Well we returned from Gozo on Tuesday and I thought I would just write a little report about various resorts, activities, pubs/bars/restaurants etc and events we attended.
Xlendi - this is where we stayed in an apartment belonging to a friend of a friend so to speak. The apartment was in an excellent location, above Churchills and overlooking the bay. it was very basic to be honest and nothing worked in it! The shower flooded the bathroom, the lights constantly exploded, all the fans were broken and we had to borrow one off our friends, the kitchen mysteriously flooded, perhaps from the apartment above, and generally the facilities were poor. Xlendi itself is a lovely location. The bay is delightfully sheltered and it is very safe for swimming. There are various places marked off and there are maps around highlighting the best areas, the depth and the swimming safety zones. There are many entry points into the sea including lots of places where you can jump off the rocks. Beware of jellyfish if you are a little further out towards the bay entrance though. The visibility is good and there were many snorkellers. The resort is generally quiet during the week but at the weekend the native gozitans all flock there. The place has a multi cutural cosmopolitan feel to it. There are a few hotels, St. Patricks, San Andrea and the Serena. The first 2 are smack on the sea front and the latter is up on the hill above churchills but there is a secret exit where you can get from there right out on the beach front next to Churchills.
There are a number of eating establishments - Churchills, Zafira's, Stone crab, Tanona, Cseven and numerous others. Generally, we found good menu's but service was slow and sometimes the staff were just plain ignorant. I would not recommend Churchills at all. That was the worst but mainly because of one surly member of staff. There is a supermarket, a few nick nack shops and kiosks for ice creams etc. The best ice cream place is the little one next to Cseven. Buses run about quarter past the hour and there is a taxi rank. beware though, everything is Gozo time and seems to run slower than anywhere else in the world!
Marselforn - this was one of my favourite resorts. It is livelier than Xlendi and is at the opposite end of the island. Again, the views are stunning and there is a delightful bay for swimming in. There are a number of bars and restaurants - Bojangles being one of my favourite drinking establishments, otters is a good restaurant and there is another place, a little italian place whose name i can't remember. There is one main hotel there called Calypso but i understand it is a little bit pricey. Avoid Neptunes's if you can.
Victoria - the capital city and called Rabat by the natives. Recent episodes of Coronation street were filmed in the little cobble back streets. Right in the middle of the island, everything goes through here. A delightful mix of shops, narrow streets, authentic cafe's and general hustle and bustle. Home of the Citadel and well worth a visit. There was a feast here just as we were going home and we missed the best bit where they race horse and trap through the streets. We did see a little of the parade though where they fetched a statue out and paraded it around the street and the firework display from the vampa. Prices in the shops are cheap but be prepared to haggle, especially on the market in the main square. The locals love it and see it as a sign of respect if you haggle a little.
San Lawrenz - this was where there was a spectacular feast on the sunday night before we went home. Normally a quiet little village, it had it's feast on the sunday night and the place was packed. the statue was paraded through all the streets around the church and there are actually women who leave their jewels to the statue when they die. The whole village turns up, there is a firework display better than anything i have ever seen and a local band plays while the statue is paraded around. It is so heavy they only carry it a few yards before stopping to rest. You can look around the church, which is beautiful but women must cover their shoulders up before entering the church, shawls are provided to do this.. Photo's are allowed inside but please be discrete and respectful to the congregation. This festival is important to them and it is a deeply religious island in general.
Xagrha - high up in the hills, our friends live here in the summer and their apartment has clear views over to the Citadel. truly magnificent when lit up at night. You can also see San Lawrenz in the distance and the views down to ramla beach. By day, the village is quiet but at night, many people come and gather in the market square for drinks and a natter. There is a bank, post office, petrol station etc here as well as the usual bars. Beware, they will try and rip tourists off though price wise, especially if you don't understand the value of the currency and they will short change you if they can get away with it.
we also visited Ramla bay, Mgarr, Gharb, Sannat, Xemjira and Fontana which has a wonderful old fashioned washing house with natural spring water where people gather to wash their clothes and cars!! Plus, we went through lots of other places off the beaten track whose names i cannot remember or pronounce!
i will make a separate posting about the bars/restaurants/activities etc as this one is rather long now.
Gozo adventures part 2...
scuba diving - Malta and Gozo are listed as being in the top 5 destinations in the world for scuba diving ( behind Australia, Egypt, Maldives)and it is easy to see why. The waters are crystal clear and very warm at this time of year, so warm in fact that Rob did a dive down to 44m with a shortie on. I am not quite so brave and stuck to a 5mm wetsuit, although I could have worn a 3mm and still have been warm enough. There are many wrecks in these waters, some sunk purposely and some are remanants from the war. If you are not qualified to dive deep (ie;Open water and restricted to 18m or above) Gozo has so many beautiful reefs, caves and little swim throughs you can do. These are my particular favourite types of dive and I really enjoyed my check dive through Xlendi caves. Unfortunately, on what was meant to be a scuba diving holiday, Rob caught a cold and very kindly decided to share it with me!! Game over for diving. he did 3 dives and I only did 2! There are many diving centres on the island itself but i can only tell you about a few. In Xlendi, there is Moby Dicks, St. patrick's and Utina. Of these, the first 2 came highly recommended. We decided we would look at both before decideing who to dive with. Moby's has far better facilities than St. Patricks but price wise, they are both about the same. We chose Moby's, however we were disappointed in the standard of service we actually recieved. I don't know if this was because it is a multi lingual school or if we just had a bad day, but our dive guide had very poor levels of communication, had alarming lapses when it came to diver safety and showed what we consider cruelty to an octopus that he chased, dug out from under a rock and then tormented it until it squirted ink. To make matters worse, a rope holding the cylinders and BCD's upright before kitting up snapped sending Rob's crashing to the floor and smashed his mask and dive computer. We ended up spending approx £40 on a mask, as you can't really dive without one and £195 ish on a new computer. We paid up for our one dive and decided to try St. patrick's. St. Patrick's seemed more friendlier but we encountered a communication problem, again as many of the dive guides were european. Admittedly, they all spoke good english and i can speak a little french and german but it was still difficult. There seemed to be a constant stream of guides ready to take people out. I even had a 1:1 lesson to solve buoyancy problems with a guy called Rudi who was german. I was a little alarmed though as his computer kept beeping to indicate rapid ascent and he just kept ignoring it or thumping it! ( rapid ascent can cause "the bends"/decompression sickness and can be fatal).
We were happier at this school than at Moby's but i guess it was just personal choice rather than anything detrimental to Moby's. Utina was the smallest set up and we just collected brochures to take back home for future reference. Over in Marselforn, the dive school we recommend would be Calypso Diving. right next to the hotel of the same name. It seems to have a huge and varied set up and is able to put together packages to cope with large groups. It is our intention to return to Marselforn with our dive school and dive with Calypso. All dive schools had loads of information books, leaflets etc about the dive sites and all sold equipment and t shirts etc.
Places to visit- i guess these have been recommended many times over and it is easy to see why. Azure window and the inland sea are superb to look at and when the waves are crashing the views are breathtaking. When you walk across the top of the cliffs, there are hundreds of fossils just poking out and it is quite mind blowing to think how old the structure must be and difficult to comprehend that at some point millions of years ago, it was all under water. I was so excited when i spied a completely whole preserved flower fossil in the rocks, as clear as anything. I couldn't get the stone out and my picture didn't come out sadly and what was even worse, when we walked back and i tried to show the others in the party where it was, i couldn't find it again!! There is a separate rock just a little in front of the Azure Window and legend has it a knight fell off it and drowned within an arms length of safety at the shore.
