Touring the island
Ramla
Gozo’s largest and most beautiful beach is ‘Ramla Bay’.
It is locally known as ‘Ramla l-Hamra’, the ‘Red sandy
beach’ due to the colour of its golden reddish sand that is unique
around the Maltese Islands.
Ramla Bay is situated on Gozo’s North coast at the end of an extremely
fertile valley with terraced fields producing up to four different crops
per year. Access to the bay is through the villages of Nadur and Xaghra
that flank the valley and Ramla Bay and from where one can experience
stunning sea views.
This bay although popular with locals and tourists in the summer months
is never crowded and is also a favourite destination for an afternoon
stroll on the sand throughout the winter.
Remains of a Roman Villa are still evident at Ramla and a wall of stones
also built by the Romans in the sea was used to force invaders in to the
water and can be still easily seen from ‘Calypso Cave’ in
Xaghra. This cave was in turn the house of the nymph Calypso as described
by Homer in the legend and a short visit here is a must, not so much for
the cave as for the amazing view of Ramla Bay.
 San
Blas Bay
On the North East coast of Gozo only a couple of kilometres away from
Ramla Bay is another sandy beach accessible from Nadur. San Blas Bay
is no more than a hundred meters long and also has golden reddish sand.
It is definitely the most tranquil and least frequented beach on the
island due to the fact that one has to walk down an extremely steep
slope to get there. The valley leading to San Blas is very fertile indeed
and the terraced fields are mainly full of citrus trees.
 Hondoq
ir- Rummien
On the South East coast of Gozo and over looking Comino is Hondoq Bay,
very popular with locals during the summer months. The small white sandy
beach at Hondoq and the adjacent rocky beach are a favourite for BBQs
throughout the summer.
Marsalforn
 Marsalforn
is a fishing village on Gozo’s North coast. It is flanked by the
hill top villages of Xaghra and Zebbug. This bay is very popular with
both tourists and locals in summer but remains tranquil and peaceful
throughout the winter months.
Many self-catering apartments, hotels, dive shops, restaurants and
bars provide ideal hospitality for tourists and locals alike when on
holiday on Gozo.
A short stretch of clean sand and pebbles forms the beach at Marsalforn
and provides an ideal area for those wishing to bathe with younger children.
Swimming is in no way restricted to the sandy beach. Most locals opt
to swim off the rocks around Marsalforn bay where a number of ladders
are placed and provide for easier access on to the rocky shore.
To the East of Marsalforn bay, a mere 5-minute walk away, is the beautiful
Ghar Qawqla rocky beach that although extremely popular with Gozitans,
is never crowded.
To the west of Marsalforn bay are two other smaller bays, Qbajjar and
Xwejni. At Qbajjar there are a couple of restaurants near the small
beach and although parking here is never a problem, the beach is never
crowded.
Xwejni is a dive site mainly popular for beginner dives, night dives
and for training dives. A short distance away are the Xwejni saltpans,
which are still used by some local entrepreneurs to collect salt. Salt
collection was our islands’ first industry and was used hundreds
of years ago to barter for other consumables not available locally.
Salt from this area can be found in most local supermarkets.
Access to some of Gozo’s best shore dives, namely the ‘Double
Arch Reef’ and ‘Reqqa Point’ is off the same road
that flanks the Xwejni saltpans.
Xlendi
 Xlendi
is a little picturesque fishing village on the south west coast of Gozo.
It is a quaint little creek between high cliffs home only to a few fishing
boats and a handful of locals. Access to this bay is either through
Victoria or from the village of Munxar.
Xlendi is extremely quiet and peaceful throughout the winter but springs
to life during the summer months. The many self-catering apartments,
the hotels, dive shops, restaurants and bars provide the necessary facilities
for holidaymakers.
Since Xlendi is on the south west coast of Gozo, the sun sets right
in front of the bay. A walk to the Xlendi tower at sunset time on a
clear day is a must and the views of the sun setting in the sea near
the Wardija cliffs will definitely leave an unforgettable impression.
The Xlendi sea front is barely a few hundred metres long but is permanently
closed to traffic and therefore eating at the many restaurants literally
at the water’s edge is an extremely enjoyable and relaxing experience.
It’s no wonder that tourists fall in love with this bay and return
on a regular basis.
