Gozo is the second of the Maltese islands, a twenty-five minute ferry ride north of Malta and a world apart in pace. There are fewer people, more fields, taller cliffs and a habit of doing things slowly. Most visitors come for a day trip. The ones who stay a few nights rarely regret it.
We live and work here, so this guide is biased. It is also the list we actually use when friends visit.
Getting to Gozo
The Gozo Channel car ferry runs from Ċirkewwa on Malta’s northern tip to Mġarr harbour on Gozo. Crossings take about twenty-five minutes and run around the clock in summer. You pay on the way back, not on the way out. There is also a fast passenger ferry from Valletta to Mġarr, which takes around forty-five minutes and is the easiest option if you are staying in the capital without a car.
On the island, a hire car or scooter gives you the most freedom. The bus network covers the main villages and beaches from Victoria, and taxis and tours fill the gaps.
Victoria and the Citadel
Every road on Gozo leads to Victoria, still called Rabat by most locals. The Citadel rises above it: a walled hilltop town with a cathedral, a handful of museums and ramparts you can walk in twenty minutes with views across the entire island. Go early in the morning or in the last hour before sunset for the light. Below the walls, It-Tokk square has a small morning market and the cafés where the island runs its errands.
Ġgantija Temples, Xagħra
The oldest free-standing structures in Malta and among the oldest in the world, built around 3,600 BC. The name means giantess, because the locals could not believe humans had moved the stones. The visitor centre is excellent and the temples are far less crowded than the ones on Malta. Combine with Ta’ Kola Windmill next door and lunch in Xagħra square.
Dwejra
The Azure Window collapsed into the sea in 2017, but Dwejra remains Gozo’s most dramatic coastline. The Inland Sea is a lagoon connected to the open sea by a tunnel through the cliff, and local boatmen run short trips through it when the water is calm. Fungus Rock stands offshore, and the flat rock around the old window site is still a fine place to swim and snorkel. Divers come here for the Blue Hole.
The beaches
Gozo’s beaches are small and mostly excellent. Ramla Bay is the big one: red sand, clear water and Calypso’s Cave above. San Blas is its steeper, quieter cousin. Ħondoq ir-Rummien looks across to Comino and has the clearest water on the island. Xlendi and Marsalforn are the resort bays with restaurants. Wied il-Għasri is the secret one, at the bottom of a gorge. We have covered all of them in our best beaches in Malta and Gozo guide.
The salt pans
Between Marsalforn and Xwejni, the coast is carved into a chequerboard of salt pans that have been worked since Roman times. Families still harvest sea salt here every summer. Walk the coast road in the late afternoon, buy a bag of salt from the hut and stay for the sunset.
Ta’ Pinu and the villages
The basilica of Ta’ Pinu sits alone in the countryside near Għarb and is Gozo’s most important pilgrimage church. The villages around it, Għarb, Għasri and San Lawrenz, are among the prettiest on the island, all honey-coloured stone and closed shutters at siesta time. Nadur and Xagħra on the eastern side are livelier and have the best bakeries.
Walk the cliffs
Gozo is a walking island. The Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs above Sannat drop more than a hundred metres into the sea and are an easy sunset stroll. The coast path from Xlendi to Dwejra is a proper half-day hike. Spring, when the island turns green and the wildflowers come out, is the best season for it.
Boat trips to Comino
Boats leave from Mġarr and Ħondoq for Comino and the Blue Lagoon all day in summer. The advantage of leaving from Gozo is that the crossing is short and you can time it for the quieter hours. Read our Blue Lagoon guide for the details.
What is coming next
We are launching eBike rental and tours on Gozo, guided and self-ride, along the coast and through the villages. If that sounds like your kind of day, leave your email and we will send you 15% off your first booking of 3 days or more when bookings open.
Eat and drink
Order Gozitan ftira, a flatbread topped with sliced potato, tomato, cheese and whatever the baker feels like. Try ġbejniet, the small sheep’s cheeses that are eaten fresh, dried or peppered. Rabbit stew is the national dish and Gozo does it well. Local wineries around Għarb and Nadur are small and worth a tasting.
How long to stay
A day trip covers Victoria, Ġgantija, Dwejra and one beach if you move briskly. Two or three nights let you slow down to the island’s pace, which is the point of coming. If you only have three days for the whole country, our 3-day Malta itinerary gives Gozo a full day.
