Glorious Gozo

Such a lovely break at the end of a grey wet winter.  The hotel is lovely and friendly and it's so good to be able to get around so easily by bus.

A thoroughly enjoyable series of walks. The weather in late February was fine with one wet day. Bus services were reliable but could be busy from Mgarr to Victoria in mid morning when visitors from Malta arrive by ferry.

A lovely early February break. A little too much walking on roads and concrete paths but lovely scenery and some Spring flowers. Excellent food and wine.

We ate at the following restaurants:

Country Terrace (twice) - beautiful terrace restaurant on the hill, overlooking the harbour. 5 minutes walk from the hotel. Family owned and run. Superb food, and service. Beautiful position. Full of locals.

T'Mun (twice) - 5 minutes down hill from the hotel. Mentioned in the Michelin Guide. Best food we had on the island (and we had a lot of good food!). Brilliant service. Slighly more expensive, but not much.

Ta'Tona - 5 minutes down hill from the hotel. Very casual, but quite excellent food. Usual excellent Gozan service.

Best bar in town for a post-walk beer, sitting in the shade, over-looking the bustling harbour and marina - Gleneagles Bar

Overall, a great holiday. No complaints.

The scenery on Gozo by September has an arid beauty, set against the warm colour of the limestone used for buildings. The sea is a stunning blue! If you take the opportunity to visit Comino, get away from the Blue Lagoon area as soon as you can - it's massively commercialised. If you walk round the island you will have it largely to yourself and get some stunning views. Visit Santa Maria Bay if you want a swim without the crowds. If you can, buy a ferry ticket that includes a trip around the caves on your return to Mgarr as they are stunning. Be aware that at busy times the buses fill quickly and will not stop to pick anyone up once full. As some of the buses run only every hour it is worth downloading a local taxi app, eg: Bolt as they are efficient, inexpensive and will save you time. Also, download the bus app which will give you real time bus services. It's worth using at least one of your meal vouchers at the Grand to experience the rooftop BBQ - fabulous views and food. We concur with previous travellers as to the quality of food and service at Ta' Philip - a few steps from the hotel. Also we recommend the Country Terrace, a short walk further on from Ta' Philip which was also excellent.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our single centre walk Glorious Gozo with our Historic Malta add-on

We did the 10 day holiday with 7 nights on Gozo followed by 3 on Malta. The walks in the countryisde took in very interesting locations with excellent spots for a swim / snorkel and it was possible to adapt walks to suit by using the bus routes. The suggested town trails and other sights in Victoria, Valletta and Mdina/Rabat were also very well described in the notes.

We loved the holiday, particularly the week in Gozo.  Grand Hotel is well situated, and the swimming pool was very welcome after the walks.  Miriana on Reception was very helpful after my husband had his wallet stolen at the bus station in Victoria.  It may be useful to add a comment in the notes to tell people to be particularly careful when boarding buses at Victoria bus station, as there is often a rush to get on to the correct bus (they sometimes pull up beyond the official stops), providing ideal opportunities for pickpockets.

Road signs are rare on Gozo because the locals know where they are going.  Plan to get lost most days even if you are a seasoned walker!  Drinks are cheap on Gozo and Malta.

Gozo is a fabulous place for a walking holiday and the Grand Hotel offers an excellent base. The climate was a little hot in June. We enjoyed the food immensely and the local people are very friendly.

The Talinja bus pass was a big plus. The buses on Gozo (and Malta) are excellent, use your phone to photograph timetables on bus stops for future use, or download the Talinja app if you are digitally able - to get live updates on bus times. It was wonderful to be without a car!

