ITTN’s Shane Cullen, along with 8 Irish travel agents flew to Valletta and hopped across to Gozo by ferry as part of a four-night fam trip to the Maltese Archipelago. During the group’s two-night trip around Gozo, Shane and the gang were able to fully explore this unspoilt, natural gem in the Mediterranean. With a variety of accommodation options, stunning sandy beaches, and exceptional dining experiences, Gozo truly has something for everyone.
Gozo Village
If your clients are interested in a longer stay on Gozo, I highly recommend checking out www.gozovillage.com. They offer stunning self-catering 2-3 bedroom apartments starting from as little as €160 per night during peak times. Additionally, they have a range of reasonably priced houses including authentic farmhouses available for rent, including properties with private pools across the island.
Some of the larger properties would be on villa rental sites, however, the operations manager at Gozo Village, Ishmael Portelli, welcomed Irish agents to contact directly to find properties to perfectly match clients. Look at the website and you’ll see how these have character & charm. What’s more, they look as good in person.
The Saltpans of Xwejni
You might ask why I had a bag of salt when I returned from Gozo (my children asked rather unimpressed), however, this was certainly a highlight of the trip – not just the salt but its journey to me. We visited the Saltpans of Xwenjni and spoke with the family currently cultivating one of Gozo’s natural raw minerals and the “oldest forms of food seasonings and preservatives”. As they explained, Salt was once so highly valued, it was used as currency.
Our guide, Josephine Xuereb, explained the laborious process of making artisan salt – a process that dates back to Phoenician and Roman times. This is a family tradition with Josephine’s father known as “Leil Tal-Melh” which translates as Manuel, The Salt Man. He has harvested salt for over 50 years, with his wife and daughter, working the pools of seawater that stretch several kilometres across Gozo’s coastline.
The Maltese sunshine evaporates the seawater with natural sea salt remaining, ready for collection. The salt farmers labourously collect the salt and resell it to local groceries and visiting tourists.
This is a fascinating process, gentle on the landscape, hard graft for the farmers and as natural as you can get. Definitely add this to your itinerary for the story, wonderful hospitality, experience and fantastic taste! This is why I travel, to really see how locals live, how different cultures have survived, adapted and retained generations of skill and craftsmanship and found a way to fit in modern life. This place is a little special or rather little but very special – check it out here.
Yippee Tuk-Tuks
Gozo is a prime example of sustainability, with its 100% electric buses and eco-friendly transportation options. One such option is Yipee, an electric tuk-tuk tour company. Yippee “tuk” us around the island – they have these charming little electric tuk-tuks driven by a guide providing details on local landmarks, little inlets and bays as well as unique historic sites across Gozo. They also offer self-drive GoCars, EJeep Safari tours and sea excursions. The Yippee Tuk-Tuk is a nippy little vehicle that navigates the winding island roads, quaint fishing villages and towns with ease in these environmentally-friendly vehicles. This I’d highly recommend (www.yippeemalta.com).
Ta’ Pinu
Ta’ Pinu is a national shrine situated on one of the highest peaks of Gozo with a commanding view of the golden landscape, mountainscape and farmland rolling down to the glistening sea. There is a large courtyard with commanding religious mosaics interspersed with lookout points to enjoy the view. It was built a century ago and is a beautiful example of neo-romantic style architecture. Built with the warm yellow limestone that soaks up the Maltese sun.
Sanap Cliffs
For scenic views of the rugged coastline, head to the southern end of the island of Gozo where the Sanap Cliffs rise out of the Mediterranean. In the distance, Comino and the island of Malta stretch along the horizon. There is a decent path to walk along and dotted around are megalithic ruins.
Wied L-Ghasri
Wied L-Ghasri is a deep valley with steep cliffs on either side. Crystal aquamarine sea cuts through it and this is popular for outdoor adventure sports, hiking around or swimming through it to soak up the Maltese wilderness. For a 10km trail, the Visit Gozo site has a map – see here.
Tal Mixta Cave & Ramla l-Hamra
Many will recognise the iconic image from inside the cave, overlooking the stunning turquoise waters lapping the picture-perfect Ramla l-Hamra bay below. As you would expect, this is an Instagrammer’s mecca. The group drove the short journey to the sandy shores of Ramla l-Hamra which has little eateries and shops by the entrance though be mindful that there is limited parking here.
To fully explore the island, I suggest renting a car as free parking is available, and the apartments are only a 5-10 minute drive from Victoria.
For more on the ITTN & Visit Malta/Gozo fam trip, check out:
