Top Things To Do On Gozo Island

Gozo is Malta’s second largest island. Full of quiet towns with charming old squares and churches, and panoramic hillsides that lead to protected beaches, this an idyllic getaway from the sometimes frenetic pace of Malta. Even the Maltese have second homes here for escape!

But there’s much more to Gozo, and there are plenty of unique things to see and do here. It’s home to the most important archeological site on the archipelago, 5,500 year old Ggantija, the old Cittadella in Victoria, and various natural phenomenon scattered around the island, like the Blue Hole, a window rock, caves, grottos, salt pans, trekking, and more.

Things to Do on Gozo

Gozo is a quick 25 minute ferry ride from northern Malta to Mgarr Harbor.

Ggantija Megalithic Temples

The two megalithic temples here date back to 3,500 BC, making them the oldest on Malta and the second oldest in the world (after Gobekli Tepe in Turkey). That’s over 5,500 years old!

Its name, ‘Ggantija’, stems from the Maltese word ‘ggant’, which means giant. Locals named it this, thinking it was built by a race of giants, because the stones were so massive.

To read more about Ggantija and Malta’s five other UNESCO listed megalithic temples, see my post on the Megalithic Temples of Malta.

How To Get To Ggantija: Ggantija is a 15-minute drive or 30-minute bus ride from Mgarr Harbor. You can rent a car at the harbor or take a taxi.

Gozo Cittadella

The Cittadella, located in Victoria, offers an interesting glimpse into Gozo’s past and provides 360 degree views of the area.

Centrally located, Victoria is Gozo’s capital. Likely inhabited since the Stone Age, this area was the main settlement of Gozo through the Phoenician and Roman periods.

This was originally an acropolis, which later became a castle, before becoming a fortress in the 18th century.

Ottoman attacks were so prevalent in the 15th and 16th centuries, that Gozitans slept inside its walls for protection. In fact, once there was an attack on the island where every citizen was reportedly carried off into slavery. Jeepers!

Here you can visit the Church of the Assumption, The Gozo Museum of Archeology, a Folklore Museum, Nature Museum, and an Old Prison. There’s also a visitor center with a surround theater giving a historic overview.

How To Get To The Cittadella: Most roads lead to Gozo, so it’s easy to access by car or taxi. The Hop-On Hop-Off Bus also stops here, as does the public bus.

Ramla Beach

This beach, with its red sand, is the largest sand beach in Gozo.

It may be the largest, and very popular because of it, but I was not overly impressed. In the area, however, there’s a restaurant, ice cream shops, and public bathrooms, making it a convenient stop.

I found it more interesting to explore the surrounding area, like the remains of an old Roman Villa beyond the beach. Or climb the hill for the panoramic views of the area. Especially near Calypso’s Cave (below).

How To Get To Ramla Beach: If driving, follow the signs from Xaghra or Qala to the Bay. Bus 322 runs from Mgarr Harbor to the beach.

Other, More Secluded, Beaches

If you’re looking for more secluded beaches, try San Blas Bay, east of Ramla Bay, Dahlet Qorrot, a little farther east, or Hondoq Ir Rummien, on Gozo’s southern coast, overlooking Comino.

Calypso’s Cave

Gozo’s Calypso Cave, overlooking Ramla Bay, is allegedly the cave Homer wrote about in The Odyssey. This is where Odysseus was kept as a ‘prisoner of love’ for seven years by Calypso.

Again, the views here are more interesting than the cave itself, but it’s an interesting story.

How To Get To Calypso’s Cave: Follow Racecourse Street out of Xaghra. At the gift shop go through the Stone archway. You will find the entrance to the cave down the stairs.

Other Caves

These privately owned caves, found by locals digging in the area, are small, but small, but intersting.

Ninu’s Cave

This small cave, with its stalactites and stalagmites, was discovered under a house near Parish Church. They were digging for a well when they found it. It’s in Xaghra at 15 January Street (Triq Jannar).

Xerri’s Grotto

Smaller, but also with stalactites and stalagmites, this one was discovered by Anthony Xerri while digging for a well. Also in Xaghra, it’s a 7 minute walk from Ninu’s Cave on L Ghar Ta Xerri.

Dwejra Bay

This area, on Gozo’s west coast, was once the site of the Azure Window, a natural formation that looked like a window cut in the rocks. Unfortunately, it collapsed in 2017. The bay, however, is still lovely, with other sites in the area.

