Is Gozo Worth Visiting? A Guide to Gozo, Malta

Is Gozo, the smaller, quieter, naturally beautiful sister island of Malta, worth visiting?

In short, YES, yes Gozo is worth visiting.

Gozo, the second largest inhabited island of the Maltese archipelago, is located in the Mediterranean Sea, to the north of Malta.

The islands of Gozo and Malta feel somewhat opposite. Gozo is more chill, relaxed, exuding a typical slower paced island life vibe than Malta. This smaller island remains more historic than newly built up, as is becoming the norm in Malta, helping Gozo keep more of its true charm. Gozo is therefore well worth visiting in addition to Malta (you can’t visit Gozo without Malta itself – you have to travel from there). Between the two islands we get balance, a good mix of everything.

With a more peaceful backing track than the constant construction in Malta, and traffic which moved above snail pace, I felt an immediate sense of peace wash over me on arrival in Gozo. Don’t get me wrong, I love Malta. However a respite from the ‘noise’ of staying in the busiest areas (that’s on me though!) and travelling around on the chaotic roads with buses that were never on time, was needed.

In this post I’ll take a deeper dive into visiting Gozo to give you more of an insight into a trip there. I’ll let you see that Gozo is worth visiting (and for more than a day!), while helping guide you with planning your trip.

How to get to Gozo?

Gozo is accessible by ferry from Malta – the ease of getting to Gozo is part of the reason that makes it worth visiting.

There are various ferry options for getting to Gozo:

– Boat Tours/Cruises

Boat tours/cruises are aplenty from Malta to Gozo. There are options which leave from various locations in Malta, such as Sliema, St. Paul’s Bay, Mellieha, Cirkewwa. Depending on which you choose, you can head out on a half day or a full day trip. Some trips also include a visit to Comino Island, so if you are short on time and want to see as much as possible, these could be a good option!

• A top pick tour leaving from St. Paul’s Bay is the Gozo & Comino Islands, Blue Lagoon & Seacaves Tour. This tour lasts for 7 hours, with 3 hours free time on Gozo. You also get an hour to explore around around the Blue Lagoon and annother hour at the Crystal Lagoon (Comino Island) for swimming and snorkelling.
• For a cruise from St. Paul’s Bay, the Gozo, Comino, Blue & Crystal Lagoon, & Caves Cruise is a top selling activity.
• From Sliema, the Gozo, Comino & The Blue Lagoon Boat & Bus Tour is a great option of a full day tour. This tour includes a sightseeing bus tour of Gozo which may appeal to you to see the main sights hassle-free.
• For a half day cruise option, the Gozo, Blue and Crystal Lagoons Cruise with Sea Caves is a very popular option. This trip covers the main highlights of Comino and Gozo in a shorter time frame, while still providing some swimming and snorkelling opportunities.

If you prefer to book in person, you can also do that! For example in Sliema, if you walk along the harbour there are many ticket booths for trips to Gozo (and Comino Island).

– Visit independently by taking a direct ferry direct from Valletta or Cirkewwa

You can take the ferry from either Valletta or Cirkewwa, both of which arrive into Mgarr Harbour Terminal in Gozo. This really does allow the most freedom for a trip to Gozo, where you will have the time to explore the island more fully, and spend more than a day there.

Fast Ferry from Valletta

• Easiest and fastest option is to take the fast ferry from Lascaris Wharf Terminal, Valletta to Gozo.
• 45 minute journey
• €7.50 one way
• There is an online only offer of a €12 return fare. Note that you do need to choose specific times. So depending how organised or unorganised (my vibe) you like to be, this may or may not suit you to book the return at once.
• Easy to book online here – Gozo Highspeed. You can book on the day of departure. However you do need to book around 1-2 hours in advance, the site won’t let you book if it’s too close to the time.

It is likely that when in Malta you will be staying perhaps in Valletta itself or in the bustling areas of Sliema/St.Julian’s. It is from these popular spots that access to Valletta ferry terminal is fairly quick and easy (whether by bus or by BOLT, the latter being the fastest and most convenient as it will take you directly to the ferry).

Ferry from Cirkewwa

• Another option is to take the ferry from Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal, located at the very north of Malta.
• 25 minute journey
• Standard passenger fare is €4.65 for a return trip
• Buy ticket at the ferry terminal
• Larger ferry than the fast ferry – vehicles can go on this one

Unless you are staying in the north of Malta, or have a car, this could be a bit of a trek on the usually late and overcrowded buses. It takes around 1 hour 15 minutes from Sliema or 1 hours 35+ minutes from Valletta to Cirkewwa. For the sake of the few euros saved (and this is coming from a budget traveler), I’d say go to Valletta if you don’t have quick easy access to Cirkewwa.

If you do choose to do a tour boat type option, your time on Gozo will be somewhat limited. This leads to the question….

How long to visit Gozo for?

The beauty of visiting Gozo is really that you can visit for as short or as long as you like.

Is Gozo worth visiting for only a day?

Thanks to the easy, relatively quick and affordable journey from Malta, visiting for only a day, in terms of travelling there and back, is absolutely worth it. Beyond the journey aspect, you can get a good feel for the island in one day. Hitting up various spots in a day is absolutely do-able, even if replying on public transport. All in all, never underestimate what you can fit into one day. Do head there early though to make the most of it!

On the other-hand…

Is Gozo worth visiting for MORE than a day?

If you have time to dedicate more than a day to experiencing Gozo, you won’t regret doing that. There are plenty of accommodation options which makes staying there easy to do, and no shortage of beautiful spots to go out and explore, or places where you can chill out and relax, whatever your vibe may be.

I spent three nights on Gozo, arriving on a Saturday afternoon and leaving early morning on Tuesday. Technically I did spend just 1.5 days exploring Gozo itself as such (Saturday late afternoon and Sunday. On the Monday I did a day trip to Comino Island as it’s super easy to do so from Gozo). All in all 3 nights was a really nice amount of time. I do kind of wish I had spent perhaps one or two more nights to be able to see even more, but you can’t do everything!

If you intend to visit Gozo for more than a day, you will wonder…

Where to stay on Gozo?

Gozo has a lot of accommodation options, which adds to making it worth visiting – you can come and stay for as long as you wish, wherever takes your fancy. There is accommodation available in various areas of the island, but the best and most convenient place to base yourself to make the most of a Gozo trip is Victoria.

Some of the top rated accommodation choices in Victoria include:

• The Duke Boutique Hotel
• Battistini Boutique Living and Spa
• Townhouse17 Boutique Bed & Breakfast

Why I recommend staying in Victoria:

• Victoria is the capital of Gozo
  • You will want to visit here whether staying over or not.
  • All amenities are here.
• Easy to get to/from the ferry terminal
  • The bus stops right outside the ferry terminal, and goes to Victoria bus station.
  • You can order a BOLT which will arrive within a few minutes.
  • Taxis are readily available at the ferry port but there’s really no need to take a taxi and pay more over taking BOLT.
• Easy and conveniently located for travel around the island
  • Victoria is where all the buses leave from/return to. Staying here therefore saves you time and bus connections when wanting to travel to other areas.
  • Relatively centrally located on the island. This means travel to other parts of the island does not take long. Its usually around 15-20 minutes by bus to *most* places you would want to visit.
• Plenty of accommodation options available

What to do on Gozo?

There are so many beautiful spots to visit on Gozo that make it worth visiting.

As noted, I spent 1.5 days exploring Gozo itself. I’ll let you know about the places I visited on my trip to make a perfect short trip itinerary. I stuck to the north of the island – this wasn’t intentional as such, it just worked out to be super convenient and made hitting up various different spots in a short time, while travelling by public transport and getting some walking in, very doable.

In short, after I arrived in the afternoon, I visited Tal-Mixta Cave, then had an explore of Victoria. The next day I headed to Wied Il-Għasri, before continuining on a coastal walk which allowed me to visit the Xwejni Salt Pans, past the beaches of Xwejni Bay and Qbajjar Bay, before reaching my endpoint of Marsalforn and taking the bus back to Victoria from there. I did still have daylight left after this so could have essentially done everything in the one day!

Lets take a closer look at what these spots have to offer:

Victoria (ir-Rabat)

As noted, Victoria is the capital of Gozo, and the best place to base yourself if spending more than a day on the island. This is not only because of the convenience of staying here, but because it really is a fantastic city.

The main attraction of Victoria has to be the Citadel (Citadella)

• Ancient fortified city located in Victoria
• Walk the charming narrow streets
• Don’t miss the Cittadella Walkway – walk the city walls for the best panoramic views in Gozo
• Option to visit the Cittadella Visitor Centre, Natural Science Museum, Old Prison (these are attractions you must pay for)

Beyond the Citadel take time to walk around and enjoy the main street of Victoria, Republic Street. You can’t miss it and will likely walk up it to reach the Citadel anyway! Republic Street is home to shops, restaurants, cafés, supermarkets and so forth – this is where you will find all the main amenities you may need.

A little food tip: If you want some takeaway food, head to the car park just behind the bus station. There are various options here and it seems to be a popular spot with locals – a good sign. I got a pizza from Joe’s Street Pizza. They had so many orders that I had to wait a while, which was the downside, but that’s because it’s very good and affordable!!

