48 Hours on Gozo: Why Malta’s Sister Island Deserves More Than an Afternoon
Most visitors to Gozo only spend a few hours on the island. They come over on a boat trip from Malta to the Blue Lagoon on Comino, with a jeep or bus tour bundled in. They see the harbour, a slice of Victoria and the Cittadella, then leave, most never to return.
I’ve lived on Gozo for years, and I’m still finding corners I haven’t explored. It’s greener, slower and quieter than Malta, and it rewards anyone who takes their time. A few hours isn’t enough. Forty-eight hours isn’t either, but it’s enough to get a proper taste of the island and to make you want to return.
2-Day Gozo Itinerary
48 Hours in Gozo at a Glance
Follow a resident’s two-day route through Gozo, starting with sunrise on the Cittadella ramparts and a day on the water. Then explore Victoria and Ġgantija, pick up a ftira in Nadur, and make time for Ramla Bay and sunset at Dwejra.
Day 1: Gozo from the Water
- Sunrise: Start on the Cittadella ramparts for views across the island before walking down into Victoria.
- Breakfast: Stop at Kafe’ San Gorg for ricotta and pea pastizzi with a cold Kinnie.
- Boat trip: Head to Xlendi for a traditional luzzu trip with Ted’s Enjoyable Boat Trips.
- Coastal route: The article’s boat itinerary passes Fungus Rock, Wied il-Għasri, Qbajjar, Marsalforn, and Ramla before crossing to Comino’s Blue Lagoon and returning beneath the Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs.
- On the water: Leave time for swimming. Confirm the day’s route, stops, and lunch arrangements with the operator.
- Sunset: Back in Xlendi, head to Terrazzo above the bay for a cocktail and tapas.
- Dinner: Return to Victoria for Maldonado, the contributor’s choice for a tasting menu with Maltese and Gozitan wines. Book ahead and confirm the menu and wine pairing.
Day 2: Victoria, Temples and a Dwejra Sunset
- Breakfast: Start at Manouche on St George’s Square, then wander Victoria’s old streets while they are still quiet.
- Mid-morning: Head to Xagħra for Ġgantija and nearby Ta’ Kola Windmill, followed by coffee in the village square.
- Lunch: Pick up a ftira from Mekren’s in Nadur and take it to a bench on Triq il-Madonna ta’ Fatima for views toward Comino.
- Afternoon: Relax on the red sand at Ramla Bay, seeing from shore the beach you passed by boat yesterday.
- Sunset: Head to Dwejra and linger as the stars begin to appear, if the sky is clear.
- Dinner: Make your way to 180 in Għajnsielem, overlooking Mġarr Harbour.
- Nightcap: Finish at Bell & Bastion’s rooftop in Victoria, with views of the illuminated Cittadella and St George’s Basilica.
Where to Stay
I’d stay inside the walls of the Cittadella, in the only holiday property there: a two-bedroom townhouse overlooking Victoria, the island’s capital.
Day One: Gozo from the Water
Start on the ramparts at sunrise. The Cittadella sits at the centre of Gozo; the views stretch across the island, and at that hour you’ll have them almost to yourself.
Then walk down into Victoria for breakfast at Kafe’ San Gorg and Malta’s original street food, pastizzi. These small, tasty, flaky pastry parcels come filled with ricotta (tal-irkotta) or peas (tal-piżelli). Try both and pick a favourite. Wash them down with a cold Kinnie, Malta’s bitter-sweet orange soft drink flavoured with aromatic herbs. It’s a proper Maltese breakfast, and you’ll get change from €5.
The best way to get a sense of an island is from the water, so head down to Xlendi for a day on a traditional luzzu with Ted’s Enjoyable Boat Trips. Leaving late morning, the boat makes a six-hour circuit of Gozo. It goes past Fungus Rock at Dwejra and into the narrow inlet of Wied il-Għasri.
Then it runs along the coast at Qbajjar and Marsalforn to the red sand of Ramla. Next it crosses to Comino’s Blue Lagoon, before heading home under the cliffs of Ta’ Ċenċ. There are plenty of swim stops along the way, and a light lunch on board.
Back on shore, climb up to Terrazzo above the bay for a cocktail and a few plates of tapas as the sun goes down.
Dinner is at Maldonado in Victoria: four courses paired with Maltese and Gozitan wines, served in a private room above the restaurant’s 17th-century vaulted cellar. The proprietor, George Zammit, talks you through the islands’ wine history while the chef cooks a tasting menu that’s rarely the same twice. Book ahead.
Day Two: Victoria, Temples and a Dwejra Sunset
Start with breakfast at Manouche on St George’s Square, then wander Victoria’s old streets while they’re still quiet. It’s almost impossible to get lost: large marble plaques in the pavement tell you which way you’re heading.
Mid-morning, head to Xagħra for Ġgantija. Its temples were built more than 5,000 years ago, which makes them older than Stonehenge and the pyramids. Ta’ Kola Windmill, an 18th-century mill, is a short walk away. Finish with a coffee in the village square.
Lunch is a ftira, Gozo’s answer to pizza, from Mekren’s in Nadur, which has been baking in a wood-fired oven since 1899. Take it to a bench on Triq il-Madonna ta’ Fatima and eat it looking across to Comino and the Blue Lagoon you sailed into yesterday.
Spend the afternoon on a sunbed at Ramla Bay. Yesterday you saw the red sand from the boat; today you’re lying on it.
Save Dwejra for sunset. The Azure Window collapsed into the sea in 2017, but Game of Thrones fans will still recognise the coastline from Daenerys and Khal Drogo’s wedding. Watch the sun go down over the sea where the arch once stood. Dwejra is a designated Dark Sky Heritage Area, so stay for a while to watch the stars come out.
Then head down to Għajnsielem for dinner at 180, overlooking Mġarr Harbour. Finish with a nightcap on the rooftop at Bell & Bastion back in Victoria, looking up at the Cittadella and St George’s Basilica lit up at night.
On your last morning, as the ferry pulls out of Mġarr and the harbour view shrinks behind you, you’ll have seen more of Gozo than most visitors ever do, but still only a fraction of it. Two days is enough to learn the island’s rhythm: early starts, long lunches and sunsets you plan the day around. It isn’t enough to see everything. Most day-trippers never come back. Give it 48 hours, and I doubt you’ll be one of them.
Getting there: Gozo Channel ferries sail between Ċirkewwa in Malta and Mġarr around the clock, and the crossing takes about 25 minutes. There are also fast ferry connections between Valletta, Sliema, Buġibba and Mġarr.
- About the Author
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Kerry Gaffney is a writer and photographer who has lived on Gozo since 2021. She is the founder of Scene on Gozo, which covers the filming locations of more than 100 film and TV productions shot on Gozo and Comino, from Clash of the Titans to Game of Thrones and The Madame Blanc Mysteries. She is the author of Gozo in a Day: The Film & TV Locations Guide and The Real Sainte-Victoire. She has been on set during filming on the island and loves finding the exact spot where a famous scene was shot.