Ta'Pinu Church is just breath taking. This is one of a number of excellent churches across the islands and even if you are not particularly religious, it is well worth a visit just to view the magnificent architecture and read the history behind it. Also, high on the hills, there are statues of Christ, supposedly at the 7 different stages in his life and this is a great walk to go and look at them all. Again at Ta'Pinu, women must cover their shoulders up and everyone must respect the importance of this building in terms of it's religious significance. (I think the legend is that many years ago a cleaner had a vision of Lady Madonna and then some sort of miracle happened). Either way, right at the end on either side of the church, it is adorned with photo's, letters, baby clothes and a whole host of things sent in from all over the world where people have prayed for a miracle or have written about how they tragically lost loved ones. Some of them are really moving and there is a "Crying Room" for people who are overcome with emotion to have a little privacy.
The Citadel is in the capital and is a fortress from the middle ages when Gozo was under seige I think from when the Turks tried to invade. It also has an old jail and courthouse and there are many statues in the courtyard. You can walk around the outer walls. I was so busy enjoying this walk, I didn't really take in as much information about this site as I should have done. I will return and I will endeavour to have a little more knowledge about this.
Ghantijja Temples are not far from Xaghra and the ruins are 5000 years old estimated. They are the oldest remains anywhere in the world and are older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. I just wondered how on earth this ancient civilisation could have built something like that without the technology we have these days. We also visited the Calypso Caves and basically crawled in a hole in the rocks after going down some rickety stone steps!
Part 3 will follow.. i have to do some work today!!!
scuba diving - Malta and Gozo are listed as being in the top 5 destinations in the world for scuba diving ( behind Australia, Egypt, Maldives)and it is easy to see why. The waters are crystal clear and very warm at this time of year, so warm in fact that Rob did a dive down to 44m with a shortie on. I am not quite so brave and stuck to a 5mm wetsuit, although I could have worn a 3mm and still have been warm enough. There are many wrecks in these waters, some sunk purposely and some are remanants from the war. If you are not qualified to dive deep (ie;Open water and restricted to 18m or above) Gozo has so many beautiful reefs, caves and little swim throughs you can do. These are my particular favourite types of dive and I really enjoyed my check dive through Xlendi caves. Unfortunately, on what was meant to be a scuba diving holiday, Rob caught a cold and very kindly decided to share it with me!! Game over for diving. he did 3 dives and I only did 2! There are many diving centres on the island itself but i can only tell you about a few. In Xlendi, there is Moby Dicks, St. patrick's and Utina. Of these, the first 2 came highly recommended. We decided we would look at both before decideing who to dive with. Moby's has far better facilities than St. Patricks but price wise, they are both about the same. We chose Moby's, however we were disappointed in the standard of service we actually recieved. I don't know if this was because it is a multi lingual school or if we just had a bad day, but our dive guide had very poor levels of communication, had alarming lapses when it came to diver safety and showed what we consider cruelty to an octopus that he chased, dug out from under a rock and then tormented it until it squirted ink. To make matters worse, a rope holding the cylinders and BCD's upright before kitting up snapped sending Rob's crashing to the floor and smashed his mask and dive computer. We ended up spending approx £40 on a mask, as you can't really dive without one and £195 ish on a new computer. We paid up for our one dive and decided to try St. patrick's. St. Patrick's seemed more friendlier but we encountered a communication problem, again as many of the dive guides were european. Admittedly, they all spoke good english and i can speak a little french and german but it was still difficult. There seemed to be a constant stream of guides ready to take people out. I even had a 1:1 lesson to solve buoyancy problems with a guy called Rudi who was german. I was a little alarmed though as his computer kept beeping to indicate rapid ascent and he just kept ignoring it or thumping it! ( rapid ascent can cause "the bends"/decompression sickness and can be fatal).
