Deep in the heart of Gozo

Any visit to Malta will almost certainly be for the wild coastline or the sprawling beaches. Many of the highlight cities also cling to the edge of where the land meets the sea, like Valetta. But some of the inland cities are worth a visit. In particular, on the island of Gozo has a few sites worth checking out inland.

If in Italy, all roads lead to Rome, then it's most certainly true that on Gozo, all roads lead to Victoria (aka Rabat). it is darn near impossible to visit the island without having to come to the capital. All buses begin and end here (what few buses there are, that is). Luckily, the city is more than transport hub for most tourists. The biggest draw of the city, other than having all the city-type-stuff you need from a city, is the citadel, Il Kastell. Dating back some several hundred years, wandering around the tiny alleyways is wonderfully atmospheric. Furthermore the views from the rear ramparts, are spectacular. Being only a tiny island, you can see the whole thing from the lofty vantage point. While most of the Citadel is free, there are plenty of ways to spend your money. The most obvious is the cathedral. While I've always found it sacrilegious to have to pay to enter a church, many tourists do. On top of the Cathedral, there are a few museums and the old jails. I personal had no need to enter any of them, especially at a couple of Euro each. There is a multi-pass for sale that will allow you into a few of the museums at a discounted rate, but still not my cup of tea. But other than the citadel, and a scattering of other churches in the city, Victoria doesn't have any major draws. a central square makes for a good place to grab a beer and watch the world go by, as i found myself doing much of my visit to the city.

The other city on the island which draws in the tourist is the village of Xaghra. The town itself is cute, a central square, church and a couple of restored windmills. But it's a few stones in a field that are the MAJOR draw. The GGantija temples date back to over 5,000 years ago. Making them older than the pyramids. A one of the oldest freestanding structures in the world. Quite an impressive resume of any sight. BUT... it is, the most overrated, pointless site and certainly not worth the 8 Euro entry fee. The site is small, completely covered in scaffolding and mostly roped off. Unless you're a budding archaeologist, it's not worth seeing.

There are a few other towns on the island, some with large churches or craft shops, but none of outstanding merit. And besides, with a rather poor public transport system, i ended up walking to most places. Buses, to many of the towns end at around midday. In the end, it is the coastline that is the true highlight of Gozo.