red-headed cousin to the north.


In particular, you should get to Victoria, (the capital of the island) and Dwejra Bay in the west.  Victoria is a small labyrinthine city with winding narrow streets and sandy coloured buildings, surrounded by the old citadel walls.  Dwejra Bay is home to that very recognisable arch formed by the sea (picture above).  Catch it while you can.  Experts say that it will not be around for too much longer as erosion takes it's toll.  You can explore the rocks and caves beneath the arch, take the obligatory photographs and do a bit of sunning and swimming while you're at it.  I had a great time in both these places, for what it's worth.

A lot of people recommend Ramla Bay, the red sandy beach to the North, although I haven't made it there myself just yet.  Marsalforn is a tourist town with big rocky beaches which we visited off-season, but I imagine there's a lot more activity when the sun is shining.


Final thought for the day: Go to Gozo.


(This is one of the top ten things to do in Malta)

Things to Do in Gozo:
- Victoria
- Ramla Bay
- Blue Window
- Statue of Christ
- Marsalforn