Another first class holiday with Inntravel. The knowledge of your representatives we spoke to before the holiday and the speed of answering was first class and a credit to your organisation. We ate at the Ta'Klarick, just up the road from Maple Farm, ideal after a long day. The staff were very friendly and the food we ate was varied and of good quality.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our single centre walking holiday Glorious Gozo with our Malta add on

GOZO - We had a very pleasant week on Gozo despite the heavy winds on our arrival and the first day of walking. There was a couple of days of rain but did all the trails starting with the Qala Circuit. Following other reviews, we combined the visit to the Neolithic Temples at Xaghra with the Victoria Town Trail. This enabled us to do enjoy the Nadur Circuit as this was our best day for the weather. We were impressed with the cliffs of Ta’Cenc but had to cut short the part to Saguna cliffs as we had a tremendous rainfall so we caught the bus back from this village. We were made most welcome in the Inn in the square with a pot of tea and cake and given advice for the next bus. Really enjoyed Ghasri walk as we had good weather and the salt pans were amazing. The walk along the coast here was stunning. The buses were very good on Gozo and locals were helpful in advising the stop to get off at. Everyone was very friendly and most spoke English. Did not get the array of wild flowers we had hoped for as we were a little late in the season. The Grand Hotel was very well situated at the harbour and we enjoyed the 2 meals in the hotel and breakfast. We had some excellent meals at Ta’Tona and the Country Terrace dining at both on 2 occasions. We frequented the Gleneagles Bar - a good stop off after our days walk taking the bus down to the harbour. We had a great cocktail in the one80 Kitchen. We dined at Ta’Philip and we were really looking forward to it following previous reviews but we were disappointed as they were short-staffed and not on their best performance for which they apologised.

MALTA – We extended our stay by 5 nights in Malta staying at the Chapel 5 Palazzo Suites. Verena and Omar made us most welcome. They had only taken ownership from November 2022 and their first guests arrived in March. The buses to Valletta were good but often busy so we also used the Bolt app which worked well when we needed a taxi to visit other places that required more than one bus. Valletta was very walkable and we went a couple of days. St Johns’ Cathedral is a must see but we were very fortunate as they had a special exhibition of 25 16th century Tapestries on display, which were exceptional. So was the cathedral and we must have spent over 2 hours in the building. We also had coffee and a cake in the legendary Caffe Cordina. We had another bonus as one very sunny morning in the main square there was a Classic Car exhibition where my husband was in his element. We enjoyed vising the War Museum and we pre-booked the Underground Tunnels which gave us a very good insight about Malta’s history especially during WW2. Another must see is the Palace Parisio in Naxxar it has the most amazing ballroom and the gardens are stunning too. We pre-booked in the UK an evening meal in the Luna di Sera Restaurant having a cocktail in the garden under the full bloom of the jasmine trailing over the pagodas. Dinner was exceptional and very well served and a very nice treat. Note the venue is extensively used for weddings so check first if the restaurant is going to be open. We ate at Ta’Stringi in Naxxar but we would really recommend the Brass and Knuckle. We had a super dinner of meat and returned to have the cheese fondue with the platter of continental meats. Staff very friendly and service was good. We enjoyed the Mnajdra and Hagar Qim temples and combined this with a visit to the Blue Grotto where we took the boat to go around the 7 caves. Several museums were closed in Valletta: Grand Masters Palace, Manoel Theatre, Maritime Museum and Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa.

Enjoyed the trip and thanks again to Inntravel for all the notes and maps etc.

Lovely staying in one place so could choose the walks when we wanted. Hotel very pleasant, a bit tired and a mixture of old and new wings but nice room with plenty of space, exception being that it was too hot and the air con ineffective. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Restaurants aplenty but quite expensive. Very helpful Xlendi taxi driver who pointed out all the restaurants, Comino ferry and other useful info (Alfredo). Great weather - so nice to be in the sun - but not too hot for walking. Explored Victoria and visited the temple complex.

Our favourite walk was Ghasri/Marsalform. Note that there is a small supermarket & toilets in Ghasri. As said by previous reviewers the kiosk down the road from hotel in Mgarr was great for picking up provisions and the Cupcake at Victoria bus station provided welcome refreshments whilst waiting for bus. We ate mainly at the Grand Hotel as portions were more appropriate for us. We bought an extra tallinja card with 12 single day journeys from the Grand Hotel in Mjarr which we could use in Malta. This was particularly useful as our stay in Malta was unexpectedly extended. We had some health issues but having our EHI card gave access to Malta's reciprical agreement with UK for free health care. We enjoyed staying at the more rural Maple Farm.

Excellent holiday as usual with Inntravel. We enjoyed all the walks and made very good use of the local bus service that Inntravel provided passes for. Transfers to and from the airport were smooth. Excellent food in the hotel and a lovely room with an amazing view of the harbour. Would highly recommend.

