Beaches in Gozo
Ramla Bay
Gozo’s largest and most beautiful beach is ‘Ramla Bay’. It is locally known
as ‘Ramla l-Hamra’, the ‘Red sandy beach’ due to the colour of its golden
reddish sand that is unique around the Maltese Islands.
Ramla Bay is situated on Gozo’s North coast at the end of an extremely fertile valley with terraced fields producing up to four different crops per year. Access to the bay is through the villages of Nadur and Xaghra that flank the valley and Ramla Bay and from where one can experience stunning sea views.
This bay although popular with locals and tourists in the summer months is never crowded and is also a favourite destination for an afternoon stroll on the sand throughout the winter.
Remains of a Roman Villa are still evident at Ramla and a wall of stones also built by the Romans in the sea was used to force invaders in to the water and can be still easily seen from ‘Calypso Cave’ in Xaghra. This cave was in turn the house of the nymph Calypso as described by Homer in the legend and a short visit here is a must, not so much for the cave as for the amazing view of Ramla Bay.
Marsalforn and Xlendi
The Bays of Marsalforn and Xlendi are both fishing villages that make part of the villages of Zebbug and Munxar respectively.
San Blas Bay
On the North East coast of Gozo only a couple of kilometres away from Ramla
Bay is another sandy beach accessible from Nadur. San Blas Bay is no more than a
hundred meters long and also has golden reddish sand.
It is definitely the most
tranquil and least frequented beach on the island due to the fact that one has
to walk down an extremely steep slope to get there. The valley leading to San
Blas is very fertile indeed and the terraced fields are mainly full of citrus
trees.
Hondoq ir- Rummien
On the South East coast of Gozo and over looking Comino is Hondoq Bay, very popular with locals during the summer months. The small white sandy beach at Hondoq and the adjacent rocky beach are a favourite for BBQs throughout the summer.
Comino
With as few as 3 official inhabitants, the unspoilt Island of Comino lies between Gozo and Malta and is a haven for those who love nature, tranquillity, diving, snorkelling, sailing, wind surfing or just swimming. It measures 1.5 square kilometres and has a coastline full of breathtaking views of the high cliffs, low bays and the several caves.
There is a hotel in San Niklaw bay and some bungalows in St. Maria bay but
the Blue Lagoon with it’s stunning views and crystal clear waters remains
Comino’s main attraction. The Blue Lagoon is the stretch of shallow water
between Comino and Cominotto and is cordoned off and reserved for Swimmers
between June and October.
Visible from Malta and Gozo is the recently refurbished Tower on Comino that dates back to the 17th century and was built by Grand Master de Wignacourt.
Pirates used Comino as a base when attacking Malta and Gozo in the middle ages. They often stayed several months and actually had time to construct what is today used as a police station at St. Maria Bay. The chapel is dedicated to the Return of Our Lady from Egypt and dates back to 1618 but earlier documents show another chapel on the same site as early as the 12th century.
Over the years, Comino’s charm has attracted many film producers and still today many films are shot there. The most recent blockbuster to be filmed at the Blue Lagoon and elsewhere around Comino was ‘Troy’.
The hotel is open between April and October each year and operates a ferry service from Mgarr harbour on Gozo and Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal on Malta. For details about the official Comino ferry please call the hotel reception on 21 526 821.
Boats from Mgarr Harbour on Gozo and from Cirkewwa and Marfa on Malta also ferry passengers to and from the Blue Lagoon every hour provided that the weather conditions permit. No previous booking is required.