Down, down, down to the coast

Another day exploring various bays and harbours , this time in the north west of Gozo.

The roads between the coastal towns tend to be very narrow and/or steep, so the safest way to travel around the island is to come back almost to the centre to Victoria or Nadur, before radiating out again. The main roads are definitely less stress inducing, but there's always the last little bit to negotiate!

First stop of the day was Ramla Bay, widely considered Gozo’s, and arguably Malta’s, best beach. Known locally as "Ramla il-Ħamra" – the Red Sandy Beach, it has a number of cafes set back from the beach (all closed for winter), and, strangely, a statue of the Vigin Mary on the beach.

We travelled back up for our second view of Ramla Bay, from the abandoned ruins of Ulysses Lodge. It was a popular wedding and events venue in the 1980s and was abandoned in the late 2000's. It offers great views of the bay (and of course, there's a cache there).

On the other side of Ramla Bay, Mixta Cave also overlooks the bay, and is accessed down a narrow lane, so barely recognisable as a road, that the tourist guide advises to "look out for the subtle turnoff" (most things are not signposted).

The most difficult bay to access today was San Blas Bay, which is notoriously challenging (which apparently adds to its charm and seclusion!). The journey involves navigating a steep and narrow road from Nadur, the last part closed to traffic due to its steepness, requiring visitors to walk down to the bay. This steep descent is not for the faint-hearted, but the owners of the refreshment stall at the bottom (who were cleaning up storm damage today), told us that very few of their customers come from the land, most are dropped off by boat (for those who find the walk too strenuous, a jeep service is available to transport visitors down and up the hill for a small fee during the summer months).

Our penultimate stop was Daħlet Qorrot, a secluded pebbly cove, known for its crystal-clear waters and historic limestone boathouses carved into the cliffs by local fishermen.

Last stop was Hondoq Bay, on the southeast coast, with views of Comino, and also home to the only desalination plant on Gozo, which allows the island to be self-sufficient in water.Read more