The Best Beaches in Gozo, Malta

This post was last updated on 2024 April 21

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With all of the trips I’ve made to Europe + my affinity for beaches, you’d think an island country in the Mediterranean would have been on my radar.

But no, somehow Malta only crept into my consciousness after watching a recent season of Below Deck Med that was filmed there. This, combined with a hot tip from a friend who had visited and claimed that Gozo beaches were absolutely epic, led me to mentally bookmark Malta for a future trip.

And when I had a couple free weeks in Europe in August 2023 before I was to meet said friend for a road trip in Italy, nearby Malta felt like the perfect choice to fill the time. 

First, let me give you a quick overview of Malta so that this blog posts makes more sense:

• Malta is actually comprised of 3 islands: the main island of Malta, the tiny island of Comino, and the small island of Gozo.
• Malta is the biggest and most populated of the islands. It’s probably the best choice if you have limited time in Malta and are interested in seeing more archaeological sites and fortified cities, and not just beaches.
• Comino is a popular day trip from Malta or Gozo and has the most stunning turquoise waters surrounding it. It’s full of party boats and tourists from 10am-5pm daily.
• Gozo is the quietest and least-touristy of the islands. You’re more likely to run into locals than tourists here. It’s ideal for anyone looking to spend most of their time at beaches (*raises hand*) and small villages.

I ended up spending 1 week on Gozo, and 1.5 weeks on Malta (during which I did a day trip to Comino), and for me this was perfect. However, I really like to take my time and spend a full day soaking up one beach or location, so if you’re someone who likes to move around a lot and see lots of sights in a day… 3-4 days in Gozo would probably be enough for you.

While there is a public bus that runs around Gozo, it’s not very frequent and will drastically limit what you’re able to see on the island. I strongly advise hiring a car in Malta instead (I went with Josef, a family-run car rental business, and highly recommend them).

And yes, the rumors are true: driving in Malta is often a nerve-wracking experience! There are so many narrow roads with not enough space to fit two cars, especially on Gozo (full disclosure, I ended up scratching the side of my car on one of these narrow roads – thank god I had gone with full insurance on it!). But don’t let that scare you because there’s hardly any traffic in Gozo, and often you’ll be the only one on the road.

 

Lastly, the beaches in Gozo aren’t the only thing you can see on this island. There are a few cute villages, a castle, some old ruins, and churches you can visit on Gozo. However, Gozo beaches are the most impressive thing about it, and beaches are my favorite thing – therefore, this blog post is only about the beaches on Gozo :)

And when I say beaches, I’m also including the coastline of Gozo because WOW is it scenic! Between dramatic cliffs, a variety of textures, and unique rock formations, there’s so much to see. A couple of the places I’ve highlighted in this post include a stretch of coastal walk.

Starting in the north and going clockwise around the island, here are the best beaches in Gozo:

 

Wied il-Għasri

Starting off with a bang, Wied il-Għasri is definitely one of the coolest beaches in Gozo. This Gozo beach is quite fjord-like and reminded me a lot of the Calanques in southern France and Seitan Limania Beach in Crete.

First, walk around the top of the gorge and you’ll be able to see the whole thing leading out to the sea. Best views are off the dirt path, as usual ;)

Then, descend the steps and claim a spot on the small pebbly beach, or on either side of the gorge on one of the flat-ish rock shelves. Lots of people were jumping into the water from these rock shelves when I was there. Alternatively, you can enter the water from the beach; just be warned that the water here is far from calm, and you might be ping-ponged around with the water as it bounces off of the rock walls on either side. 

Due to the lack of shade and semi-comfortable seating, this Gozo beach is probably not one you’ll want to linger at. Still, it is VERY worth checking out, if only for an hour.

 

Where to park: Park on the main paved road (Triq Is-Sagħtrija) around here and walk down the dirt road to reach the beach. Do NOT park at the Wied il-Għasri Car Park on Google Maps – this is at the end of the dirt road which is a bit dodgy for cars and has limited parking (you can see it on the right side of the drone shot below).

 

 

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Xwejni Bay to Wied il-Mielaħ

The Xwejni Bay to Wied il-Mielaħ stretch of coastline in the north of Gozo makes for a very interesting walk, which is why I’ve lumped them together as one point of interest. 

