Visiting Malta by car: the island of Gozo – Travel diary 2/3
Let’s continue our series of travel diaries at Malta, where we stayed in December 2022 – January 2023. This time, we rent a car to go to the island of Gozo.
Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Journal
The ferry
Between the main island of Malta and the island of Gozo lies the small island of Comino. Comino doesn’t seem to have much tourist interest to me, so I’d rather go only to the island of Gozo. We hesitated between renting a car on Gozo or renting a car in St Julian’s, but once we realized it was very easy to put the car on the ferry and cross over with it, we rented from Hertz in St Julian’s, as usual. The crossing is super easy, there are signs everywhere showing us where to park, how much it costs, etc. Kudos for the organization!
Here’s the island of Comino:
Blue Hole
We head straight to the Blue Hole, a natural pool. There used to be a beautiful arch there, but it has since collapsed. When we arrive, we’re lost—where is this famous natural pool? We feel so silly and walk around in circles. We see nothing at all, and tourists are scattered everywhere; we don’t really know where to go.
We’ll understand later when we see tourists in diving suits that we can’t see the pool from below unless we get our feet wet, and that we need to go all the way to the top.
A horrifying sight awaits us: the water is beautiful, clear, and deep, but the natural pool is full of trash !!! Apparently, there’s incredible marine diversity inside, which is why there are several divers. But bring something to pick up the trash too, people!!
You can see that the water isn’t very deep (it comes up to your knees), so if you have aqua shoes, it’s totally possible to get to the Blue Hole from below; you just need to spot the metal ladders.
Inland Sea
We get back in the car to head to the Inland Sea. It’s an inland lagoon, connected to the sea through a tiny hole.
As you can see, there’s plenty of parking; you can go up to the top and walk around; it’s a really nice spot.
This is where we had lunch, at Azure Restaurant. It’s Italian cuisine with a beautiful view; I recommend it!
Then we went down to the lagoon level; the water is gorgeous, it makes you want to swim. A few brave souls dip their feet in. The atmosphere is family-friendly; I love it!
Wied il-Mielaħ
We then go to see a natural window, particularly flat. The visit is nice, but nothing special. We’ll find two lost French tourists who ask us for bus schedules. We don’t even get 4G signal, so I couldn’t help them.
Basilica of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu in Gharb
On the way, we’re awestruck by this beautiful basilica and stop. It’s also a stop for the “hop on hop off” bus. The basilica is extremely beautiful on the outside. The inside is ordinary, but its location and size don’t go unnoticed. We stayed for a long time because we felt so good there.
Xlendi Beach
We stop there because it’s on our way, but it’s certainly not the best place to swim. I find the water not very clean, but the beach seems safer for kids, plus it’s very accessible. There’s a large parking lot nearby. Families will surely enjoy it much more than I did.
Xatt L-Aħmar
We head for Xatt L-Aħmar Parking; luckily we didn’t get lost and didn’t encounter cars coming the other way, as the road is just wide enough for one car. We’ll see some farmers looking at us curiously.
JB keeps asking me why we’re taking this road, for what, to go where, because he doesn’t see much of an interest/risk ratio. Indeed, seeing these poor little salt pans makes me realize that ratio is pretty small. The parking is spacious though, which attracts a van—the person must have slept here, facing the sea. We see a few fishermen in the distance. Anyway, a stop that’s not essential.
It’s already time to head back. There’s still plenty to explore on Gozo, but we’re already tired. We take the ferry back with our car, have dinner at home, and then sleep.
Part 2: Practical Tips
- Car rental at Hertz in St Julian’s: €28/day
- We got upgraded (higher category) thanks to our card American Express Gold
- Gas is half the price compared to France
- The ferry costs about €22 for two, including the car, round trip