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday on Gozo. Easter was a perfect time as the wildflowers were spectacular and there were Easter celebrations to watch. We had good weather every day although a cold wind at times.

We were very lucky with the weather, but the holiday was just about perfect with excellent accommodation, local resturants and amenities. The walks were varied and interesting giving us an exccellent introduction to the island and its people.

The bus card and ease of travel using it is great. It allowed one person in our group to shorten routes to their own capabilities so they could still take part. Hotel lovely and good value to eat in. Warm and mostly sunshine.

Another great trip by Inntravel!   Excellent arrangements including a very informative taxi driver who was a great 'tour guide' with information such as 'check the restaurant opening days and eat in the hotel (which was good) on those nights' and his favourites which included Rexy's - which was ours too (get there early or book if you can.

We were a little shocked at how busy Mgarr and parts of the island were - constant ferry traffic - and so much building work.  However, the lovely hotel - great rooms and service, the excellent Inntravl information including the well used bus passes, the delicious food and most of all the fantastic local people who went out of their way to talk to us definitely compensated for our initial concerns

The walks too and the related history were a delight.  Despite our age (upper 70s) and infirmities we managed all or part of most of the routes using the buses or the excellent Bolt taxi service (worth taking to chat to the drivers!) to shorten the route if required

The weather in early March was as expected.  Windy most days with rain showers (much appreciated by the locals to keep the beautiful greenery and wild flowers blooming) so sweaters and rainwear required. These never lasted more than a few hours though and when the sun came out it was back to shorts and tee shirts

By the end we were wishing we had longer and will definitely consider a return visit.  Thank you Inntravel

Gozo is no longer a sleepy, laid back island. We were last there 18 years ago (before they entered the EU) and were quite shocked at the amount of traffic, number of tourists even in mid November, the construction work going on all over the island and also the number of migrants hanging around places especially in Victoria. I think that future customers should be aware that most of the walks are on roads and that it is now a very busy Island even out of season. The bus pass was excellent and only one bus failed to turn up - we then went over to Comino for the day. We could only have two hours there but we enjoyed a walk around the Island but getting off the boat at the Blue Lagoon entailed stepping over bodies sunbathing - not quite what we had expected!!

This is our first walking holiday outside GB. Extremely well organised. We didn't have any problems.  Walks are very cleverly & clearly planned with GPX maps provided. Good choice of accommodation. Staff response to any any enquiry and minor doubts was excellent. No doubt we will go with Inn Travel again & again. 

A well organised and interesting walking holiday. Sammy's restaurant by the harbour is good value. Tip - check the return bus times before starting out on your walk so you can plan your day. Be prepared to see many stone shooting lodges along the south coast. We found the sight of trapped finches distressing.

Inntravel is clearly a well established and very knowlegable company offering excellent service and holidays. We had a seamless and very enjoyable 4 days following excellent walking routes in Gozo. All the hassle was taken away. 

This was our third walking holiday with Inntravel - but our first self-guided - and it didn't disappoint. Once again, the design and organisation of the trip by Inntravel was exemplary. Transfers were smooth and efficient, the accommodation excellent and the background information and walking notes superb. Our week on Gozo was lovely and we preferred it to the much busier and (for us) less interesting Malta. The walks were good - we did 4 out of the 5 recommended trails, with the Ta'Cenc walk being the standout, with its breathtaking route along the cliff tops of southern Gozo. I would also recommend the Nadur circuit as a must-do walk, with its wonderful views over Ramla Bay from the Tal Mixta Cave. However, I agree with a couple of previous travellers that the visit to the incredible Ggantija megalithic temples is best done as a separate half-day trip, rather than an extension to the Nadur circuit. I would also recommend the walking tour of the capital Victoria (Rabat) - its a vibrant little city, with lots of good places to eat and drink and the historic Citadel is worth a couple of hours of anyone's time. 

There are lots of great places to eat within walking distance of the hotel in Mgarr. Both Ta'Tona (our favourite) and Ta'Philip were terrific and I would also recommend the Band Club (Giuseppe's), which is good value and has a lovely terrace and a great atmosphere (its very popular with locals). And echoing an earlier review, the Kiosk near the hotel is brilliant for cheap, tasty lunches.