Wied il-Għasri (above) is perfectly in-between Xwejni Bay and Wied il-Mielaħ, so you can definitely visit all of them in one day. To avoid having to walk the entire distance there and back, it might make more sense to do it in segments and drive between them, e.g.:

• Xwejni Bay to Salt Pans to Reqqa Point (park here)
• Wied il-Għasri (park here)
• Wied il-Mielaħ to Sand Waves (park here)

Xwejni Bay

Xwejni Bay from above Triq Għajn Mhelhel (viewpoint here).

Xwejni Bay is a delightful little beach on Gozo that’s ideal for sunbathing and swimming, and flanked by some extremely picturesque landscapes. On one side there’s Xwejni Rock (a little peak that looks like it’s wearing a hat), and behind it is a fort. On the other side is a tapestry of salt pans of varying sizes/shapes.

I’ve made a point of visiting thousands of beaches in my travels, and I’ve honestly never seen a beach quite like this one. Don’t miss it on your tour of the best beaches in Gozo!

Salt Pans

From Xwejni Bay, walk around the left (west) side of the beach and you’ll soon find hundreds of salt pans laid out like a jigsaw puzzle.

 

Reqqa Point

From the salt pans, continue walking along the road and soon you’ll find a little ramp leading down to the flat rock (location here). You can walk along this flat rock for as long as you’d like, to Reqqa Point and beyond, admiring the coastal cliffs and the (dried-out) salt pans. 

 

Wied il-Mielaħ

Wied il-Mielaħ is a limestone arch formed over the sea. Definitely worth a quick look, though the lighting here makes it super challenging for photos!

Sand Waves

Just up the road from the arch is a wavy rock area dubbed Sand Waves on Google Maps. Highly recommend coming here for that sweet golden hour light reflecting off the rock!

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Ramla Beach & Tal-Mixta Cave

Ramla Beach is considered one of the best beaches on Gozo, presumably because of its soft orange sand and the fact that it’s the Gozo beach that most closely resembles a conventional beach (that is, a long stretch of sand parked next to the sea). Most Gozo beaches are less conventionally beach-like and more rocky. 

But before going to Ramla Beach itself, head up the eastern headland and check out Tal-Mixta Cave. The view of the beach through the cave is sensational!

 

Driving back down to Ramla Beach Gozo, I’d recommend parking on the side of the road on Triq ta Ghajn Hosna (location here). It’s easier than having to deal with busy parking lots down the street, plus it’s free. 

From here, it’s a short walk down the road to the beach.

Can you spot Tal-Mixta Cave in the headland?

 

Somehow, the little sandy cove just to the left (west) of Ramla Beach is full of gray sand, rather than orange. It seems to be a popular camping spot and honestly, I can’t blame ’em. What a view!

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Daħlet Qorrot Beach

I don’t want to play favorites, but you know what – I think Daħlet Qorrot is my favorite Gozo beach!

I mean, it’s the only one I visited twice while I was on the island, which is pretty telling. But also, the water here is UNREAL. Look at those blues!

Daħlet Qorrot is very much a locals beach – I’m 99.9% sure it was just me and a bunch of Maltese families hanging out here both times I visited. Lots of boats anchor in the bay here as well, so the beach does get a steady stream of traffic.

There’s a small patch of beach here where you can lay out, but the rocks are where it’s at. What’s better than spreading your towel out on the flat rock and laying in the sun with a good book, periodically pausing to jump in the water to cool off?

I also adore the colorful doorways in the rock! Pretty sure locals use these little rooms as beach storage units and a shady respite from the sun.

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Hondoq ir-Rummien

Hondoq ir-Rummien is another east coast Gozo beach with perfectly clear turquoise water. Unlike Daħlet Qorrot though, there’s no shade to be found anywhere at this beach unless you rent a sun bed or bring your own umbrella.

The beach itself is small and crowded during summer, so you might want to nab a sunbathing spot on the side instead: either on the concrete slabs to the left (where the sunbeds for hire are) or on the rocks to the right.

No matter your location, you’ll be able to gaze out at Comino island across the water. Isn’t she a beaut? 

Hondoq ir-Rummien is one of the few Gozo beaches where activities abound, from kayaking and jet skiing to snorkeling and diving. There are also kayaking tours and day trip boats to Comino island that depart from this beach.

But honestly, it’s enough just to relax and swim at this beautiful Gozo beach.

