Gozo Mini Guide
Gozo is one of the two sister islands of Malta and this is a tranquil and charming rural Mediterranean island.
Holiday makers who travel there will be able to enjoy all of the usual beach activities that are the big getaway incentive such as sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling. They will also find long and lovely walking routes through fields and past lagoons with beautiful views along the way. Gozo has had a long history and is thought to be the island of Calypso mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey and over the years its main industries have been agriculture and fishing.
There are also the temples of Ggantija which date back to prehistoric times and should be explored along with other fortresses and interesting bits of architecture. Ggantija has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geographically Gozo is also dramatic with cliffs and a coastline fashioned from limestone.
While Gozo is rural it is not backward and there are many great hotels to stay in and restaurants to eat in. Obviously the seafood there is the most rewarding local choice of cuisine, while a good time of year to visit is during the olive oil harvest. A bottle of the local olive oil is always a good gift to bring back with you. For an authentic experience inquire about staying in one of the picturesque farmhouses or villas in the centre of the island.
One of the main pastimes on Gozo today is scuba diving as it has some fantastic waters around it. It is also easy to take a boat out for a day trip to Malta’s other sister island Comino. Comino’s blue lagoon is an unforgettable place to enjoy the water in total peace and quiet. During the summer months the weather is sure to be great too.
Because there is a ferry between Malta and Gozo it is possible to take your Rhino hire car between one island and the other. To get information on times and schedules you should contact the Gozo Channel company. There are three numbers to try for three different locations. For Cirkewwa dial +356 21580435, for Mgarr dial +356 21556114 and for Sa Maison dial +356 21243964. If you have flown into
Malta International Airport there is a three times daily shuttle bus service between the airport and the ferry. You can't actually hire a car on Gozo itself so it's best to pick-up a rental car from the airport on arrival, or take the bus to Mellieha and pick up near the port before getting on the ferry to Gozo.
Gozo is a popular sister to Malta and has some amazing sights to tempt the tourist. Hire a car to visit the spectacular dive site at the Blue Hole. Whilst there, you should also make sure you spend some time at the ‘inland sea’ a lake linked to the Mediterranean by a tunnel.
For great photographs, sit with your camera at the Azure Window, a square sea arch on the coast there. For a fascinating day out try the Ggantija Temples which were built thousands of years ago as part of a fertility cult.