Gozo's Coastal Trails

This was an excellent holiday with smooth travel arrangements and a good hotel. We were able to adapt the walks to our abilities each day. Our taxi driver had recommended local restaurants in the village of Ghanjsielem which is above Mgarr and we had some very good dinners at Giuseppe Cafe & Bistro (closed Wednesdays) and The Parlour Bar (closed Mondays). Hotel breakfasts were excellent as were the dinners we had at the hotel.

Generally interesting selection of walks that covered the different aspects and regions of Gozo well. However, the walk directions and maps were not as good as we have found on other Inntravel holidays 

Everyone we met on Gozo was extremely welcoming and friendly, especially all the staff at the Grand Hotel.

They pointed out that you can use Google Maps to check the location and timings for all the bus stops, which is great with the bus pass. There is also a bus app which does the same, but we didn't  try it.

The one small  problem we found was that none of the available maps combined all the features we wanted. In particular, we would have liked a map showing the detailed bus routes, complete with the names of the towns and villages.

Another well constructed walking holiday by Inntravel. However Malta and Gozo are both heavily populated islamds so this is not a get-away-from-it-all holiday

additional walks of similar grade grade available from the victoria tourist information office. the maps provided are no use whatsoever as a navigation aid. 5G available on most of islands to download something better.

The organisation of this holiday lived up to our high expectations of Inntravel from previous holidays with them. In Gozo we would really recommend Country Terrace for the ambience and food.  Unfortunately Ta Philip had closed and was up for sale. Because of the heat and humidity we found the walks challenging and couldn't complete them.  Fortunately Bolt and Uber came to our rescue.  We also made good use of the local buses and found the payment card very useful.  As a previous reviewer said several of the walks were along roads which were quite busy. Would we recommend this holiday? Yes but think carefully about the time of year.  Malta was extremely crowded but the cathedral was exceptional.  Thank you Inntravel for the tip to book tickets online to save queuing.  Chapel 5 suites was a lovely end to the holiday.

Personal highlights for us were the Ta' Cenc cliff walk, the Dwerja bay circuit, walking the coastline and the salt pans of the Ghasri circuit and all the country lanes. 

A reasonable level of fitness meant we enjoyed the walks in hot enough conditions well.  

Think very seriously about doing this holiday early September - it can be very hot.

We love this spring break for its not too strenuous walks. And the ease of transport on the local buses. This was the fifth time we have been to Gozo with Inntravel and we still enjoy it.

Gozo is a very interesting island with an astonishing history which is very well interpreted. I was disappointed at the lack of wildlife - plenty of seemingly hybrid sparrows, but little else in the way of birds - but the botanical interest is enhanced by various endemics. A trip to Comino is worthwhile, especially if you pay the 5 Euros for a close encounter with the stunning cliffs, caves, stacks and arches. The tourist honey-pot of Blue Lagoon may seem off-putting, but if you walk 100 metres you are likely to be almost alone. Restaurants close to the hotel are excellent (Country Terrace, Ta Philip, One80). If you need a night near the airport we would recommend Talbot and Bons Boutique (don't be put off by the 'boutique' in the name) just a few minutes walk from the terminal. The 'bus pass is a real bonus. We are left wondering why we bother with all the rules of the road in Britain after seeing the Maltan traffic! Drivers are very considerate of pedestrians, thankfully.

HIGHLIGHTS & TIPS: Easter celebrations on Gozo. Good Friday parade at Xaghra and Easter Sunday parades in Victoria. Cliffs of Ta'Cenc were impressive. Salt pans on Walk 3. Fort St Angelo. The buses worked well and the 7-day travel passes were useful. We used ours on 8 consecutive days, as our time of use on the 8th day was earlier than the time on the first day. The One 80 restaurant in Mgarr was excellent. So was the Brass & Knuckle Steakhouse in Naxxar.

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

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 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.

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.

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!