Our 3 night extension on Malta was also very enjoyable, though 3 nights felt enough. We stayed at Maple Farm, which is run by Charles and Anna, two of the nicest people you will ever meet, who clearly love what they do - they really do treat guests as an extension of their family.  The accommodation was comfortable and the little pool is just lovely and great to come back to after a day of exploring and sightseeing. Spent a day in Valletta, which we loved - its a very walkable and incredibly well-preserved old city. Would recommend lunch inside (outside looks like every other pavement cafe) the legendary Caffe Cordina, and our gondola ride around the harbour was fab (and excellent value) and is definitely the bext way to see the waterfront and the 'three cities'. We also visited the must-see neolithic temples at Hagar Qim and its (more atmospheric) neighbour Mnajdra, and the simply incredible Hypogeum, the underground temple in Paola just outside Valletta. Our Maltese driver felt that visiting the Hypogeum was the number one thing to do in Malta, but I would advise booking well in advance of your trip, as only 10 people an hour are allowed to enter the site and it gets booked up months ahead. A couple of dinner recommendations in Malta. Firstly, its really easy to get great food delivered to your accommodation, using the Bolt Food app (we also used the Bolt taxi app a few times). Secondly, would highly recommend Fork and Cork restaurant in Rabat - we had a wonderful meal there on my birthday while we were in Malta. It's a little pricier than some other local restaurants but absolutely worth it for the quality of food (its in the Michelin guide) and service.

Would recommend walking on Gozo. Routes are varied and being fairly hilly are a good workout. We went when temperatures were around 26 degrees ... any hotter would have been uncomfortable - not much shade once you are out of towns. Would also recommend taking a few days at the end at Maple Farm. This is walking distance to Rabat/Mdina and allows a relaxing end to the trip with plenty of bars/restaurants nearby

All the walks were enjoyable and with the bus pass adaptable. Tips: download the Tallinja app and take photos of the timetables at Victoria. The gpx files were really useful. Restaurant recommendations would be Ta'Tona and Country Terrace on Gozo and Ta'Stringi in Naxxar. Cellini had closed down.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our Historic Malta add-on with our single centre walking holiday Glorious Gozo 

Sitting on the balcony atching the world go by and enjoying the sun.

Use the buses, great. Hotel excellent, with very good swimming pool and restaurants.

This is our third walking holiday with Inntravel and will not be our last!  The walking notes are excellent, very clear and accurate with many thoughtful additions of places of interest to visit, bars, restaurants and picnic places.  The map is invaluable and will let you tailor the walks to make them shorter or longer if you wish.  Note that some of the buses run only every hour so it's worth checking with the app for return times. We did have torrential rain on one day, our lightweight waterproofs could not cope and in particular we wished we'd had waterproof rucksacks and a waterproof map case.  There are some great places to eat within a short walk of the Grand Hotel in Mgarr; Sammy's is casual, friendly and does great local food, Ta' Philip's meats from the wood-fired oven are not to be missed and the harbourside one80Kitchen does a sleek, modern take on sharing plates.  In the hotel, we thought the rooftop buffet (weekends and Wednesdays, weather permitting) was an excellent choice for the included dinners.  If you want a quick sandwich or lunch, the little kiosk called Fuli just down the hill from the hotel does terrific hot filled rolls and salads - portions, as in most places, are enormous!  We extended the holiday with some time in Malta, Valetta is hugely interesting and a wonderful contrast to the rural quietness of Gozo.

Highlights:Fascinating view from the balcony over the harbour, rooftop barbecue at the Grand Hotel, meals at Ta' Philip, visit to the Ggantija Temple complex. 

HIGHLIGHTS: Dinner on the roof of the Grand Hotel, the food and view were amazing. Trip round The Grand Harbour on a boat on our own. The catacombs (it was cool). Walking in the countryside. Lunch at Tmun and Panzier on Gozo (very different atmosphere and price). Dinner at Ta' Philip so near the Grand hotel, very friendly, huge portions.