The bay of Xlendi itself is rich in marine life and is ideal for beginner
dives, night dives and training dives but also hosts a reef and a tunnel
which make this a popular dive site in itself. The Dwejra coast where
many of Malta and Gozo’s most popular dive sites like the ‘Blue
Hole’ and the ‘Inland Sea’ are found is only a short
boat ride from here.
Dwejra
 With
its rock formations and deep blue seas, Dwejra offers several spectacular
places where one can swim. On a calm day, the deep blue seas around the
Azure window and the Blue hole offer an unforgettable experience for strong
swimmers, snorkellers and divers.
Swimming is also possible off the pebbles at the Inland Sea and for those
who wish to venture out of the tunnel on a calm day, the experience of
swimming, diving or snorkelling through the dark towards the deep blue
silhouette at the exit is another incredible experience.
Another secluded but beautiful place to enjoy a swim at Dwejra is in
the ‘harbour’ behind fungus rock. Following an ancient path
beyond the Dwejra tower, one walks past some very old boathouses and on
to the rocky shore where it is possible to swim or snorkel within the
safety of the ‘harbour’. This same harbour often provides
refuge for yachts and their sailors who often chose to stop for a day
or two at the spectacular Dwejra.
 Mgarr
ix-Xini
The tiny pebbly beach of Mgarr ix-Xini is one of Gozo’s most quiet
and picturesque spots. A literal translation of it’s name would
be ‘The galleon’s harbour’ and this is no surprise when
viewing the way the steep valley continues into the sea forming a fjord
like bay. This bay is extremely peaceful and seems to be forgotten by
tourists and locals.
Mgarr ix-Xini is on the south coast of Gozo and therefore sheltered from
the prevailing northwest winds. It is also a popular dive site and a favourite
night dive because of its sheltered nature.
Xatt l-Ahmar
Xatt l-Ahmar Bay is also on Gozo’s South coast not far away from
Mgarr harbour and over looked by the village of Ghajnsielem and fort Chambray.
The name of this beautiful bay literally means ‘The red coast’
and the poor state of the road leading to it ensures that there is hardly
ever anybody swimming there.
It is sheltered from the north winds and the wreck of an old ferry lies
deep below the surface. This makes Xatt l-Ahmar one of Gozo’s most
frequented dive sites.
 Dahlet
Qorrot
Dahlet Qorrot is a small pebbly bay on the north coast of Gozo and accessible
only through the village of Nadur. This bay is a favourite with locals
and near the boathouses, some of which are dug into the rocks, one can
often observe fishermen working on their colourful boats and fishing
nets.
One can swim from the pebbly beach but also off the rocks nearby. Walking
to the west of Dahlet Qorrot is not easy because of the huge boulders
but to the east of this bay one can embark on a short pleasant walk on
the rocks and it is from here that early risers can easily observe sun
rise.
Comino
 With
as few as 3 official inhabitants, the unspoilt Island of Comino lies between
Gozo and Malta and is a haven for those who love nature, tranquillity,
diving, snorkelling, sailing, wind surfing or just swimming. It measures
1.5 square kilometres and has a coastline full of breathtaking views of
the high cliffs, low bays and the several caves.
There is a hotel in San Niklaw bay and some bungalows in St. Maria bay
but the Blue Lagoon with it’s stunning views and crystal clear waters
remains Comino’s main attraction. The Blue Lagoon is the stretch
of shallow water between Comino and Cominotto and is cordoned off and
reserved for Swimmers between June and October.
Visible from Malta and Gozo is the recently refurbished Tower on Comino
that dates back to the 17th century and was built by Grand Master de Wignacourt.
Pirates used Comino as a base when attacking Malta and Gozo in the middle
ages. They often stayed several months and actually had time to construct
what is today used as a police station at St. Maria Bay. The chapel is
dedicated to the Return of Our Lady from Egypt and dates back to 1618
but earlier documents show another chapel on the same site as early as
the 12th century.
Over the years, Comino’s charm has attracted many film producers
and still today many films are shot there. The most recent blockbuster
to be filmed at the Blue Lagoon and elsewhere around Comino was ‘Troy’.
The hotel is open between April and October each year and operates a
ferry service from Mgarr harbour on Gozo and Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal on
Malta. For details about the official Comino ferry please call the hotel
reception on 21 526 821.
Boats from Mgarr Harbour on Gozo and from Cirkewwa and Marfa on Malta
also ferry passengers to and from the Blue Lagoon every hour provided
that the weather conditions permit. No previous booking is required. |