The Blue Hole

The most popular spot on Gozo for scuba, free diving, or swimming is the Blue Hole. Geologically speaking, it’s not really a blue hole, but an upright rock formation resembling an upright tube. An underwater arch connects this area to the sea about 9 meters down.

Many dive shops on Gozo organize tours here, and to other dive spots on the island, but this spot is noted as the best. In fact, Divein.com recently rated it in the top 10 for Europe.

If driving, follow the signs to Inland Sea and former Azure Window (which collapsed in 2017). The Hop-On Hop-Off Bus also stops here. And buses run here from various points around the island. The public bus from nearby Victoria Stops at Lawrenz, then you walk the rest of the way.

Fungus Rock

Located in Dwerja Bay, this rock is really a 200’ (60 m) lump of limestone. It was popular in ancient history due to the incorrectly identified ‘fungus’ that grows here, as it was once considered to have medicinal properties and highly coveted.

The nearby tower, Dwerja Tower, not only was used as a lookout to protect the island, it was also a used to ensure no one accessed Fungus Rock. In fact, trespassing was punishable by many years as an oarsman in the Knights’ galleys. Yikes!

At certain times of the year, the sunset is visible through the hole in Fungus Rock (above).

How To Get To Dwerja Bay: Dwerja Bay is just south of the Blue Hole (above).

Ta’Pinu Basilica

Otherwise known as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu. Located in the countryside, east of Gharb, it’s noted as one of the most beautiful of Malta’s more than 365 churches.

Ta’ Pinu became a popular pilgrimage site after a miracle reportedly occurred here in the late 19th century. It became so popular, this new, larger church was built here.

How to Get To Ta’ Pinu: This Basilica is a 7-minute drive or taxi ride from Victoria. This is also a stop on Gozo’s Hop-On Hop-Off Bus.

Wied il-Mielah

This natural limestone arch overlooks Gozo’s north coast, towards the western end of the Island.

How To Get To Wied il-Mielah: As tourist interest in this area grows (because of the collapse of the Azure Window), better transportation options will become available. For now, it’s best to reach by car or taxi. It is also possible to walk from Ta’ Pinu above, but it’s about 45 minutes each way.

Marsalforn Salt Pans

350 year old rectangular, rock-cut salt pans stretch out for almost 2 miles (3 km) on the coast. This tradition has been passed from generation to generation for centuries with the salt harvested between May and September.

How To Get To Marsalforn Salt Pans: Aside from driving, you can take the bus from the Victoria bus station to Marsalforn, then walk.

Walking/Hiking

With its rocky coast and panoramic hilltops, there are several stunning walks/hikes around Gozo. The links for each below provides a detailed overview, map, and directions to complete the walks on your own. Each offering much more than the brief descriptions below, as well as some sites not noted above.

North Gozo

Marsalforn to Ramla Walk – This 5 mile (8 km) walk starts at Marsalforn Bay, heads down to Ggantija Temples in Xaghra, then up towards Ramla Bay along the north coast.

Saltpans Walk – This 7.5 mile (12 km) walk starts/ends in Victoria, heading up towards the north coast of Gozo, passing the saltpans.

Ta’ Gurdan Walk – This 6 mile (10 km) loop starts/ends in Gharb. Sites include Ta’ Gurdan Lighthouse, Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary, and Wied il-Mielah, the natural arch overlooking the sea.

Northeast Gozo

Dahlet Qorrot – A-6 mile (10 km) loop from/to Il Nadur, for panoramic views of the coast and Ta’ Sapu Watchtower.

West Gozo

Dwejra – This 8-mile (13 km) hike starts and ends in Victoria, passing by Fungus Rock and it’s Sentinal Tower and Dwerja Bay and the Blue Hole. After this, a detour can be made to visit ancient, mysterious fossilized cart ruts, and the Mixta Caves, where early Gozitans lived.

Hondoq Ir Rummien – This 6-mile (10 km) loop starts/ends at Mgarr Harbor, passing through some small towns of Gozo with views of Comino in the distance.

Xlendi Walk – This-7.5 mile (12 km) walk starts in Mgarr Harbor and ends in Xlendi, on Gozo’s southwestern coast.

More of Malta

To read more about this fascinating archipelago, see my posts on Malta and the Megalithic Temples of Malta.

To help plan your trip, see my Malta Travel Guide, which covers the highlights, as well as how to get around, safety, common scams, logistics, and more.