Local Area Information
Gozo is Calypso’s legendary Isle of Ogygia from Homer’s Odyssey, where the beautiful nymph held Odysseus a prisoner of love for seven years. It is a place where legend blends with history. There are Neolithic cave dwellings, the oldest man-made temple in the world - pre-dating the Giza Pyramids by over 1,000 years - and an amazing array of monumental Baroque, neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque churches and basilicas.
Gozo is a world class scuba diving destination, and there are many excellent dive schools on the island.
Sailing is a popular pastime around the islands, and several companies offer boat trips and boat hire, including self drive.
The Gozitan landscape is hilly with fantastic sea cliffs, red sand beaches and is surrounded by the Mediterranean sea. Gozo is unsurprisingly very popular with walkers.
For older children and adults there is climbing, sea kayaking, diving, biking and hiking activities.
Xaghra:
The farmhouse is a 5 minute walk to the main square. Xaghra is one of the island’s prettiest towns - small enough to feel like a village, but large enough to be interesting. Families will love the Pomskizillious Museum of Toys, Horse riding, underground caverns of Xerri's Grotto, Ggantija Temples, and Ta' Kola windmill. Xaghra has an excellent selection of restaurants, bars, and cafes. It also has a supermarket, pharmacies, grocery shops, butchers, ATM, and a petrol station. A van selling fresh fish is on the square in the mornings.
Coast/Beach:
Being a tiny island (just 14 x 7km), you are never far away from the sea. The red sand beaches of Ramla Bay and San Blas are a 10 minute drive. Ramla is a blue flag beach and the largest on the island. Other beaches such as Xlendi and Mgarr ix-Xini with excellent waterfront restaurants are a 15 minute drive. Comino island, and it's crystal clear Blue Lagoon can be easily accessed via Mgarr harbour via a 10 minute boat ride. Diving and snorkelling in the coves around Gozo is highly recommended.
Victoria:
The capital is well worth visiting with its walled citadel and excellent new visitors centre, beautiful cathedral and Museum of Archaeology.
Malta:
A day trip to Malta is easily possible with frequent ferry crossings available including a fast ferry directly to Valletta. The capital Valletta is a Unesco World Heritage site and the European capital of culture for 2018 and offers a great day out.
Distances:
5 minute stroll to Xaghra Square which has bars, cafes, restaurants and shops.
10 minute drive to Ramla - The island's largest sandy beach.
10 minute drive to Victoria, the Capital.
15 minute drive to Xlendi, small seaside village.
Further Details:
GOZO is Malta’s tiny sister island in the southern Mediterranean. 90km south of Sicily and 300 km from the Tunisian desert.
For foodies, there is a wide selection of excellent restaurants, offering both local cuisine and strong influences from Italy and elsewhere. Fresh fish is plentiful, as is excellent local wine. Each village in turn holds its own ‘festa’ during summer weekends, with fireworks and traditional horse-racing up the main street.
The farmhouse is the owners holiday home, and is looked after by their Gozitan relatives, who know the island inside out and will be on hand to welcome you and make sure your holiday runs smoothly.
We have a bulging little black book which contains information about the best things to do on the island - practicalities, suggestions for places to visit, restaurant guide etc. There are also maps, and books about the island in the bookcase.
