Gozo, in a nut shell – Quaint. Ghawdex, to us Gozitans and Maltese, is the second largest of the four islands that make up the Maltese archipelago. Has time stood still in Gozo? No, but very nearly.
Gozo goes by yet another name, the Calypso Isle. In Greek mythology, the nymph Calypso is head over heals in love with Odysseus, enchanted by the nymph he stays with her on the island of Ogygia for seven years. For Ogygia read Gozo. Or was Odysseus just enchanted by Gozo?
Some say that the Gozitans are very different from the Maltese. Maybe, but keep in mind that the whole of the population of Gozo, some 5,000 men, women and children were dragged off to slavery by Dragut, one of the greatest Ottoman naval commanders in 1551. Dragut lived to tell the tale for 14 years, up until the great Siege of 1565 when he came to a nasty end. How is that for justice? Gozo was repopulated from mainland Malta a few years down the line on orders by the ruling Knights.
Gozo is certainly very different from Malta, more rural, many more wide open spaces, greener, altogether a greater sense of tranquillity.
Virtu Ferries is proud to announce that our fast ferry service between Malta and Gozo is officially underway. Book your trip, view the schedule and check out the latest offers straight from your phone or desktop. Make the most of your day & travel with Virtu Ferries Gozo!
Book your trip on www.virtugozo.com or from our ticket booths in Valletta & Mgarr Harbour (Gozo).
Safe - Reliable - Convenient.
Must see:
Victoria
The older name for Victoria is Rabat, the latter is still very much in use especially by the older generation. Victoria came about as a result of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. This is a relatively recent event keeping in mind that the site was first inhabited in Neolithic times.
All roads lead to Rome is an understatement with Victoria in mind, the major roads in Gozo all literally lead to Victoria, you find yourself cutting through the city most times when going from A to B.
Cittadella, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is at the very heart of Victoria. It was beautifully and tastefully restored between 2008 and 2014. The project was co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund, you never tire of revisiting Cittadella. You also get to see a very well produced video that covers the history of Gozo. The highest point of the citadel is the baroque Cathedral designed by Lorenzo Gafa who also designed the Cathedral in Mdina. The other Church worth a visit is St George’s Basilica, a treasure trove of works by leading Maltese artists, including the very well known contemporary Gozitan artist Alfred Camilleri Cauchi. Getting there from Cittadella is a few minutes walk through narrow winding streets, interesting in itself.
Neolithic Gozo
Ggantija Temples, go back 5,000 years to the Neolithic period , in contrast the oldest Pyramid in Egypt is believed to have been built in 2630 BC, Stonehenge dates from between 3000 and 2000 BC. Ggantija is derived from the Maltese word for giant – “Gigant”. The stones are massive and our forefather concluded the temples were built by giants. There are in fact two adjacent temples, the older to the south, is better preserved. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Xaghra Stone Circle is a Neolithic wall enclosed burial ground consisting of a number of caves dating back to around 4000 BC. It is the only stone enclosed hypogeum in Europe.