Gozo and Comino are two smaller islands that make up part of the Maltese archipelago. They are both found to the north of the main island and offer amazing natural features. Both offer a more rural getaway with stunning blue waters and great areas for swimming and diving.
Getting to Gozo
We decided to take a day trip up north to explore the sights of Gozo and catch a break from busy city life. Getting to Gozo is relatively straight forward. There are no direct roads and bridges so you’ll have to take a ferry across the channel. To catch the ferry you’ll first have to head to Ċirkewwa (pronounced chir-ke-wa), the northern most point of the island. We rented a scooter in Saint Julian for a few days and took that up to Gozo. Scooter rentals cost 25€ per day. Alternatively, there are a few bus routes that will take you to the ferry terminal. The ferry takes walk-on and vehicle traffic. It runs quite frequently and even runs throughout the night. The ferry cost us about 10€ roundtrip and you only pay once you return to the main island.
Exploring Victoria, the Capital City
Victoria is Gozo’s capital city and largest settlement. The city itself is easy to explore with plenty of shops selling various souvenirs and knickknacks as well as more traditional Gozitan crafts and products. Along with the beautiful silver filigree you’ll find across Malta, Gozo is also known for its lace production. Make sure you check out some of the local shops to browse the beautiful handmade lace products. When you get hungry there’s no shortage of restaurants and cafes to cater to every taste. I personally would recommend looking out for a restaurant that serves traditional Gozitan food. More specifically though, cheeselets or Ġbejniet in Maltese. Cheeselets are a small round cheese made from sheep and goats milk, most often sheep milk though, and are prepared using recipes that have been handed down through generations. There are three main kinds of cheeselets available: fresh, sun-dried and peppered. The fresh cheeselets have been left to drain and are served within the first couple days after production. They are wobbly and have a very soft, smooth texture. Sun-dried cheeselets have been left to dry outside in special made boxes. They have a harder texture and can be flavoured using herbs. The peppered ones are my favourite. Peppered cheeselets are sun-dried ones that are then rolled in pepper then placed in a jar with salt and vinegar. These ones are effectively preserved and have a harder, crumbly texture.
The Citadel
The area that the citadel sits on has likely been inhabited since the Stone Age but has definitely been inhabited since the Bronze Age. During the Roman period an acropolis was built on the current site of the citadel. However, during the medieval period, the town was abandoned and the acropolis transformed into a castle. Over time, the fortifications surrounding the castle grew, and more and more walls were added by the various controlling parties. The oldest surviving sections of the wall dates back to the 15th century when the Maltese islands were under rule of the Crown of Aragon. Overtime it became a fortified city housing the citizens of the island at night until 1637. At this time it was the only fortified refuge against the attacks of the Ottoman Empire. These attacks lasted for two centuries. Eventually the citadel was decommissioned in 1868 by the British. Nowadays, much of the city and fortifications remain intact and many more have been restored over the years. Shops selling Maltese lace, silver and clothing line the walls. Many museums also occupy space within the citadel detailing the history of the area and the citadel itself. The walls are open to wander along yourself and offer amazing views of the city and surrounding areas. Make sure you keep an eye out along the way for signatures and symbols carved into the walls left by soldiers and citizens of the citadel.
Inland Sea
Much like its name suggests, Inland Sea is a small lagoon of seawater linked to the Mediterranean Sea through a small natural archway. Fishing boats and small huts line one side. On a calm day the fishermen take tourists out in their boats from the small, clear, lagoon and through the tunnel out to the sea. From there you’ll tour the beautiful sea caves, cliff sides and see where the Azure Window once stood. It sadly collapsed in March 2017 during stormy weather. Inland sea itself is regarded as one of the best dive sites in Malta. For those non scuba divers, like myself, a tour to admire the caves and the bright blue water with an afternoon spent exploring the rocky shores is enough. The shores of the sea are made of limestone and feature many fossilized sand dollars and shells as well as many nooks and crannies and old salt pans to discover.
Getting to Comino
Comino is a small island, with an area of only 3.5 square kilometres, located between the island of Malta and Gozo. The island gets its name due to the cumin that once grew abundantly. It has only three permanent residents; however, that doesn’t stop it from being a busy place with tourists. It’s popularity is due to the Blue Lagoon, a small, shallow bay with crystal clear blue waters. We tried to visit Comino on my first trip to Malta but were unable to catch the ferry from Ċirkewwa, possibly due to the high winds that day. With that being said, there is regular ferry service to Comino via Ċirkewwa and this would be the cheapest option. On my second visit to Malta we decided to take a different approach and booked a day trip with one of the tour companies that operates out of the bay in Sliema. This is the more expensive option but you also get to stop in a few other locations and get a narrated boat ride up the coast.
What to do on Comino
The Blue Lagoon itself is a very small area and therefore is densely packed with tourists. We decided to wander around the island first and managed to find other far less crowded beaches. After a lay in the sun, and a dip into the much colder than expected water, we headed back to the lagoon for photos and cocktails. There are plenty of vendors around selling everything you need for your day at the lagoon. There are even people there renting out sun chairs and umbrellas. Don’t expect any of it to be cheap though, so make sure you bring plenty of cash or your own snacks. I personally opted for a 10€ piña colada served inside a hollowed-out pineapple. It was wonderful until the wind blew it over, spilling 3/4 of my drink when I set it down to take a photo. The area around the lagoon itself is mostly set aside for people who have rented sun chairs. That doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other places to soak up the sun though. We wandered the rocky shoreline and found plenty of spots to take photos and put a towel down and relax. If you want to get a good spot though you definitely have to plan to be there early as it does fill up quickly. All in all Comino is a beautiful spot to visit and a great place to experience the crystal blue waters that Malta is known for.
If you want to read more about my trip to Malta, you can read my previous posts here and here.
These last couple months have been very busy for me. Working in hospitality durning Fringe Festival in Edinburgh certainly doesn’t leave you any spare time. Especially when you are moving flats as well. With that being said, I’m finally all settled and getting everything sorted so that I can devote more time to my blog and the aspects surrounding it. I’ve got plenty of upcoming trip planned as well, including Barcelona, Dublin and Venice. You can follow along on my travels on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I also update each of these when I have a new blog post.
Until next time!