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Mġarr ix-Xini

Mġarr ix-Xini is another fjord-like beach in Gozo, situated on the south coast. Unlike Wied il-Għasri, this one is a little more open and calm, and seems to be a popular place for boats to anchor. 

The beach itself is nice and worth a visit, but I much preferred walking around the left (east) side of the gorge and out to the coast. The views of the water from above are sensational!

You can easily start the walk from one of the parking spots I link to below, which are *above* the beach… and then walk down to the beach afterwards. From the sea edge, you can see both Malta and Comino. 

You might also peep a hotel restaurant on the other side of the gorge, Ta’ Ċenċ Il-Kantra (near the narrow inlet on the left side of the drone shot below) – or the many sunbeds scattered around the cliff below it. What an epic spot to lay out for an afternoon! I believe there’s a swimming spot that’s accessible from here, but I’m not clear on whether it’s open to the public, or if you have to be a restaurant patron or a hotel guest to use it. 

Where to park: Avoid the long and narrow Triq ta’ Mġarr ix-Xini down to the beach (which is often not wide enough for two cars to pass) and instead, park on Triq Ta’ Għar Ix-Xiħ. I parked here, but I think you may be able to park further down, on a little dirt patch off the road near the Mgarr ix-Xini View point (around here). 

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Xlendi Bay to Sanap Cliffs

Making our way to the west coast of Gozo, Xlendi is a cute little beach town – and the first place I encountered any foreigners on the entire island. I’m not sure why tourists seem to flock to the west coast and nowhere else in Gozo when there are so many unique and stunning beaches on Gozo ALL over the island. I suspect they use it as a base from which to book boat trips, diving trips, and various water sports.

At any rate, Xlendi is the starting point for a glorious walk around the southwest coast of Gozo. Xlendi Beach itself isn’t worth writing home about, so instead of lingering, I recommend walking left/clockwise/south from the beach and following the coastline all the way to the epic Sanap Cliffs.

You can park at the free car park in the center of town (location here).

Kantra Valley, just past Xlendi Beach.

 

The Xlendi Bay to Sanap Cliffs walking trail actually goes all the way to Mġarr in southeast Gozo, where the ferry terminal is located. But that’s about 13km one way, and then you’d have to somehow coordinate transport back to your parked car in Xlendi if you’re not keen on walking all the way back… which is a liiiiiiiiittle too much hassle for me, personally.

Instead, you can do what I did and walk from Xlendi Bay to Sanap Cliffs along the coast, and then walk back to Xlendi via the inland shortcut. This loop is only about 5 km (click to view the route on Google Maps) and offers some of the most sensational coastal views you could conjure up of the Mediterranean. 

Aim to do the Xlendi Bay to Sanap Cliffs walk about 2 hours before sunset so you can enjoy that golden hour light and catch the sunset as you walk back towards town.

 

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Dwejra Bay & Blue Hole

Last stop on this tour of all the best Gozo beaches: Dwerja Bay on the west coast.

Park here at the free car park and you’ll be easily able to walk to the nearby points of interest.

 

The main attraction in this area is the Blue Hole, a popular diving spot that’s best seen from above if you’re not diving. Just walk uphill from the car park towards the Google Maps location and you should find it no problem.

If you want to get closer to the Blue Hole, you can descend the rock platform via some ladders and make your way there oh-so-carefully. It can be extremely slippery walking on the rock nearby, so wear grippy water shoes if you have ’em. There were many people swimming and snorkelling around the Blue Hole Gozo when I visited, as well as a small group of divers.

 

 

Nearby the Blue Hole is the Dwerja Inland Sea. Yup, you read that right – an inland sea. It looks like a crater lake from above, but the water is actually connected to the sea via a cave tunnel.

AND, the Dwerja Inland Sea is also a dive site. Theoretically, you could start your dive here and come up through the Blue Hole – how epic would that be?!

It’s not the best for swimming, but it does make for a delightful sunbathing spot in mid-to-late afternoon.

 

 

From down here, you can hop on a quick boat trip that takes you out to sea, along the coast and back. It’s only 5 euros and departs whenever the boat is full, which shouldn’t take too long in summer.

From the boat, you’ll be able to spot some caves and interesting rock formations along the coast. Sadly the Azure Window (famous for being a Game of Thrones filming location) collapsed in 2017, but its former location will be pointed out to you on the boat trip. 

 

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