I hadn’t heard too much about Gozo before venturing there after spending a week in Malta. In a number of ways, Malta’s smaller archipelago neighbour offers the perfect antidote to the hectic pace and rapid overdevelopment of the main island.
Crossing shimmering clear blue waters via a ferry ride, the time we spent on the boat was short but it was enough to slip back a couple of decades. I felt tensions ebb away as the boat drew closer and we began our descent to the shore.
I love that Gozo’s slower pace of life was instantly all-encompassing. It was both rugged and pristine in equal measures. Here honey-coloured farmhouses, a rustic way of life and a strong sense of community rules. Landscapes were mostly made up of terraced hills and traditional dry stone walls which accentuated fertile valleys.
The most famous building on the island, the majestic Cittadella, served both as an imposing central focus (visible from almost every part of the island!) and a representation of how important religion is in everyday life – here, locals eschew nightclubs for church-organised street fiestas and in my opinion is what makes this place so special.
Our first week was spent in a private villa managed by the well-respected local company Pellik. Located in the sleepy village of Għarb, home to a population of only 1,539, Għarb started life as a small hamlet centuries ago and remains beautifully suspended in time – I was utterly charmed by this tranquil gem!
The centre of the village was dominated by a medieval church flanked by benches where chattering locals sat, and the main road was lined with just a handful of cafes and restaurants.
A cobbled alleyway, home to a neat row of honey-coloured and glowing stone houses, led us out of the intense midday heat into a narrow, shady paradise that seemed a million miles away from modern life!
Our temporary abode for our Gozo stay was the last dwelling on the street. The outside was traditional and charming, but the inside was even more so.
The spacious house comprised two floors, a fully equipped kitchen, an ample living space and four bedrooms (two with an on-suite) decorated in a traditional Gozo style. It was bathed in swaths of natural light enhanced by a set of French doors that opened out onto a large terrace.
I thought the terrace and views beyond were nothing short of jaw-dropping with a large private swimming pool and panoramic views of almost unearthly tranquil farmland.
Honestly, the peacefulness of this corner of Europe was truly extraordinary, and the vast majority of the island of Gozo seemed completely secluded from any hint of urban life – just wow!
We spent our days exploring the island including swimming at the golden stretch of beach known as Ramla Bay, chatting to locals (who seemed to make time for everyone), experiencing the hair-raising craziness of fireworks at a traditional street festival and then retreating to our cool stone house to seek respite from the sometimes unforgiving summer heat.
Although easily one of our favourite days was spent with Vitamin Sea Boat Tours. Founded by Gozo local Mark, he offers several private boat tours both on his speedboat and rib.
Mark’s credentials were impeccable – he started his boating life very young and a few years ago even skippered Brad and Angelina (during their happier times)! I thought his stories were incredible and spent hours listening to them!
With only a handful of sandy beaches, Gozo is all about the water. The island is encircled by a remarkably clear and unpolluted expanse of the azure Mediterranean Sea. The bays are sheltered, and the water is calm enough to swim, dive, or snorkel. The striking rugged coastline offers sights of sheer cliffs and secret coves, most only reachable by boat.
We chose a private rib tour and spent a blissful five hours touring hidden coves, jumping off the boat to swim in the cool, crystalline waters of sheltered bays, and dodging the odd (thankfully non-deadly!) jellyfish adrift in the gentle current. The day’s highlight was Comino’s Blue Lagoon.
The tiny Island of Comino—inhabited by just four people—sits in the middle of the channel between Malta and Gozo.
The area, with its brilliant turquoise shallow waters, golden rocks, and dramatic coastline, is known as one of the most spectacular sights of the Maltese archipelago.
We ended our stay in one of Gozo’s ‘Houses of Character’. Gozo offers a varied mix of these properties, which sometimes date from the 17th and 18th centuries.
They make atmospheric and beautifully unique retreats, mostly situated on sleepy roads or snuggly positioned across old villages. I loved that each House of Character is a piece of art, contributing to Malta’s intriguing history and diverse heritage.
Our ‘House of Character’ was beautifully renovated from a 200-year-old donkey mill in Munxar. A rustic abode with modern accents, the entrance was via a central stone courtyard and the living quarters were located on the ground floor, while the on-suite bedrooms were tucked away on the top floor.
The stone property also included a private swimming pool and a terrace with yet more tranquil views of Gozo. At the centre was the arm of the centuries-old mill where the donkey was attached to crush grains into flour and olives into olive oil, still perfectly intact….a testament to how far Gozitans will go to preserve their wonderful history and I was completely under its spell!