We were happier at this school than at Moby's but i guess it was just personal choice rather than anything detrimental to Moby's. Utina was the smallest set up and we just collected brochures to take back home for future reference. Over in Marselforn, the dive school we recommend would be Calypso Diving. right next to the hotel of the same name. It seems to have a huge and varied set up and is able to put together packages to cope with large groups. It is our intention to return to Marselforn with our dive school and dive with Calypso. All dive schools had loads of information books, leaflets etc about the dive sites and all sold equipment and t shirts etc.
Places to visit- i guess these have been recommended many times over and it is easy to see why. Azure window and the inland sea are superb to look at and when the waves are crashing the views are breathtaking. When you walk across the top of the cliffs, there are hundreds of fossils just poking out and it is quite mind blowing to think how old the structure must be and difficult to comprehend that at some point millions of years ago, it was all under water. I was so excited when i spied a completely whole preserved flower fossil in the rocks, as clear as anything. I couldn't get the stone out and my picture didn't come out sadly and what was even worse, when we walked back and i tried to show the others in the party where it was, i couldn't find it again!! There is a separate rock just a little in front of the Azure Window and legend has it a knight fell off it and drowned within an arms length of safety at the shore.
Ta'Pinu Church is just breath taking. This is one of a number of excellent churches across the islands and even if you are not particularly religious, it is well worth a visit just to view the magnificent architecture and read the history behind it. Also, high on the hills, there are statues of Christ, supposedly at the 7 different stages in his life and this is a great walk to go and look at them all. Again at Ta'Pinu, women must cover their shoulders up and everyone must respect the importance of this building in terms of it's religious significance. (I think the legend is that many years ago a cleaner had a vision of Lady Madonna and then some sort of miracle happened). Either way, right at the end on either side of the church, it is adorned with photo's, letters, baby clothes and a whole host of things sent in from all over the world where people have prayed for a miracle or have written about how they tragically lost loved ones. Some of them are really moving and there is a "Crying Room" for people who are overcome with emotion to have a little privacy.
The Citadel is in the capital and is a fortress from the middle ages when Gozo was under seige I think from when the Turks tried to invade. It also has an old jail and courthouse and there are many statues in the courtyard. You can walk around the outer walls. I was so busy enjoying this walk, I didn't really take in as much information about this site as I should have done. I will return and I will endeavour to have a little more knowledge about this.
Ghantijja Temples are not far from Xaghra and the ruins are 5000 years old estimated. They are the oldest remains anywhere in the world and are older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. I just wondered how on earth this ancient civilisation could have built something like that without the technology we have these days. We also visited the Calypso Caves and basically crawled in a hole in the rocks after going down some rickety stone steps!
Part 3 will follow.. i have to do some work today!!!
This post is 2 years old but I really want to thank you for the report I'm going in july and this is very nice to read.
thanks
bye
thanks
bye
I love Xlendi - one side of the valley is all natural and the other side is a developed area.
The sea is lovely and it is also a popular location with divers!
The sea is lovely and it is also a popular location with divers!
I loved Xlendi, loved the diving...
Is Madame Ping's restaurant still there on the road from Xlendi to Fontana??
Is Madame Ping's restaurant still there on the road from Xlendi to Fontana??
If I'm not mistaken it is still there yes.
Is that one for me to try then . Sounds like a chinese restaurant .. Is it ?? 
I've been there once and it was good 
Definitely one for you to try Lyn...there was also another place over looking Mgarr called Il Bucket...high on the cliffs and you can sit out on the terrace and watch the ferry port. It also has superb views of Malta and Comino (the little island in between). Prices are quite reasonable there and they do alot of pasta dishes, fish, steaks etc.
Excellent , just seen there is an eating places topic so will have a run through that too . I assume all these places are easy to get to from where we are staying .. Goodness Can't even remember what it was called now although can remember I needed lessons on how to pronounce it .
I'm not sure if I read this when you first posted it Val. 
(probably did, & have forgot) But have really enjoyed reading it just now.
I have very fond memorys of a couple of evenings we had out with the kids when they were younger, sitting at the front of St Patricks Hotel on their terrace eating evening meals & drinking in the views, trying to drag it out for as long as possible as we just didn't want to leave and spoil an idylic moment !
