Gozo
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It's the quality of the light that will strike you first! Warm and vivacious, almost reddish before the sunset when it falls on the auburn cliffs or the old limestone buildings, and giving the sea and sky an azure blue. It is a kind of light that has given the Maltese Islands, rural Gozo especially, fame among artists, and signifies that you have arrived somewhere different and special.
What more rewarding is that Gozo is on the doorstep of Europe- tantalizingly close, yet exotic. This makes it ideal getaway, and if you see it as the Phoenicians did, approaching from the sea, you will see a tiny girdled by the cliffs and steep slopes, round and mysterious. This is why the Phoenicians called it (gwl), meaning something round. Gozo is different in character that of mainland Malta, Gozo also retains the greenery and rural character of remote, insular island.
The first inhabitants were Neolithic people and they left behind 5,600- years old Ggantija Temples, the oldest built structure in the world. These twin megalithic temples are still impressive, and the Neolithic art found was among the most advanced for its time. Since then, wave after wave of people have lured to Gozo (and Malta); their legacies are scattered throughout the island and diffused in the culture of the local inhabitants. Now the island continues to draw people, this time as an idyllic home, a place that offers tranquility, dreamy landscapes, alluring sea, sunny weather, hearty food, and the right mix of sophistication and somnolence.
Gozo is also a place where the past and the present are intermingled. Historical monuments loom large. The island’s old castle, called the “Cidadel” is an omnipresent landmark built on a crag in the centre of the island. History also pervades the towns, which are designed in concentric circles around the parish church and town squares rung by charming baroque townhouses.
Some old townhouses have now been converted into memorable restaurants, which offer traditional tastes of Gozo in creative concoctions, as well as impressive wine cellars.
The restaurants make use of the local produce- whether that is vegetables,, free range chickens or local olive oil- resuscitating traditional recipes and giving a professional finish. Townhouses and farmhouses (houses of character) are also the best accommodation options. The houses of character have bare weather limestone, internal courtyards, lots of rustic features, yet they have been converted into luxury accommodation, many of them complete with swimming pools.(there are also all other types of accommodation options, including four and five star hotels
The countryside is idyllic and rural. The landscape is largely made up of patchwork of fields interspersed with natural habitats, spreading over an undulating and hilly landscape. The coastline that largely undeveloped, is characterized by the sheer sea cliffs that girdle the south and western coats, and a north coast consisting of a series of high bluffs interspersed with sandy beaches. These include Ramla Bay, often slated as the nicest beach in the Mediterranean, and the blue lagoon in Comino, a strip of blue-green water.
The beaches beckon in the summer thanks to incessant sunshine, and there are beaches that suit every taste, whether that’s popular beaches or secluded coves in luxury if you choose, by chartering a skipper boat, or adventurous way on a canoe(available for rent in many beaches). Snorkeling and scuba are equally absorbing: Gozo and Comino are renowned as the top place in the Mediterranean for diving due to the dramatic underwater topography and great visibility (mild winters that mean that diving can be enjoyed all year round).
Summers herald the feast-season when each town holds a feast to commemorate its parish saint. There is a feast every weekend; each is a three-day affair of brass bands leading statues of the parish saint and fireworks light up the clear skies of summer. Town streets and churches are decorated with strings of electric lights, pennants, statues of saints mounted on wooden podiums; and the town’s folk come out in force, filling up the town square, eating and drinking merrily.
In winter, the rain gives the landscape a green cloak. It only rains intermittently- the weather is still pleasantly sunny-and is the ideal time to indulge in the soft outdoor adventures. Hiking possibility abound, whether that is ambling along the coastline or exploring the hinterlands valleys and flat-toped hills. Cycling is also popular and you can hire bikes locally, Available guidebooks are available with special routes for both walking and cycling on Gozo.
Comino, Gozo's neighbour and the smallest island in the Maltese Islands, has it own unique walk- a loop walk it coast which lasts 2 to 3hours,and takes in mighty military forts erected by the knights of Malta, as well as the rugged rocky habitat know as garigue( which holds a large diversity of hardy shrubs). Moreover, if you are after something more active, you can explore Gozo on a mountain bike, or even try your hand at rock climbing. There are more than 60sports climbing routes, and if you are a seasoned climber, there are lots more Traditional climbing choices.
In every case, going outdoors brings you closer to closer to Gozo rural ethos. The Island may be sophisticated- it has excellent hotels with professional services but the traditional lifestyle and modernity are blended into something uniquely delicious. Many men continue to grow their own vegetables and local take pride in making their own olive oil and wine. You can experience this lifestyle at an agro- tourism farm where you can get to grips with traditional farming lifestyle. Another possibility is to spend a day at a sheep farm, or go out finishing with a real fisherman and then cook the fresh fish you would have caught.
This is what is great about a small island with a long history, in one day you can have different experiences, and it is even more surprising that you can do so much at a place only a short hop away.
www.visitmalta.com
www.gozogov.com
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