ISLAND OF GOZO

Gozo lies 6 kms off the coast of northern Malta. It is the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago and is approximately 14 kms by 7 kms in area and has a shoreline measuring about 137 kms.  Gozo is noticeably more peaceful and rural than its sister island of Malta. The pace of life is slower, the land is greener, the streets cleaner and the coast quieter. Gozitans are always friendly and helpful when you pass the time of day with them.

It is an enchanting island and, according to legend, the fabled Island of Calypso, where the sea-nymph kept the Greek hero, Odysseus happily in bondage for seven years. Standing upon one of the many terraced hills you can see why he didn’t try to escape, many present day visitors never wish to leave either.

Its weather and climate is strongly influenced by the sea which is only 10 minutes drive away from anywhere on the island. Constant, gentle currents keep its waters clear and clean making Gozo a centre for all manner of water sports, including sailing, fishing and diving. Sea temperatures in the summer months reach 26°C making swimming and snorkelling a pleasure.

Gozo has a rich and diverse range of restaurants to tempt you away from cooking. From the simple to the exotic, you will be surprised by the quality, the superb range of meat, fish and pasta dishes on offer and the flavours to taste as you relax through lunch, or in the evening and all at reasonable prices.

The festa season lasts from May to October when the majority take place. The 19 parishes on Gozo celebrate their patron saint with passion and pageantry over several days, which consist of colourful parades accompanied by brass bands and spectacular firework displays. The final day of the festa sees the life-size statue of the patron saint carried out of the church and paraded through the village streets.

Cultural events take place on Gozo, from numerous art exhibitions by local artists, to open air concerts, many free. There is the opera season late in the year at which internationally renowned performers sing.
 
There are various beaches in Gozo, such as Ramla il-Hamra, Marsalforn, Xlendi, Dwejra, Hondoq ir-Rummien, Mgarr ix-Xini, Dahlet Qorrot, San Blas and Ix-Xatt l-ahmar.
 
Traditional activities include bakeries, blacksmith, local shepherd and weaving.
 
Diving: Gozo offers some of the best diving sites, not only in the Maltese Islands, but to some extent even in the world. The island's coast displays a variety of bays, coves and sea inlets with natural caves of all shapes and sizes. In the sea around Gozo one finds an abundance of marine life and spectacular scenery all around. Divers might even be lucky to encounter some archaeological remains. They could also dive through an artificial reef in the form of a purposely sunken ferry boat that has become one of Gozo's diving mainstays. Water visibility is most often 40 metres and sea temperatures rarely go lower than 16 degrees Celcius.There are several diving schools and centres on the island of Gozo. The increasing number of those who return to Gozo for diving holidays shows the high level of service provided by these centres.