Gozitan Holiday

The hop on/hop off tour offered a Gozo sightseeing adventure that S. and I were amped on. Fortunately, we didn’t need to patronize the hop on/hop off services – we had our own personal tour guide: my Malta-based cousin, P. He acted as a tour guide last time I was in Malta and he was equally amazing this time around.

S. and I got up bright and early and headed down to the promenade near Bugibba Square to grab breakfast at Bagnor Café. Breakfast was delicious and beyond reasonably priced. For both of our breakfasts including drinks it was €6.80. The views are stellar and the service is equally amazing; definitely a great stop if you’re in the area.

P. met us at Bugibba Square at 10A and we headed to the Mellieha area to jump on the ferry to Gozo. After a short ferry ride, we landed in Mgarr, Gozo’s ferry harbor. Our first stop was Citadella. I had visited Citadella last time I was in Gozo, and the views were equally stunning this time around. The Citadella was a strategic point for Gozitans during the wars and the top points of the area offer amazing views of the city below.

From Citadella, we hopped back in the car and headed down to Ta’ Pinu, where the church is the hub of the city. I had heard of Ta’ Pinu even before my first visit last December. My grandpa had little souvenirs strewn about his house as homage to Ta’ Pinu but I can’t recall the exact significance… The pope made a stop off at the church in April when he visited Ghawdex and the place holds some significance for Catholics broadly.

After snapping some pictures at Ta’ Pinu, we jumped in our limousine once again to head down to my favorite place in Gozo, the Azure Window. We made our way to Dwejra Bay where the views are dramatic and the sights are breathtaking. The window itself is an incredible sight, but even the fossilized rocks on the walk up to the window are incredible. The waters are so unbelievably blue against the white stone that a thousand pictures never seem to be enough; pictures can’t quite capture how stunning the views are.

S. and I wanted to see caves while we were in Gozo and fortunately, there was a hidden cave on the back side of the Azure Window. We climbed down a steep-ish walkway to a tucked away area where a cave sat peacefully, laden with divers. Though there are boat rides that run for €3.50 through the cave and around to the window, the boats weren’t operating due to inclement weather (sadly). Instead, we grabbed slushies to fight the heat and sat with our feet in the crystal clear water to cool off for a moment.

Back in the car we went to hit the last stop near Xaghra in Masalforn, an incredible cave that I claim to be Calypso’s Cave. (Calypso’s Cave is somewhere on the island but we didn’t know exactly where it was. This cave was so incredible that I can’t imagine it’s anything less than this cave of wonders.)

Like the Azure Window, the color of the white-washed stone was an incredible contrast to the bright blue waters of the Mediterranean. After doing a bit of rock jumping, we had an incredible close-up view of the cave and the waters beyond.

After our day in Gozo, we headed back to Mgarr to board the ferry back to Malta. We headed to the family’s house to clean up and get ready for a full family dinner at Mamma Mia in Ta’ Xbiex. Almost the entire family was present for dinner to say hello to S. and I (and to celebrate the birthday of a family member). It was so much fun to see the whole family again and such a great way to spend our last evening in Malta.

Much love to everyone for helping to show S. and I around! Your hospitality is always much appreciated. You helped make our stay an incredible experience! Special shout out to P., who was the best tour guide imaginable. Now, we’re off to bed, ready to face our last day in Malta and head to the airport to say hello to Athens!

Ciao from Malta,