Gozo Island Malta, Mgarr Harbour
Malta
50
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Atlas Ocean Voyages (2 Cruises)
Emerald Waterways (5 Cruises)
Lindblad Expeditions (6 Cruises)
Sea Cloud
6 Cruises
Image not available
Seabourn Cruise Line (20 Cruises)
Seabourn Ovation
20 Cruises
| 22 July | 29 days | One-way from Venice to Dubrovnik |
| 29 July | 22 days | One-way from Civitavecchia-Rome to Dubrovnik |
| 29 July | 29 days | One-way from Civitavecchia-Rome to Piraeus-Athens |
Windstar Cruises (10 Cruises)
Star Legend
6 Cruises
Frequently Asked Questions
By tender. Ships anchor off Mgarr, the small harbour on the southeast coast, and tenders land passengers on the quay, among the ferries from Malta and the brightly coloured fishing boats.
By bus or taxi: the capital is about three kilometres from the quay, up on the heights, and the climb takes only a few minutes. The road crosses a landscape of farm terraces bounded by dry stone walls and reveals, bend after bend, the extent of this Mediterranean countryside.
The Cittadella in Victoria and the Ġgantija temples fit into a half day: you cross the island in twenty minutes, which makes the programme realistic. If time allows, add a bay, Xlendi to the west or Marsalforn to the north, for a swim and a plate of fish.
It is the fortress crowning Gozo's central hill, which sheltered the population through centuries of corsair raids. You climb narrow lanes to the cathedral, then the ramparts open onto a complete panorama: the whole island spread below, villages, cultivated valleys and sea on the horizon in every direction.
They are walls of massive blocks raised between 3600 and 3200 BCE, on the Xagħra plateau a few kilometres from Victoria. They therefore predate Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, and rank among the oldest monuments still standing anywhere. The site is UNESCO World Heritage listed.
Because local legend attributed the construction to a giantess, so far do some of the blocks exceed human scale. The interpretation centre explains what archaeology has been able to reconstruct about these Neolithic builders, and the visit fits comfortably within a port call.
At Xlendi bay to the west, whose clear water slips between two cliffs with restaurant terraces set right at the waterline. Or at Marsalforn to the north, whose facades line a cove where Gozitans come to swim as families.
Fish, served with ġbejna, the small local sheep's cheese, or with a glass of wine produced on the island. The terraces at Xlendi and Marsalforn serve both at the water's edge, and Victoria's main square offers a pause in the shade of the arcades.
The euro, with Maltese and English both official languages. Malta is part of the European Union and the Schengen area. Credit cards work everywhere, including in the small restaurants at the bays.
A little. The climb to the Cittadella goes up narrow sloping lanes, and the ramparts are walked. Ġgantija, by contrast, is visited on the flat. Nothing insurmountable, but comfortable shoes and water make a real difference under the Mediterranean sun.
