Gozo & Mdina, Malta

Gozo Harbor

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” - Rosalia de Castro     

Inspired by stories of the crusades and knights, Malta has always been on my go to list. Now that I’ve marveled over the wonders of Valletta, its time to explore what else this island nation has to offer.

First stop, Gozo which is the largest of the three inhabited Maltese islands. While you can certainly go over and stay a few days, it’s definitely worth a day trip at minimum. While you need a ferry to cross over, ferries are frequent, and the ferry terminal is well connected from the major tourist location.

Gozo and Comino island or the blue lagoon which is visible during the ferry crossing have been the scene for many a movie and TV show. Notably the Game of Thrones filmed here as well as the Count Of Monte Cristo was filmed on Comino island.

We did not stay in Valletta proper but on the other side of the harbor at Sliema. On our way from Sliema to the Gozo Ferry terminal we crossed many thriving communities catering to tourists. St. Julian is one such one that looked like a lot of fun to stay at, also it offers more beachy options.

We are constantly reminded about UNESCO world heritage sites and things but I had never actually scene a stamp that stated that a particular location was a UNESCO site until we visited the Ġgantija Megalithic temples.

The Ggantija Megalithic temples date back to 4000 B.C. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site it consists of a museum where recovered artifacts are displayed and then the actual remains where you can walk through with a guide to learn all about a culture that existed a long time ago.

Having visited the temple and driving down the narrowest street where the bus we were in barely cleared the two sides of the street we parked and walked through the town strolling down narrow streets bustling with tourists, viewing the unique decorations outside the house.

As we crossed a small bakery, the owner was bringing out a batch of hot pastizzis, which are similar to puff pastry bites. He had ones filled with peas which were absolutely delicious. They can be filled with meat, cheese, etc. These are a local treat that you must absolutely try.

The views around the island are incredible. The knights had created satellite forts to provide an early warning and defense system when invaders were sighted. You can see these dotted along the way to the Gozo ferry.

The famous Blue Lagoon or the tiny island of Comino, ideal for day trips to sunbathe and swim is visible from different vista points on Gozo as well as from the ferry as you make the crossing.

Malta also has a famous Blue Grotto that is only accessible by boat but like it’s famous cousin on Capri, a visit here is also subject to the vagaries of the winds and tides.

Mdina, the fortified city in the Northern part of Malta served as the capital from antiquity to the Middle Ages. No cars other than a few emergency vehicles and horse drawn carriages are allowed in the city which has a total population of 300 people earning it the title of Silent City.

The Knights of the order of St. John coveted the harbor and therefore moved the capital to Valletta leaving Mdina somewhat abandoned. Now it consists of shops and restaurants and of course the requisite cathedrals.

Once you cross the drawbridge and enter the city, it’s like stepping back in time. Horse and carriage rides are usually available, and I so wanted to do one but as it turned out there were no carriages available when we arrived in the early evening.

Since we were going to have our farewell dinner here in the silent city, we arrived just as the sun was setting and it seemed as if we had the entire town to ourselves and to a couple doing a wedding shoot who were in the way of an attractive alley that everyone in our group wanted to film.

The sunset was spectacular indeed.

The houses were adorned with fancy examples of the famous Maltese shutters and the doors were painted colors with door knockers that had significance in a bygone age. .

Farewell to Malta. It was a wonderful trip. 6 days were just enough to get a taste. I would love to be back to spend a longer time exploring more of what these islands have to offer.