A fabulous insight into Gozo during our walks. Every recommended walk was superb, especially in the warm, dry weather experienced. The archaeological sites are well worth the detours and additional mileage. There are some excellent cafes and bars in operation along the walks. Make sure you try the Ftiras! (local filled bread rolls). Local people helpful and very friendly. Bus services generally good, although occasionally erratic in scheduled times and diversions. 

We absolutely loved walking on Comino. We sat on a rocky beach without another soul as far as the eye could see, enjoying lunch whilst looking out across the sea to Malta. It was spectacular. The abundance of wild flowers and bird song was a theme throughout. 

Coastal walking and the history of the island were the highlights. Comino is very busy and for the younger 'set', but ok when you get away from the bay. Rather noisy when waiting for the ferry back, but the speedboat back from the caves was a great bonus and a good way to end the day.

Glorious Gozo lived up to its name. The weather was perfect, the scenery is stunning and the Mediterranean Sea was crystal clear. We loved being able to have a dip in the sea part way around the walks, even if it was just to cool down our feet! We are so glad that we decided to add on a stay at Maple Farm because we weren't ready to leave the islands after a week.

A very enjoyable holiday with accurate descriptions of the walks.

The Country Terrace Restaurant has a beautiful view.

We enjoyed all the walks on Gozo, but they were pleasant rather than oustandingly memorable. By the end of the week we had a good feel for life on Gozo in every sense. We were lucky with the weather, which was perfect and meant we could end every day with a swim in the Grand's lovely pool. The bus pass was a very useful part of the holiday and we enjoyed our journeys round the island to and from walks. The tip not to use the pass for the first 2 days (so it was available for Malta) was a good one.

On Malta, our three highlights were Mdina, St John's Cathedral in Valletta and a trip round the Grand Harbour in a little Maltese "gondola". 30 minutes for 8 Euros a head. Good value and well worth doing. Also Charles' beautiful garden and swimming pool were a joy to return to each evening.

A tip for future guests at Maple Farm: Get your head round the bus times and where the nearest bus stop is as soon as you arrive and before you set off on foot into Rabat and Mdina. We did more walking than we needed to on our first afternoon/evening because the nearest open restaurant was quite a step from Maple Farm. By day two we had sorted the buses which meant that dinner in Mdina was both a realistic and pleasant outing.

The Gozo walking holiday was a perfect tonic after nearly two years of isolation in UK during the pandemic. Whilst difficult to single out any particular location or aspect of the trip, we were indeed fortunate to visit in the Spring and to find flowers in bloom almost at every step. We enjoyed the range of scenery, from spectacular cliffs to sandy beaches, from colourful, fertile valleys to fortified hilltops and from deserted paths to the calm, good natured hustle and bustle of Victoria and Mgarr. The locals were friendly and cheerful and the weather was kind. The self-guided walks gave us seven full days of activity and by the end we thought we had been away for over a fortnight. It was excellent value.    

As ever with Inntravel, the organisation was fantastic. We chose Gozo for some early sunshine and warmth and it didn't disappoint - the weather in early May was perfect for walking, and even when the forecast said 'rain' only a few drops arrived all day! We were pleased that the walks covered the whole island - literally! - as well as Comino, and by starting out early in the morning (9am-ish) we were able to complete them all in time for a nice lunch. We found the scenery a little samey, although the cliffs were spectacular and we were suprised to find a few fertile valleys. The people in Gozo are very friendly; the buses are very easy to use and punctual, and the announcements on board of the next stop were very helpful. We loved Mgarr and were pleased to be staying there - it's a bustling port with a good selection of reasonably-priced restaurants, more than enough for a week's holiday. We appreciate that the Grand Hotel is the only hotel in Mgarr, but it was dated and very tired, with average service and poor food - please speak to them about the quality of their packed lunches - and we did not avail ourselves of the two evening meals included in our package, which is unusual for us.

The cliff top walk direct from the Grand Hotel, Gozo was a highlight. Our favourite restaurants were One80 & Sammy's in Gozo & Chellini in Naxaar. Overall, we much preferred Gozo to Malta. Naxaar is nice. Shame about most of the rest of the island. The bus pass worked well on Gozo but buses on Malta were so shambolic that we gave them up in favour of a taxi app.

