Malta travel guide - GuideToMalta.net

Malta impressions

Gozo and Comino

Print E-mail

With a coastline of 43 km, Gozo is the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago. Forever immortalised as The Island of Calypso, this name originated from the Greek mythological location of Ogygia referred to in Homer's Odyssey. In this epic poem, the fabled island was controlled by the nymph Calypso, who had detained the Greek hero Odysseus for seven long years as prisoner of love. Gozo’s history is twined up in the general story of its sister island of Malta. As a result, Gala shared the same influences of cultures bestowed on by the number of dominators and events that touched Malta during the last seven thousand years.

Ggantija Temples – Xaghra

The Ggantija Temples ('place of giants') are thought to be the oldest free-standing structures In the world. They are among the best-preserved temples on the Maltese Islands and certainly the most visited historical site on the Maltese Islands. The complex comprises two Neolithic temples dating from the third millennium B.C (3600 to 3000 B.C.).

Dwejra and the Azure Window

Dwejra is perhaps the archipelago's most spectacular natural landmark. Here, geology, time and sea have worked together to produce some of the most remarkable scenery on the Islands The Azure Window, the Inland Sea, Fungus Rock, sheer cliffs and a rocky coastline yielding fossilised remains of sea creatures dating from the Miocene period.

Gozo Cathedral Museum – Victoria

This museum has more than 2,000 items on display including the Cathedral's archives, some magnificent paintings, clerical vestments and a silver vault. Among the paintings are several by well-known local artists George Hyzler, Michele Busetti and Tommaso Median.

Ta' Pinu Sanctuary – Gharb

The origins of the Basilica of Ta' Pinu go back to a day in June 1883 when a peasant woman heard the voice of the Virgin Mary in an old chapel. In 1931. today's church was consecrated and a year later Pope Pius XI raised it to the status of Basilica. The original 16th century chapel was fully integrated into the new church.

Gozo Cathedral – Victoria

The Cathedral, built in the early 17th century. is small but graceful. Its floor is made up of a mosaic of marble tombstones and ecclesiastical emblems, while its ceiling has a remarkable trompe l'oeil painting depicting the interior of a dome that was never built.

Folklore Museum - Victoria

The Museum. housed within the Citadel, contains a wide range of exhibits depicting the domestic, rural and traditional ways of life in the agrarian economy of the Maltese and Gozitans.

The Citadel – Victoria

Gozo’s Citadel rises steeply above the surrounding countryside, its impressive bastions commanding a superb view of the island. The Citadel owes its roots to the late medieval era, but the hill has been settled since Neolithic times.

Museum of Archaeology - Victoria

Housed in Palazzo Bondi`, this museum showcases archaeological finds from the 11 phases of prehistoric Gozo, as well as the Classical World to the Middle Ages. A section of the Museum includes items discovered at sea, off the Gozitan coastline.

Gharb Folklore Museum – Gharb

This privately-owned museum in the village’s main square depicts daily life in Gozo of the past. This museum is a showcase of traditional life and includes the printing press used for Gozo’s first newspaper plus a collection of old tools and clothes.

The Xewkija Rotunda – Xewkija

Xewkija village is dominated by a huge rotunda church built in 1971. It is Gozo’s answer to Malta’s Mosta Rotunda. The dome is larger than that of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The church has a capacity for a congregation of 3,000, the entire population of Xewkija.

The Blue Lagoon – Comino

The Blue Lagoon, a sheltered inlet of shimmering aquamarine water, is the main attraction of the tiny island of Comino, and popular for day trips. The Lagoon and the Isle’s other bays with their crystal clear waters make Comino the ideal choice for most kinds of water sports, especially diving and snorkelling.

 

Current weather

The current weather situation in Malta

You are here  : Home About Malta Introduction to Malta