Malta
Gozo (Victoria)
Temples older than the pyramids, the Blue Hole under the cliffs and a pace the main island lost decades ago.
Gozo is Malta's smaller, greener sister island, a short ferry ride north-west of the main island and noticeably slower: terraced fields, honey-stone villages each crowned by an outsized church, and a coast of sheer cliffs and narrow inlets. Its icon is the Ggantija temples at Xaghra, megalithic shrines older than the pyramids. The hilltop Cittadella in Victoria, the island's capital, watches over everything, and the clear water off Dwejra makes Gozo one of the Mediterranean's best-loved places to dive.
Suggested stay
2–5 days
Language
Maltese, English
Currency
EUR
Timezone
UTC+2
Why you'll love Gozo (Victoria)
Deep time the Ggantija temples were raised more than five thousand years ago, and you can walk among the stones
The water shore dives off cliffs and inlets, with the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea tunnel among the Mediterranean's classics
A coastline to explore red sand at Ramla, a swimming gorge at Wied il-Ghasri and salt pans cut into the rock near Marsalforn
Slower days farmhouse stays, village squares and quiet roads after the bustle of the main island
Best time to visit
all year
16-32° days
36.043° N, 14.240° E
UTC+2 · Europe/Malta
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Weather & when to go to Gozo (Victoria)
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best all year
Diving prime Jun-Oct
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Gozo (Victoria)
No bad season by the weather record. The quirks are crowds and the sea: midsummer brings heat and weekenders from Malta filling the ferry and the beaches, while in the cooler months the water is too chilly for most swimmers, though divers keep going in thick wetsuits.
Top things to do in Gozo (Victoria)
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Ggantija Temples - Xaghra's megalithic shrines
history 👍 PopularTwo temples of huge limestone blocks on the Xaghra plateau, built around 3600 BC and part of the UNESCO-listed Megalithic Temples of Malta. Local legend says a giantess raised them, which is where the name comes from; start in the visitor centre, which explains the finds.
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Cittadella - Victoria's walled citadel
history culture arts 👍 PopularThe fortified hilltop above Victoria, walled by the Knights of St John, with a walk around the ramparts that takes in almost the whole island. Inside sits the cathedral, whose flat ceiling is painted to look like a dome, plus a cluster of small museums.
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Ramla Bay - red sand and Calypso's Cave
scenic 👍 PopularGozo's best-known beach, a wide bay of rust-red sand in a green valley on the north coast. Above it sits Calypso's Cave, tied by tradition to the nymph of the Odyssey; the cave is closed for safety, but the ledge gives the classic view over the bay.
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Dwejra - the Inland Sea, Fungus Rock and the Azure Window site
scenic nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedThe wild west-coast bay where the Azure Window arch stood until it fell in 2017. Fishermen's boats run from the enclosed Inland Sea out through a tunnel in the cliff to open water, past the stump of Fungus Rock and the caves beyond.
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Blue Hole and Gozo's shore dives
diving ⭐ Highly recommendedA vertical chimney in the rock at Dwejra that drops into an archway onto the open sea, the island's signature dive. Gozo's draw is how much is reachable from shore: the Inland Sea tunnel, Cathedral Cave and the scuttled wrecks off Xatt l-Ahmar, with operators across the island.
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Wied il-Ghasri - swim the cliff gorge
nature wildlifeA narrow sea inlet cut deep into the north coast, reached by steps down the rock, with a sliver of pebble at the end and clear water to swim or snorkel out between the walls. Leave it alone when the sea is rough.
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Xwejni salt pans - walk the Marsalforn coast
scenic culture artsA chequerboard of shallow pans cut into the flat rock west of Marsalforn, still worked by local families who rake the salt in the hot months. The coastal walk from the village passes them on the way to the cliffs at Qbajjar.
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Ta' Cenc cliffs - the south-coast clifftop walk
nature wildlife scenicSheer limestone cliffs above the sea near Sannat, with open garrigue on top and views down to the inlet of Mgarr ix-Xini. A quiet walk at any time of day, best in the low light near sunset.
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Ta' Pinu Basilica - the shrine in the fields
culture artsA large pale-stone basilica standing alone in open country near Gharb, Malta's national shrine to the Virgin and a place of pilgrimage. Inside, a corridor of votive offerings and letters tells a century of prayers answered.
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Gozitan ftira and gbejniet - eat the island's own
foodGozo's ftira is a thin, pizza-like bread baked with potato, tomato, capers and anchovy, sold from village bakeries. Look too for gbejniet, small sheep's milk cheeses eaten fresh, dried or peppered, and local honey from the island's thyme.
Best areas to stay in Gozo (Victoria)
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Victoria (Rabat)
Car-free travellers $$The island's busy little capital
Explore hotels in Victoria (Rabat) →
Xlendi
Couples and divers $$Small cliff-framed bay with waterside dining
Explore hotels in Xlendi →
Marsalforn
Value and convenience $North-coast resort village on the harbour
Explore hotels in Marsalforn →
Xaghra
Farmhouse stays $$Plateau village of converted farmhouses
Explore hotels in Xaghra →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Gozo (Victoria)
Getting to & around Gozo (Victoria)
Getting there
Fly into Malta (MLA), cross the main island to Cirkewwa and take the car ferry to Mgarr
Flight
Malta International (MLA)
From Luqa it is about an hour by taxi to Cirkewwa at the north tip of Malta, longer on the direct bus, then about 25 min across the channel to Mgarr and a short ride up to Victoria.