Go to Gozo and Malta for its remarkable history - it's amazing. They have the world's oldest Neolithic ruins (3500 BC 'temples') which makes Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza 'new build'. Make a special effort to visit as many sites as possible - they combine bus journeys and walking. As for more recent history i.e. The Knights of Malta, the capital of Gozo (Victoria) has a wonderful citadel whilst the old capital of Malta - Mdina is a perfectly preserved marvel. Just wander around for half a day. Valletta is also very well preserved, but was 'only' founded in 1566. In truth it's worth several days (at least) of exploration. And whilst you are exploring reflect on how much we owe the Maltese and the Knights. They held the line against the Ottomans and without them our history would undoubtedly have taken a turn for the ... worse? In short, visit Malta for an eye-opening education that benefits from the walking.

We highly recommend this holiday.  It was very enjoyable and well organised.  Gozo is beautiful at this time of year - green with crops and spring flowers everywhere.  The walks were a suitable length with many interesting historical and geographic things to see.

HIGHLIGHTS: Amazing wild flowers everywhere. Visiting Valletta and Victoria and also the Temples of Ggantija. We had a lovely day on Comino. Paul's Bistro in Valletta. The fast ferry from Valletta to Gozo although we were told it's not good on a rough day if you are prone to sea sickness.

Gozo is delightful and the walks gave us a good impression of the island. The Gozo hotel is good and the many places to eat locally were also good, we particularly recommend the Country Terrace and of course the Band Club. The Glen Eagles Bar is basic, cheap but a delightful place for an early evening drink. The walks used a lot of concrete paths or minor roads, which can be a bit tiresome, but that's how it is. The public bus service is superb.

A lovely holiday with excellent hotel and walks. Spring is an excellent time to visit with flowers in bloom and few crowds. Having a bus pass came in handy on an unusually stormy day when we were unable to walk.

Lots of nice walking. Bright weather and beautiful flowers, though a little colder than we hoped.

Very good, friendly places to stay on both Gozo and Malta.

It was great using the excellent buses and exploring villages, as well as the countryside. Valletta is beautiful and interesting, and we could have spent a lot longer there than a day.

Lovely food everywhere - in Mgarr we particularly enjoyed Sammy’s and Ta’Tona, where we had a long chat with the friendly woman who runs it.

We did all but one of the walks. The walks were varied and the instructions were excellent. Staying in Mgarr was very convenient, as there was a good choice of restaurants and it was handy for the ferry to Malta and Comino, and also for the buses to and from the walks. We made good use of the bus passes provided. The transfers to and from Gozo were excellent.

View over harbour with church up on the bluff, could spend hours watching the fishing boats and ferries.

Love that the transport is by very efficient bus system not hire cars.

Buy lunch from the kiosk rather than use hotel lunches. We went in February - dress for all seasons. We had days needing suncream and T shirts and others when we had hats and gloves, but always beautiful sunshine and gorgeous spring flowers. Ideal walking weather. The view from our balcony was wonderful. It was a huge pleasure to sit out and relax there after each walk. We did the Qala and Comino walks first as they did not use the bus. We therefore were still able to use the bus pass during our extension in Malta.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers booked our walking holiday Glorious Gozo with our Malta add-on

We had a lovely walk from Mgarr along the coast to Xlendi, including the Ta Cenc cliffs, and followed this by a long lunch at the rooftop restaurant Ic-Cima. Our only tip is to check the return bus timetable before settling down to lunch, the buses are one an hour back to Victoria.

There is a new restaurant down on the harbour at Mgarr (one80) which was good and we enjoyed the Townhouse No3 in Rabat (San Andrea has gone). Both are pricey.

We enjoyed visiting the neolithic temples at Hagar Qim (the 201 bus from Rabat) followed by a walk on the Dingli cliffs, a visit to the cart ruts and caves ('Clapham junction') and walked back to Maple Farm via Buskett Gardens.

As we have said the friendly service at the Grand Hotel was a highlight. Two recommended local restaurants :  180 in the harbour, a modern restaurant on the promenade where we had 2 dinners and the Country Terrace where we had a dinner with a splendid view over Mgarr. The view from the room balcony over the harbour is spectacular, if a trifle noisy as the traffic goes to and from the ferries.Care is needed in walking down to the port as there is no complete footpath.