No trip to the beautiful Mediterranean country of Malta is complete without a visit to Gozo Island. Sitting next to the main island of Malta, Gozo is like Malta’s cool cousin. She’s a bit smaller and more calm, but just as beautiful as the rest of the country. In April, I spent six days in Malta. Two of them were spent on Gozo Island. Here is your guide to Gozo Island.
How to get there
Getting from Malta to Gozo Island isn’t tricky per say, but it does take some time. I had a hotel reservation on Gozo Island, so I didn’t feel as much pressure to get out there at the crack of dawn. However if you wish to only do a day trip, you will want to go earlier rather than later.
To get there, you have to catch a ferry from Ċirkewwa. I had stayed in St. Julian’s the night before, so I had to catch a bus to get there. I caught the 222 and it took an hour. On top of that, the bus was rather crowded. This is why earlier is better!
If you decide to rent a car, you can take your car on the ferry. If you’re carless like me, you can also ride the ferry as a passenger. Gozo Chanel is the ferry and their website has all the information on fares and departure times. When you arrive, you’ll think that you somehow didn’t pay! However everyone pays a roundtrip fare upon returning to Malta.
Getting around Gozo
I had bought the Malta Transportation Card for 21€. This gave me unlimited rides on public transportation for seven days on both islands. When I did the math on all the places I wanted to go during my time in the country, I saved at least 5€. Plus I didn’t have to worry about getting out change every time I boarded the bus.
I was able to find buses everywhere. The only down side is that the buses are less frequent. It might have been because I went in April. My suggestion would be to plan your day according to their timetables.
There is also a Gozo sightseeing bus that’s only 18€. I didn’t do this, but a friend of mine did and she said it was worth it.
Where to stay
Gozo has it’s fair share of boutique hotels. I stayed at the Duke Boutique Hotel, which is located in Gozo’s capital city of Victoria. It was perfect because all the buses seemed to start or end at the bus park in Victoria. I was able to catch buses to wherever I needed to go from there.
You can read all about my stay there here.
Shots around the city of Victoria
That evening, I just wanted to get some rest and relaxation. However I did venture out to explore the city a bit and shot some of these photos.
The Cittadella
No guide to Gozo Island is complete without the amazing fortress of the Cittadella. It sits in the center of Victoria. This was shot from the balcony of my hotel.
The place opens at 9 a.m. and I suggest getting there then. I almost had the place to myself, allowing me to capture those perfect self-timer tripod photos! If you wish to simply wander the grounds, you’re free to do so. There are also several museums you can visit as well as a cathedral. You do have to pay, but the price was only 5€ for all of the museums and around 3-5€ to go inside the cathedral.
I think one of my favorite spots was the panoramic walk. Here you can find some of the best views of Gozo Island.
Ramla Bay
I feel like no trip to an island is complete without seeing some water. It was a very sunny day, so I of course had to visit a beach. While the water was still a bit too cold to go for a swim, I did take my shoes off and take a little bit of a walk.
If you want to come enjoy a few hours on the beach while on Gozo Island, Ramla Bay is definitely a good option. There was a bus that brought me directly there. There’s a cafe where you can get snacks and drinks, and you can also rent lounge chairs if you wish.
Xlendi Bay
I absolutely love finding cute little villages when I travel. Xlendi Bay was absolutely stunning. I found some of the most amazing views of the water from here. There were also several restaurants lining the water where people were enjoying lunch or drinks.
I was able to catch a bus from the main bus station in Victoria. It took maybe 20 minutes to get out there.
Other things to do on Gozo Island
Well there’s your quick guide to Gozo Island. Gozo Island is really quite a treat. My only regret was not giving myself more time out there. It would have been awesome to have another day to explore. Here are some other recommended places to visit:
Visit Gozo has all the information you could ever need about planning your Gozo Island visit.
Have you traveled to Malta before? Would you like to?
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