Ferry
Mgarr Harbour
The Gozo Channel car ferry sails from Cirkewwa frequently, day and night; you buy your ticket at Mgarr when you leave Gozo, not on the way over.
Ferry
Mgarr Harbour
A passenger-only fast ferry links Valletta directly with Mgarr in under an hour, the easiest route if you are staying in the capital.
Getting around
Bus
Routes radiate from the Victoria terminus to the villages, Mgarr harbour and the main beaches; services thin out in the evening.
TBC
Rental car
The easiest way to see the island in a few days; driving is on the left and the narrow village lanes need patience.
TBC
Taxi
Wait at Mgarr harbour and in Victoria, or book ahead, which is safer late at night.
TBC
Jeep or quad tour
Guided off-road and quad outings are a popular way to string together the coastal sights in a day.
TBC
Walking
Coastal paths link many sights, such as Marsalforn to the salt pans or Xaghra down to Ramla, though summer heat makes midday walks hard.
Free
Day trips from Gozo (Victoria)
Comino and the Blue Lagoon
Half dayIsland lagoon swim
The tiny island between Gozo and Malta, almost uninhabited, with the turquoise shallows of the Blue Lagoon. It is packed by late morning in summer, so go early or late, and walk the island's empty tracks to escape the crowd.
Getting there
ferry | tour
About 20 min by boat from Mgarr
Valletta
Full dayFortified capital
Malta's compact baroque capital, built by the Knights after the Great Siege: St John's Co-Cathedral with its Caravaggios, the Upper Barrakka Gardens over the Grand Harbour and a grid of steep, balconied streets.
Getting there
ferry | walk
Under 1 hr by fast ferry from Mgarr
Mdina and Rabat
Full dayMedieval walled city
Malta's old hilltop capital, a quiet walled town of noble palaces and narrow lanes, with St Paul's Catacombs in neighbouring Rabat just outside the gate.
Getting there
ferry | car | bus
About 1.5 hr by ferry and car
A little history of Gozo (Victoria)
Farmers crossed from Sicily to Gozo some seven thousand years ago, and their descendants built the Ggantija temples, among the oldest free-standing stone structures anywhere. Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and Normans followed, and the island's fate was tied to Malta's but always as the poorer, more exposed partner, open to corsair raids from the sea.
Under the Knights of St John that exposure turned to catastrophe in 1551, when an Ottoman raid took nearly the whole population into slavery. The Cittadella was rebuilt and, for decades, islanders were obliged to sleep inside its walls. The coastal villages grew up only once the raids subsided. Gozo passed to Britain with Malta, its capital Rabat was renamed Victoria for the Queen's jubilee in 1887, and it became part of independent Malta in 1964.
The Ggantija temples are built on the Xaghra plateau
The Knights of St John take over Malta and Gozo
An Ottoman raid carries off most of Gozo's population into slavery
The rule obliging Gozitans to spend the night inside the Cittadella is lifted
Malta and Gozo come under British rule after the French are expelled
Rabat is renamed Victoria for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
Malta, including Gozo, becomes independent
The Azure Window rock arch at Dwejra collapses into the sea in a storm
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+356
FAQs about Gozo (Victoria)
▸ When is the best time to visit Gozo?
Every month is good by the weather record. Summer is for swimming and the warmest water, though it brings the most visitors. Spring is when the fields are green and the coastal walks are at their best, and autumn keeps the sea warm into the quieter months. Divers go year-round, using thicker wetsuits in winter.
▸ Is Gozo worth more than a day trip from Malta?
Yes. A day tour covers Ggantija, the Cittadella and Dwejra, but the island's charm is in slow evenings in a village square, early swims before the day boats arrive and the coast walks. Two or three nights is a comfortable minimum.
▸ How do you pay for the Gozo ferry?
On the car ferry between Cirkewwa and Mgarr you pay only once, when you leave Gozo, so there is nothing to buy on the way over. The passenger fast ferry from Valletta is a separate service with its own tickets.
▸ Is the Azure Window still there?
No. The arch collapsed into the sea during a storm in 2017. Dwejra is still worth the trip for the Inland Sea, the boat ride through the tunnel, Fungus Rock and the Blue Hole, and divers can visit the fallen arch underwater.
▸ Do you need a car on Gozo?
Not strictly, since buses from Victoria reach most villages and beaches, but a car makes it far easier to reach the farther coast, stay in a farmhouse and fit several sights into a day. Many visitors bring a hire car across on the ferry.
▸ Is Gozo good for beginner divers?
Yes. Many dive centres teach courses, and sheltered shore sites such as the Inland Sea and Xlendi Bay suit beginners. The Blue Hole and the deeper wrecks and caves are best left until you have more experience or are diving with a guide.