Today we have 11 things to see and do in Gozo, Malta. We've been to the Maltese islands three times and they are islands that have a lot to offer in terms of nature, culture, history, sun and swimming. We haven't collected our tips on Gozo in one place before, so here we are!
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ShareGozo, Malta's smaller sister island, is especially suited to those who appreciate a peaceful environment, beautiful scenery, locally produced food, sun and swimming, and opportunities for activities such as hiking or mountain biking. This is a hidden gem!
Table of contents
1. Visit the Citadel in Victoria
Victoria (or Rabat) is the largest city on the island of Gozo, with just under 7,000 inhabitants. The capital, Victoria, is located in the centre of the island. At the top of the city sits an impressive citadel, which should not be missed. The church looks modest from the outside, but once inside, the decorations are anything but modest!
2. Hang out in the cosy Marsalforn
The village of Marsalforn is located on the north side of Gozo. This village may be a bit touristy - there are several hotels here - but it's still very cosy. There's sunbathing and swimming in the centre of town, and you can try your hand at scuba diving. There are a whole bunch of restaurants with nice outdoor seating, such as the Kartell restaurant, where you can enjoy great views of the sea.
3. Sunbathing on Ramla Bay Beach
Gozo's coastline is made up of beautiful rock formations and there are some great beaches here and there. The finest beach on Gozo is Ramla Bay, a sheltered bay with crystal clear, shimmering green waters.
4. Experience rural Gozo
In Gozo, rural life is ever-present. There are plenty of farmers who grow tomatoes, olives or grapes, or perhaps have sheep or goats. Take a tour of the countryside to experience the real Gozo - and maybe you'll get the chance to visit a farmer or buy locally produced produce right on the spot. We visited the farmer, cheese maker and restaurant owner Rikkardu of Ta' Rikardu.
At Rikkardu, milking is done by hand "because it is easier to feel if something is wrong" and the separation of lambs and kittens from their mothers is done gradually "because it is such a difficult process" and "because they are so sad". The traditional cheese 'gbejniet' is made from unpasteurised goat or sheep milk.
Traditionally, a goat or sheep stomach was added to start the process, but nowadays there are powders with the same enzyme as in the stomach. The cheese milk is poured into baskets and drained. It can then be eaten fresh or dried, with different flavours. Our favourite was dried cheese with pepper spice - soooo good!
5. Buy locally produced ingredients
Locally produced ingredients can be found at Ta' Mena Estate, run by Mr Joseph Spiteri. They produce both wine and a lot of other local delicacies, and tourists can visit to taste and learn more about wine and olive oil, for example. We thought the olive oil here was so good that we bought three litres to take home!
6. Enjoy the view from the Kantra restaurant
Restaurant Kantra is located in the south of Gozo, not far away from Ta'Cenc spa hotel. We might not choose this restaurant for the food (which was ok, but nothing special), but we would always choose it for the amazing view!
Note! We have been informed that the Kantra restaurant is closed!
7. Eat good food at Ta'Philip meat restaurant
Do you like good food? Then the Ta'Philip meat restaurant, near Mgarr, is a place not to be missed in Gozo. You can tell when food is cooked with love. When the ingredients are local and the owner is super friendly, it doesn't get much better than that!
It's not all meat at Philip's, but since he was most proud of his meat, we tried it. After a starter of baked asparagus, we tried three meat dishes: lamb, pork and rabbit. Everything was soooo tender, and the pork was probably the best pork we've ever had!
8. Go for a mountain bike ride
Why not discover Gozo by mountain bike? We did our mountain bike tour with a guide from Gozo Adventures, riding through beautiful scenery, along dramatic cliff paths and stopping at caves and charming villages, such as the fishing village of Xlendi.
9. try climbing
In Malta you can try 'abseiling'. This type of climbing involves climbing up a wall, attached to a rope, while the guide gradually pulls the rope in so that it remains taut at all times. When it's time to go back down, you are lowered by the rope while leaning backwards and walking with your feet towards the rock. We climbed with the company Gozo Adventures, and although we had never climbed before (and one of us is afraid of heights), it went well and was a fun experience!
10. Diving in the clear sea
Gozo is perfect for diving because the water is so clear and there are plenty of fish. Peter did the dive with a company in Gozo called Calypso Diving Centre. Peter was very happy with the dive guide and felt that all safety procedures were well followed. He saw both fish and a stingray and was very happy with his diving experience. Now that the Azure window landmark has collapsed, it is also popular with divers, as is the nearby Blue hole.
11. stay in a spa hotel
If you really want to enjoy the peace and quiet, you can combine your stay with accommodation in a spa hotel. We stayed at the Ta Cenc hotel, located on the southern part of the island. This spa hotel offers a relaxed and peaceful environment with pools, beautiful surrounding nature and good food. And spa treatments of course!
More things to do in Gozo in Malta
What else is there to do in Gozo, Malta? If you want to experience the outdoors and nature, there are plenty of opportunities for hiking and canoeing throughout the island. There are also opportunities for horse riding, boating and quad biking. And, of course, there are plenty of charming little coves for rock bathing in the clear waters. Not to mention all the beautiful churches... In other words, there's plenty to do on Gozo in Malta!
