Malta

Welcome to Ghasri Valley also known as Wied il-Gharsi, inlet down the hill from Zebbug. Wied il-Ghasri is a secluded bay with a tiny pebbly beach wedged between high cliffs. The view of the valley from the top of the cliffs is stunning.There are about 100+ steps to reach the small pebble beach. Just be there earlier in the morning before it gets busy with people and divers.

An artificial cave in an upper cliff on the Ras il-Wardija, the extreme south-west corner of the island, was cut in Phoenician times as a religious sanctuary and dug by an Italian team in the 1960s. The attribution to the nymphs is an improbable one, but the site is certainly in a very dramatic natural position.

This historical site is situated on private land and contact should be made with the owners prior to visiting, using e-mail address l.spiteri24@gmail.com.

On the north coast of Gozo, just past Qbajjar Bay west of Marsalforn, the coast is characterised by a chequerboard of rock-cut saltpans protruding into the sea. These 350-year-old salt pans, which stretch about 3km along the coast, are more than just scenic. They are part of the centuries-old Gozitan tradition of Sea-Salt production that has been passed down within certain families for many generations. During the summer months, locals can still be seen scraping up the crystals of salt. Once collected, the salt is stored and processed in the caves that have been carved into the coastal rock.

Accessible for persons with a disability.

This hill can be seen from much of Gozo, topped with a statue of the Risen Christ. This statue was placed here in the 1970s and sits 320-foot on the top of Tal-Merżuq Hill (now popularly know as Tas-Salvator – The Redeemer). This is a place of popular religious myth and legend.

According to tradition, black smoke was once been seen coming out of the hill and this led to the belief that it was a volcano. Some still believe this although geologists dismiss the idea as nonsense.

Another legend says that God punished the people of Gozo by engulfing the Island in darkness for three whole days. At the end of these three days a ray of light (merżuq) was seen coming out of the hill (hence the name Tal-Merżuq).

A statue of Christ was first put on the hill in 1904 when Gozo was consecrated to Jesus the Redeemer (leading to the popular name Tas-Salvatur) . It replaced a wooden cross that had been erected even earlier. The first statue of Christ was not resistant to the elements, however, and had to be replaced in the 1960s. The second statue was also destroyed – this time when its supporting pedestal gave way during a thunderstorm. Parts of this statue can still be seen strewn around the hilltop. Today’s statue is made of reinforced concrete and is so far surviving well!

This semaphore (sign) tower built by the British in 1848 on the hill of in-Nadur is 130 metres above sea level, its purpose was to pass on signals to ships and other posts via a telegraphy link between Gozo and Malta. The tower was restored in 2005 and a beacon to warn ships of their proximity to land was installed on the roof, along with a number of communication antennae. You can ask permission from the tower’s watchman to go up to the covered roof for a panoramic view of Gozo, Comino and Malta.

The small attractive botanical garden that surrounds the tower contains a number of plants native to the Maltese Islands.

Accessible for persons with a disability.

Fort Chambray or Fort Chambrai (Maltese: Forti Xambrè) is a bastioned fort located in the precincts of Għajnsielem, on the island of Gozo, Malta. It was built in the mid-18th century by the Order of Saint John, in an area known as Ras it-Tafal, between the port of Mġarr and Xatt l-Aħmar. The fort was meant to be the citadel of a new city which was to replace the Cittadella as the island’s capital, but this plan never materialized.

The fort saw use during the French invasion of Malta in 1798, and it was subsequently used as a military hospital and mental institution. The fort is currently being restored and redeveloped as a luxury accommodation.

Ta’ Kola Windmill in ix-Xagħra, Gozo, is one of the few surviving windmills on the Maltese Islands dating back to the Knights’ Period. Its origins go back to 1725 but it seems to have been built of poor quality stone and mortar and had to be reconstructed in the 1780s. The windmill’s name Ta’ Kola comes from the last miller, who was popularly known as Żeppu ta’ Kola (Joseph, son of Nikola).

When the wind was right for the mill to operate, the miller would blow through a triton-shell (Maltese bronja) to let everynoe know and villagers would bring their grain to be ground into flour. The heavy millstones can still be seen at the top of the mill linked to the central milling mechanism, around which, are the rooms where the miller lived and worked.

On the ground floor is the workshop with a vast array of historic tools, some of which were manufactured by the owners of the mill. On the first floor, the living quarters of the miller and his family, have been recreated using traditional furniture and Gozitan crafts. You can visit the miller’s dining room, bedrooms, and kitchen which is equipped with traditional utensils and cooking ware rarely seen today.