If you fancy some extra Victoria activities, you might be interested in a Cooking Class and Market Visit or a Sunset Walking Food and Drink Tour.

Tal Mixta Cave

Take a trip to Tal-Mixta Cave. This clifftop cave looks over the popular Ramla Beach, and beyond. It is one of Gozo’s most scenic spots.

Visiting Tal-Mixta cave doesn’t take up too much time. It’s therefore perfect to include in your itinerary even if you are only on Gozo for a day or two.

I have written a more in depth post on visiting Tal-Mixta Cave (and how to get there by public transport). You can check out my post here to read more on Visiting Tal-Mixta Cave.

Wied Il-Għasri

Wied Il-Għasri is a stunning gorge on the north-west of Gozo. The natural beauty of Gozo really shines here. You can simply walk and admire the scenery, or spend a chunk of the day relaxing on the small beach area of taking a dip in the calm, crystal clear water.

I had no idea quire how beautiful this spot was going to be before going. The secluded bay was absolutely my kind of scenes and I just wish I had gone even earlier and given myself more time to chill and swim here. So I would recommend giving yourself at least an hour or two to go down and fully take advantage of such a gem.

Xwejni Salt pans

Gozo’s Xwejni Salt Pans stretch for some kms along the northern coastline. The Salt Pans are of historic importance and are a popular popular visitor site.

You can take a lovely coastal walk along by the Salt Pans. Here you can see the natural collection of salt which forms in the pans thanks to the seawater and wind. The salt is collected weekly so depending on when you go you may or may not see as much salt.

The Salt Pans are just a short walk from Wied Il-Għasri. I therefore visiting Wied Il-Għasri before walking down to the saltpans. After this I continued along the coast, passing by Xwejni Bay and Qbajjar Bay which are optional beach stops, to the town of Marsalforn.

Marsalforn

Marsalforn is a busy town on the north coast of Gozo. If you want to explore the north like I did, this is the perfect place to end a day exploring here.

There are quite a few accommodation options in this town, so if you want to be situated on the coast, not in Victoria, this is a great place. This also adds to the busy vibe of the town.

Marsalforn has a beach, but I’ll be honest it’s not the best or nicest beach as such. It’s very small so can get very busy. I wouldn’t choose to go here if you just want to go to the beach – go to Ramla Bay for a proper beach day! However, if you want to mix beach vibes with busy town life this could be your spot. Marsalforn is lovely to enjoy a meal in a seaside restaurant or café, walk along the coastline and relax on the beach.

But lets not forget, there is a little sneaky highlight I found in Marsalforn. The best coastal views are on offer on a little trail just further round from the harbour.

Heading from the salt pans, I kept walking around to Marsalforn harbour, and to the right just after the public toilets you can go up and keep going along the coast. There is a little trail here, which you can take a really short walk along – just 5-10 minutes or so (it gets quite narrow and didn’t look too safe to go much further past this). It is on this trail the views are insane and you are in your own little world away from the bustle of the town itself. Definitely walk this far, it’s a gem of a spot!

That sums up the main spots I visited! Of course the longer you stay the more you can see. There are so many places to visit but for a short trip I highly recommend these.

I mentioned Ramla Bay, this is the most popular beach on Gozo – do include a trip to the popular Ramla Beach if you want some proper beach time and have time to! Going here after or before Tal-Mixta Cave is the perfect itinerary addition. I only had the time for the view over Ramla Bay and not to actually go down and enjoy the beach!

Take a day trip to Comino Island from Gozo

For a day trip from Gozo, I highly recommend visiting Comino Island (where you will find The Blue Lagoon). It is so easily visited from Gozo, which is why I chose to visit from there instead of from Malta (I was staying in Sliema and it was easier, quicker, cheaper to visit from Gozo). Tickets can be purchased outside the ferry terminal at Mgarr Harbour just before you travel. Alternatively, you can book one of the available tour options, such as From Gozo: Around Comino, Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon & Caves.

If you want to stay active, you can even take a kayaking tour to Comino from Gozo. There are a few options available for this, such as the 3 hour Gozo: Comino and Blue Lagoon Guided Kayaking Adventure or the 6 hour Kayak Gozo & Comino – Full Day Kayak Adventure, with lunch.

I loved Comino Island (for so much more than just the Blue Lagoon!). For more details on a trip to Comino Island you can check out my post A Solo Day Trip to Comino Island (Blue Lagoon), Malta.

So, IS Gozo really worth visiting?

Absolutely. From the ease of getting there from Malta, to the breathtaking natural scenes and relaxing island vibes on offer, it’s the perfect getaway!

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