10th April 2026

Our first walk in Gozo was a circular route straight from our hotel to the saltpans on the north coast. Winding through the backstreets of Victoria and continuing along country lanes we were already getting a flavour of how our week would be with wildflowers everywhere and lots of little lizards darting about. I was surprised at the ubiquity of prickly pear cacti which I always associate with the Americas, but I read later that they have been introduced to southern Europe, as here, and also Australia, the Middle East and parts of Africa.

The next settlement we came to was Ghasri, again typical of what we would see again and again – a small village with an enormous church.

We took a few minutes to walk round inside. Consecrated in 1916, Corpus Christi became a parish church in 1921 by authorisation of Pope Benedict XV. This was another surprise to me – how relatively recent some of these churches are. This was by no means the most opulent, but they all made me wonder how else the church could have spent its money to benefit its parishioners.

After leaving Ghasri the next sight we came to was the cross, Tad-Dejma, which marked a meeting point for a mercenary force which protected the area on the late middle ages. You can just see the Ta’ Gordan lighthouse in the background. Not far from this we saw Gozo’s oldest basilica (built 1739 and extended in 1754) which is dedicated to the Patronage of the Virgin Mary.

Beyond the church we were still walking on a country road alongside terraced farmland, but soon we struck off onto a flower lined path to the sea, emerging above a beautifully clear cove. From there, the first of the old saltpans was a short step away. Carved into the limestone shelf over millennia, some of these are natural, but most are not. There are still some locals harvesting and selling sea salt, and I’m guessing that is the purpose of the little doors in the gallery below. I also liked the No BBQ sign carved into the rock. We weren’t looking for a barbeque, but were pleased to find two beach cafes in Xwejni Bay, one of which we selected for lunch which came with a beautiful view.

After lunch we continued along the coast before heading inland and uphill to return to Victoria, passing Tas-Salvatur Hill with its statue of Christ the Redeemer. Apparently this is the third statue – the first (1904) was not resistant to weather and was replaced in the 1960s. That one was destroyed by a thunderstorm, so they are taking no chances with the current one which is made of reinforced concrete.

Another surprising plant to find (to me) was agave, again native to the Americas.

Finally, we arrived back in Victoria, passing the Capuchin Friary before returning to our hotel.

After a rest we went out again to eat in Maldonaldo Bistro, named after a 17th century Governor of Gozo, another amazing find to which we would return later in the week.

This was the only walk we did without using public transport. The next day we figured out the bus system!

Linked to Jo’s Monday Walk.