I also remember the little ice cream place round the back, seemed so funny how in a place that was really quiet all the locals would suddenly flock there as if from nowhere to buy their ice creams late evening. It was so busy it took us an age to get to the counter to get our own, but it didn't matter as it was nice to feel part of something local to the area and not just for tourists.. I wonder if it was the little one next to Cseven that you mentioned ? They had every flavour under the sun.
I stayed in the hotel where 'Steve and Eileen' from Corrie where filmed as staying in - I recognised the rooms & pool during the episode lol
xxx
Doe
(probably did, & have forgot) But have really enjoyed reading it just now.I have very fond memorys of a couple of evenings we had out with the kids when they were younger, sitting at the front of St Patricks Hotel on their terrace eating evening meals & drinking in the views, trying to drag it out for as long as possible as we just didn't want to leave and spoil an idylic moment !
I also remember the little ice cream place round the back, seemed so funny how in a place that was really quiet all the locals would suddenly flock there as if from nowhere to buy their ice creams late evening. It was so busy it took us an age to get to the counter to get our own, but it didn't matter as it was nice to feel part of something local to the area and not just for tourists.. I wonder if it was the little one next to Cseven that you mentioned ? They had every flavour under the sun.
I stayed in the hotel where 'Steve and Eileen' from Corrie where filmed as staying in - I recognised the rooms & pool during the episode lol
xxx
Doe
Visited Gozo yesterday, lovely Island, we really enjoyed our visit & would love to back 
I told you to go to Gozo if you got the chance Glynis glad you went as I knew you'd like it.
I actually prefer Gozo to Malta and would love to go back..if I can persuade a certain someone...
I think you might stand a pretty good chance Val .
In the meantime you can just be jealous when I go in ... 4weeks today (I think )
.In the meantime you can just be jealous when I go in ... 4weeks today (I think )
I dont think I have..they hate Malta..but perhaps I could persuade them about Gozo!
Malta is surely busier - Gozo is much more relaxing
enjoyed reading your post . Yep I agree for those looking for a relaxed holiday Gozo is better than Malta.
There are various hotels on this site - both in Malta and Gozo: http://www.maltahotelsonline.com
I had checked it out and used it before - it is good because rates are cheaper on this this
I had checked it out and used it before - it is good because rates are cheaper on this this
I had a week's holiday in Gozo a few years ago. A charming little island and we stayed at a wonderful hotel however I will never return to either Gozo or Malta until they stop shooting migrating birds for the pleasure of it. It's absolutely outrageous the numbers and the types of bird that they shoot.
During the seasons of spring and autumn the cliff tops turn in to the killing fields. It seems every male in Gozo has his own little plot. A sentry box at one end where the shooter lies in wait and boulders marking out the plot. A caged bird is put on many of the boulders to attract overflying birds with their song. The inviting pool of water in the middle is made to look reassuringly safe by having a bird tied to a stick by it's leg so it can flutter upwards a small degree appearing to be free. When the unsuspecting birds land, a lever is pulled which send a net flying over the entrapped birds.Those who don't land are just shot at.
Who knows how many birds, some rarities too,are killed every year. I have decided to boycott the islands until it ends. You should too.
During the seasons of spring and autumn the cliff tops turn in to the killing fields. It seems every male in Gozo has his own little plot. A sentry box at one end where the shooter lies in wait and boulders marking out the plot. A caged bird is put on many of the boulders to attract overflying birds with their song. The inviting pool of water in the middle is made to look reassuringly safe by having a bird tied to a stick by it's leg so it can flutter upwards a small degree appearing to be free. When the unsuspecting birds land, a lever is pulled which send a net flying over the entrapped birds.Those who don't land are just shot at.
Who knows how many birds, some rarities too,are killed every year. I have decided to boycott the islands until it ends. You should too.
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