Last summer we headed to the Maltese archipelago to the island of Gozo to celebrate Olly's mum's 60th (then Olly and I headed to Malta, but more about that bit another time). Twenty minutes from Malta on the ferry, whilst Gozo is Malta's second biggest island in terms of size, only 31,000 people live there. Expect lots of villages, more than anything else.
But, if you're after somewhere hot and sunny to relax with laid back vibes, Gozo could be the place for you. And I will stress that it is HOT there in summer. Whilst we were there, temperatures were in the mid- to late-30s but with a feels like temperature of 41°c at times. Which is why we made sure our farmhouse had a pool and some air conditioning (but only the bedrooms had AC).
Our 200-year old traditional
farmhouse in Munxar, which was about a 15-minute drive from the ferry terminal, was a great base to hang out for the week. (You don't pay to take the ferry to Gozo, you pay on your return. In summer 2022 it was
€15.20 for one car with a driver, then
€4.65 per additional passenger. And you can pay with your credit or debit card.) We chose Munxar because that's where family friends live, but nowhere was more than a 20-minute drive from there so it's a good shout. It's also really close to the capital, Victoria. Which our farmhouse had an excellent view of.
Victoria is where the Cittadella is, the fortress of Gozo, which dates from around the 15th century. We headed there towards sunset to walk around the fortifications, which afford an excellent view of the entire island of Gozo. This bit is free, but there is also a ticketed visitors' centre, which we didn't go to, which also gets you entry into the cathedral, prison and a few museums - you need to visit in the daytime if you wish to see these.
It was after the citadel that we had my favourite meal on Gozo at
Casa Vostra. Highly recommend their calzone with pistachio and mortadella, and their scrigni carbonari dish (both pictured below). Speaking of food, other restaurant highlights on Gozo were
Country Terrace (which has a fab view as well),
Cardamom (yum Indian in Victoria) and
The Boathouse (great seafood and pasta in Xlendi). The one thing we did find frustrating on Gozo though is that Google would suggest a restaurant would be open, but then it wouldn't be. Quite frustrating, especially as we were using Bolt to get around the island so would then have to fork out for another taxi to a different village. (We did have a hire car, but we only used that to drive from the airport and back, really, plus a few supermarket trips.)
Which brings me to a feast of a different kind, or a "festa". Throughout summer, across Malta, celebrations take place to honour the various saints. In the village of Sannat, next to Munxar, the Feast of St Margaret the Martyr happened to take place whilst we were there. There's food and drink aplenty (cash preferred), a party atmosphere, as well as concerts by local brass bands. Then the culmination of the evening is a fireworks display which you would not get away with in the UK - it's quite something! As is the super opulent village church.
We also took a private boat trip around the island of Gozo, with a stop off at the Blue Lagoon first. Gozo, you see, isn't the only island that makes up Malta, Comino is the third biggest island in the Maltese archipelago and it's there on the west coast that you'll find the Blue Lagoon. (The island itself is pretty much uninhabited - only 2 or 3 people live there - though there used to be a hotel there that's now being rebuilt.)
After a quick swim at the Blue Lagoon, which was thwarted for me by the fear of jellyfish, we set off around the island. Must confess, I was seasick and threw up as it was very choppy, so this wasn't the best outing for me, but I'm still glad I got to see the dramatic cliffs and scenery from the sea. Gozo, you see, used to have the Azure Window, which unfortunately collapsed, but from the sea you've got a great view of the similar Wied il-Mielah Window. (Going to Dwejra where the Azure Window was is nice for a Gozitan sunset, but I'd avoid the restaurant there of the same name!)
And that, pretty much, was our week on Gozo! A bit of sightseeing, a bit of hanging out at the farmhouse, and a LOT of sunshine. Will blog about our time on Malta next. x
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