Zoe Thomas, spends a week cycling around Malta’s pristine sister island
Every year my sister and I go on an adventure together. Nothing too intrepid. No hiking in the Himalayas, kayaking the Amazon, or exploring inner Mongolia. It just has to be new to us: something we’ve never done before.
Gozo is Malta’s smaller sister island, just north of the tiny archipelago between Sicily and the Tunisian coast. We decided we would fly out, rent an apartment and spend a week cycling around the island, exploring its dramatic coastlines, ancient temples and picturesque farmland by our own steam.
Our home for the week was Gharb, an ancient village on the westernmost point of the island. From Mgarr harbour we bussed to Victoria, the island’s capital, before jumping on another bus a few miles past lush fields and golden rock to the centre of Gharb. All the buildings in the village – and in fact every village in Gozo, are made from the beautiful buttery-coloured limestone blocks quarried just down the road. We found our apartment, past the village church and oddly-placed red British telephone box and down the hill towards the spectacular, arabic-looking Ta Pinu Basilica. We dropped our luggage off at our apartment (cosy, clean and with a street-front balcony perfect for evening Sangria) and emerged showered and dressed to explore the village.
It was evening. The sun cast golden streaks between the buildings. We wandered back up towards the square in search of food and came across the Gharb Rangers Football Club – not a classic eating establishment granted, but we were so tired and hungry after a long day of travelling that we were willing to try anything. Downstairs there was a games area and a bar; a few elderly locals staring at the flatscreen TV. We were welcomed by a friendly waitress and ushered up a flight of stairs. I expected to be seated in some dingy back-room with sticky tables and laminated menus, but we emerged out onto a rooftop terrace, flooded in the golden sunset, with the coastline stretched out beneath us, and the magnificent Basilica glowing divinely in the valley below. It was breathtaking.
We took a seat at a table. There were a few other families and couples on other tables, chatting, laughing and eating beneath the palm-leaf awning. You would never have known this little enclave of life and laughter existed from the street below. The food was cheap, simple and plentiful. We opted for giant cheesy pizzas and took the left-overs home with us as fuel for our cycling trip.
The next morning, we took a bus into Victoria to track down a couple of hire bikes. These were reasonably priced, two for €50 for the week. We decide to cycle to Dwejra Bay, the place that first caught my eye when I was searching for destinations. This is located near the village of San Lawrenz and can be accessed easily by bicycle, on foot, via bus or with a hire car (there is a car park, cafe and souvenir kiosk here).
Azure Window
I knew what I was looking for, but it still took me by surprise when I saw it, towering against the hazy blue sky, angry waves pummelling its base and ant-like tourists clambering over its jagged spine, gambling with their lives. This is a 50m high limestone sea arch, romantically named the ‘Azure Window’ because it really does seem as though a giant has carved a window through the cliff. Definitely worth a visit before it collapses in the next few years.
Inland Sea
Dwerja Bay conceals another spectacle. From the road above it looks like a small lagoon of aqua water, surrounded by a pleasant pebbly beach. Beneath the surface though, this inland pool drops to a staggering 35m and links to the Mediterranean Sea via a long, narrow cave through the cliffs. This is the Inland Sea, considered to be one of the best dive sites in the world. On the day we visited the winds were strong and the waves were big – so no swimming. But on calm days children can happily play in the shallows and you can even take a boat trip through the cave to the open sea.
tBlue Hole
The mysteriously named blue hole is another one of Dwrja Bay’s natural wonders. This is located in the rocks below the Azure Window – a rocky pool that plunges 16m deep and harbours a staggering variety of marine life, including fire worms, sea horses and octopi. A must-visit for avid divers.
t
t
t
t
Our third day in Gozo was overcast but still warm, so we abandoned our beach plans and decided to cycle to the Ggantija Temples, with a pronunciation we never quite mastered.
The temples are some of the oldest buildings in the world, dating back to between 3600 and 3200BC. Considering their age, the buildings are incredibly well preserved – partly due to the hard-wearing coralline limestone they were made from, and have even earned a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
You can navigate a series of wooden walkways through the neolithic temples, with some of the main features highlighted by informative signs. A great educational trip for a rainy day.
Greek Myths and Swimming at Ramla Bay
Unbeknownst to me, I had already seen Ramla Bay. This beautiful stretch of golden-red sand served as the backdrop for the famous battle scene in the film Troy, starring Brad Pitt. Gozo’s connections to Greek mythology are well documented, with Ramla Bay suspected by experts to be the place referred to by Homor in The Odyssey. There is a cave you can visit in the rocks above the bay believed to be where the nymph Calypso kept Odysseus for seven years. A trip up here is worth it simply for the views of the unusual coloured sand, contrasted by the deep blue of the ocean.
Down on the beach you can find changing facilities and a nice cafe serving hot food and drinks. We chained our bikes to a lamppost here and went for a quick dip in the surf, before splaying out in the sand and soaking up the gorgeous Maltese sunshine.
The Blue Lagoon
Towards the end of the week, we decided to leave our bicycles in the apartment and catch a boat to Comino, the smallest island in the Maltese archipelago. Comino is accessed from Mgarr, where you can find a huge choice of tourist boat excursions jostling for business on the harbour front.
As we approached the tiny island, we could see the small beaches and surrounding rocks crowded with people – mostly day-trippers from Malta escaping the heat for a dip in the crystal clear waters of the Blue Lagoon.
We disembarked and decided to go for a walk around the island to find somewhere quieter to take a dip. On the north side of the island we found a secluded beach just down from the campsite. There is also a hotel on the island which offers kayak hire – a great way to explore the island’s craggy coastline.
Gozo may only be small, but it is packed with beautiful natural wonders, ancient historical sites and pretty villages perfect for exploring on foot or by bike. It is a quiet, peaceful place. A place where you can escape real life without feeling isolated. You are never too far from a bar, cafe, or a friendly Gozitan willing to give you directions or advice on where to visit.
Gozo Travel Info
Travelling time (from UK): 3 hours flight, 15 mins ferry from Malta harbour to Gozo
Currency: Euro
Language: English, Maltese
Perfect for: A quiet, peaceful holiday with a good mix of activities, sightseeing and relaxing
