Visiting Tal-Mixta Cave is a wonderful addition to a Gozo itinerary.
Gozo is Malta’s sister island and is home to some stunning natural beauty, such as Tal-Mixta Cave.
Ever seen an image of the cave with the stunning view when doing a quick search on Gozo? You know, the scene which is undoubtedly an ‘Instagrammable’ spot? Well, that’s Tal-Mixta Cave.
The cave looks out over Ramla Bay and beyond, where we find one of Gozo’s most popular beaches, Ramla Beach.
In this post, I’ll provide you with more information on visiting Tal-Mixta Cave, focusing on doing so by using public transport to get there. I want you to see it is easy and doable so that you, too, can enjoy this gorgeous scene.
Flights ✈️: For the best, cheapest flight options to Malta, check out Skyscanner, or for flights with cashback, WayAway.
Ferry: The easiest and most convenient way to get to Gozo is by taking the fast ferry from Valletta – Gozo Highspeed.
Accommodation 🛌: Booking.com and Agoda have a great range of accommodation options in Gozo.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are excellent sites for activity and tour options in Gozo (and the whole of Malta).
eSIM: Check out Yesim or Drimsim to avoid roaming fees in Malta. Set up your eSIM before your trip and stay connected from arrival.
First things, first….
Where is Tal-Mixta Cave?
Tal-Mixta Cave is located on the north-east coast of Gozo. For reference, the ferry port is at Mgarr on the south-east, and the capital city of Gozo is Victoria. Tal-Mixta Cave, you can see, is a bit away from these main places, but the island is small and easy to get around whether by public transport or car.
Is there an entrance cost to Tal-Mixta Cave?
No, visiting Tal-Mixta Cave is free. All you need to pay for is your transport there.
What time is Tal-Mixta Cave open?
Tal-Mixta Cave is open 24 hours a day. If relying on public transport you will be dependent on the bus timetable. Buses do run from early morning until after dark (around 10pm), but make sure it’s daylight for visiting!
So, you want to visit? But wondering how to get there? Is visiting Tal-Mixta Cave by public transport worth it?
If you have a car, visiting Tal-Mixta Cave is easy. Parking is available just a short walk from the cave entrance. Travelling Gozo by car is of course the most efficient way to get around. You can pick up a hire car from Mgarr Port on arrival in Gozo – check out rental cars here.
But for solo travellers, budget travellers, those who don’t drive or don’t wish to in a different country and so on, getting around can take a little longer, and might not be as convenient depending on where you wish to go.
So you may question, is it really worth visiting Tal-Mixta Cave without the ease of travelling there by car? Well yes, it is.
Thanks to Gozo’s public transport network, in the form of buses, the overall island is easily accessible and at a cheap price.
How to visit Tal-Mixta Cave by public transport?
If Tal-Mixta Cave is your first stop on your Gozo trip (perhaps you are just visiting for a day), or you just so happen to be staying near the ferry port at Mgarr Harbour, you can take a direct bus from there.
Alternatively, the easiest place from where to reach Tal-Mixta Cave if relying on public transport is Victoria, the island’s capital. Buses leave from/return to Victoria, therefore you generally need to start/end here or you will need to take more than one bus, connecting in Victoria (unless you are already elsewhere on the route of the specific bus you are taking).
This is a main reason as to why I recommend staying in Victoria if spending more than a day on the island, it’s the easiest place from where to see the island in the most convenient manner. You can check for Victoria accommodation here.
To get to Tal-Mixta Cave you will have to take the bus then walk from Qasab.
Visiting Tal-mixta Cave by bus:
- Take bus number 322 (Vapur) from outside the ferry terminal at Mgarr Harbour to Qasab or 302 (Ramla) from Victoria to Qasab (the second last stop).
- Around a 15 minute ride from the ferry port, or 20 minute ride from Victoria.
- €2.50 each way. You can pay by cash (use a €10 note or less), or you can tap your bank card onboard.
- The bus runs every hour. Do be aware of the bus times for your return or onward journey to ensure you’re not hanging around too long on the road-side since it’s just one an hour. If that does happen, do some extra walking and take a visit to Ramla Bay. You could then enjoy the beach and take a bus back from there.
After reaching Qasab bus stop, it’s time for a walk.
The walk is not difficult. It is along a road without pavements as such so of course do be aware of any cars. It is pretty quiet and essentially just cars with people visiting the cave, as it is the end-point of the road. Look at the walk as a positive – you get the added bonus of getting to enjoy some extra, peaceful nature of Gozo (which if you have just come from the busy areas of Malta, you will appreciate as I did!).
- Walk 1.8km to Tal-Mixta Cave.
- Google Maps says this walk takes 24 minutes, however it definitely did not take me that long. I reckon it was more 15-20 minutes (one way) at a ‘reasonable’ pace.
- On descending the bus, you will already be met with some lovely nature surrounding you and stunning coastal views.
- Walk north (follow the direction of the bus) for just a couple of minutes, then turn right onto Triq ta’Xurdin.
- Walk along Triq ta’Xurdin then turn left (the second left on this road) onto Triq ir-Ramla I-Ħamra
- Again just another short walk and veer left (second left again) onto Triq I-Inżul tal-Franċiżi
- At the end of the road go right onto Triq I-Għassa tal-Maħraġ
- Near the end of this road you will reach Ramla Beach viewpoint
- Just beyond this, the road ends, and a little further on the cave entrance is reached
- Go down the stairs, through the tunnel type entrance and the cave opens up with its window displaying one of the best views on Gozo and in fact the whole of Malta
- Take the same route back again and hop on the bus back to Victoria, OR continue to walk down the road and go to Ramla Beach, you could then enjoy the beach and take the bus back from there :).
You can spend as much or as little time at the cave as you want. But likely you won’t be there that long. It is a cave with a beautiful view but there’s not anything to do as such but admire that. This means you still have plenty of time to go and explore other areas on the island, or can add this on at the end of the day.
After arriving on Gozo in the afternoon and checking in to my accommodation in Victoria, I wanted to go out and do something. I didn’t want to go on a crazy exploring adventure but wanted to walk a little and see Gozo’s beauty without taking up too much time. Tal-Mixta Cave was therefore perfect.
I made it to the cave itself just before 6pm. This was a lovely time to visit on this instance – it wasn’t too busy. Visiting around sunset would also be amazing – I was too early. If you do that though do be sure to make it back to the bus stop before dark, there are no lights out there.
I spent a fair amount of time just enjoying the view from the cave with the busy beach below. I didn’t have the chance to visit Ramla Beach itself on my trip – had I been to the cave earlier in the day I would have gone there afterwards. However, thanks to the wonderful view of Ramla Beach, I felt like I also covered this one in a sense by going to the cave.
Travel Insurance: Travel Insurance through SafetyWing will leave you with peace of mind on your trip, whether travelling long-term or on a short trip.
Car Hire: If you do want to escape public transport for some days of your trip, you can book a rental car on Rentalcars.
Visiting Tal-Mixta Cave is something I’m really glad I did while in Gozo, it would have been rude not to when it really is so easy to get to even by public transport.
Tal-Mixta Cave is undoubtedly one of the most scenic spots on Gozo. Hopefully, you’ll now realise that it is super easy to visit by public transport. You can go out and enjoy the scenes as I did!
For more information and inspiration for a Gozo trip, check out my post: Is Gozo Worth Visiting? A Guide to Gozo, Malta