Travelling to Gozo
To get to Gozo, fly you first go to Valletta in Malta. Gozo can be reached by car ferry from Cirkewwa in Malta to Mgarr, which takes about 25 minutes. There is also a helicopter connection between Gozo and Malta's Luqa Airport.
Living in Gozo
If you don't want to stay in a spa hotel, as mentioned above, there are many other options. We haven't tried all of these ourselves, but we asked our guide in Malta and simply pass on his suggestions. If you want to stay in a 5-star hotel, he suggested the following Kempinski, set in the countryside with spas and pools.
If you are looking for simpler options, there are Calypso hotel or Maria Giovanna guesthouse in Marsalforn. Our guide also pointed out the so-called "farm houses", which are cosy rural accommodations for families or a group of friends. Boran group should have many different farmhouses to choose from.
Things to do in Malta
If you also have time to look around the main island of Malta, there is plenty to see and do. We have written a whole bunch of articles about Malta, so feel free to browse around! If you want to know more about the language and history of Malta, you can also read our article on Languages in Malta - Arabic, British or Italian? Find more tips for your trip to Malta here! Don't forget that there is a third small island called Comino, which is famous for the clear waters of the Blue Lagoon.
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Liniz Travel says:
What great tips! Imagine that it is 1 year since we were there now. Time goes so fast! Hugs
03 April 2018 - 7:53
Helena says:
Very fun to discover Malta together! Have fun Lina!
03 April 2018 - 19:04
Ama de casa says:
Malta is still a white spot on the map for me... But there really seems to be a lot to do and see there! I would skip both the diving and the climbing though - staying more on the ground level, I think 😉.
Have a nice Tuesday!
03 April 2018 - 10:07
Helena says:
Haha, I also like ground level! Dared to do the climbing though 😉.
03 April 2018 - 19:04
Anita Malta says:
What a wonderful presentation of Malta and our lovely little sister island Gozo. Having lived here for almost 18 years, we are still discovering new places to explore. Yesterday we spent several hours hiking in Majjistral National Park. What views and what fantastic nature. I thank our new family member four-legged Fanny ? because we have now started to explore more scenic places here on the island.
It's always exciting to read what gems you pick up from Malta and then present them so beautifully. If you have plans to return, you are more than welcome to contact me. I have discovered that spring is the best time before the heat hits in July, although I appreciate that period as well. Have a good time you both, always! // Anita
03 April 2018 - 10:48
Helena says:
How nice that you like our reporting from Malta Anita! 🙂 I can imagine that there are always new things to discover, and how perfect that you can now do it together with Fanny! 🙂 We like Malta and would love to go back, but have no plan for it exactly now.
03 April 2018 - 19:07
Anita Malta says:
...always so professional with your amazing posts!!! ?
03 April 2018 - 10:52
Daniela / Discovering The Planet says:
Maybe you should prioritise Malta 🙂
03 April 2018 - 16:16
Helena says:
Malta is an island and a country we like! 🙂
03 April 2018 - 19:08
Ditte says:
We like Gozo and have been there and to Malta a few times. Very good diving and snorkelling, mainly Gozo.
It's nice to have a collection of tips on things to see and experience. But there is so much around the world.
03 April 2018 - 16:35
Helena says:
Sure there is a lot to see in the world Ditte! 🙂
03 April 2018 - 19:08
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
We have talked about Malta several times, but we have not even considered Gozo. It seems to be a lovely little island, so if there is a trip to Malta, Gozo must also get a visit.
Great post.
03 April 2018 - 20:58
Helena says:
Gozo is worth a visit when in Malta!
04 April 2018 - 19:23
BP says:
Having been to Malta and Gozo, I completely agree with Anita! What great tips and so professionally presented. I remember your posts from the islands very well, and I even recognise most of them. In addition, I am happy to read that the food seems to have improved greatly in Gozo since we were there. Then there were two restaurants and one was worse than the other.
Thank you so much for a great post:-)
03 April 2018 - 21:49
Helena says:
Then the food must have improved a lot! When we were there, there were quite a few places to choose from.
04 April 2018 - 19:24
Lena - good for the soul says:
What an amazing country that seems. Have only heard positive about it. Yes, also on the wish list 🙂 Will probably have to be about 237 years old or something to have time to see everything!
Hug Lena
04 April 2018 - 13:23
Helena says:
Haha, yes, it's hard to find time for everything! In any case, Malta is fairly easy and affordable to travel to.
04 April 2018 - 19:24
Travelsis says:
Gozo is such a cosy island, with lovely beaches and all the things you listed. Missing Wied il-Għasri though. Fantastic place to swim?. / Pernilla
04 April 2018 - 23:27
Helena says:
Thanks for the tip Travelsis!
23 February 2019 - 7:01
Patrik says:
Hi great tips and we explored several of them. However, Kantra was completely deserted and looked like a bomb blast. Seems to be completely over given, so it had to be another nice restaurant a bit away.
22 February 2019 - 19:35
Helena says:
Wow, is that true? Yes, things happen and change of course ... Sad that you had to go there and find a deserted place ... Thank you for writing and telling us! I must of course change the post! In the meantime (until I have time to see how to change it), I'll add a line about the restaurant being closed. Thank you again!
23 February 2019 - 7:03