Gozo - the Island of Calypso

The emblem of Gozo is a shield consisting of three pointed brownish hills, the middle one slightly higher, rising from the blue sea on a sky blue field and a golden star in the middle chief. Simultaneously with this emblem, Gozo earned its popular nickname "the island of the Three Hills" probably derived from the hilly view when observed from mainland Malta.

Inspired by the mysterious and yet superbly skilful megalithic builders of the temples of Ggantija, the Gozitans have adopted and perfected their building tradition.Thus, Gozitan architects and stone masons have, over the years, laboriously built churches with domes whose stunning dimensions dwarf the villages in which they stand. Most churches were constructed during the baroque period with the characteristic accent lying on the grandiose and the aesthetic.

The capital Victoria, lies on the centre of the island. It boasts the dominant Citadel, two splendid churches, namely St George's Basilica and the Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary,several small churches and monasteries, two opera houses and various urban commercial outlets.Surrounding Victoria, are Gozo's thirteen villages, which are: San Lawrenz, Gharb, Ghasri, Xaghra, Munxar, Sannat, Fontana, Kercem, Zebbug, Xewkija, Nadur, Ghajnsielem and Qala.

The Citadel is one of the most beautiful architectural complexes on the Islands. Behind its austere bastions the Citadel hides a number of fine buildings, museums and the Cathedral.

Villages in Gozo reflect a way of life simultaneously rural and refined with superbly proportioned squares and carved balconies. From the old traditional farmhouses with their typical archways to the most contemporary houses, the incredible amount of architectural detail is surprising in its creativity. Balconies are embellished with balustrades, flower pots, Georgian style facades, roof gardens and bougainvillaea.

The countryside is recognised by its rubble walls and the prickly pear hedges peeping over or bordering terraced fields. Green hills and fertile valleys separate one village from the other. Wherever you look, the sea is always within the reach of the eye. In fact, Gozo has an amazing coastline with its tiny creeks, sand beaches, blue sea, majestic rock formations and protruding watchtowers. Low lying coastal stretches of limestone, are chequered with salt pans while high and dramatic cliffs trigger awesome emotions with their native blend of salty air and wild herbs.

At the foot of the cliffs at Dwejra, the Azure Window is the superb companion to another interesting landmark Fungus Rock upon which, recorded since the times of the Knights of St. John, grows a very unique type of fungus with alleged therapeutic properties. Close by, the Inland Sea provides a wonderful opportunity for a boat trip with a difference.

The population of Gozo stands at about 28,000. Its official language is Maltese which is spoken in distinguished dialect that amazingly differs slightly from one village to another. As applies for the whole Maltese islands, the language has Semitic origins and Romance influences, while the English language stands as the second official language.

Gozo could be reached in two ways; either by Ferry or by Helicopter. The most common is the Ferry service between Mgarr Harbour in Gozo and Cirkewwa Harbour in Malta, with a basically roll-on/roll-off schedule.

The climate is typically Mediterranean. It is generally mild in winter save for the first four to six weeks of the year when it is normally a bit cool, wet and sometimes unpredictable. The average temperature for winter is 16 degrees Celsius and it covers the period between December and March. Summer is rather long, dry and sunny, with August being the warmest month. The average temperature for summer is 25 degrees Celsius and it covers the period between April and November.