28 Epic Things to Do in Gozo, Malta
Looking for the best things to do in Gozo? This small island just north of Malta is usually done as a day trip, but we decided to stay for two days instead. We’re glad we did, because it has so many reasons to visit! The island is packed with dramatic coastline, beautiful beaches, historic sites, tiny villages, and plenty of ways to get outside and enjoy nature. Gozo feels a lot quieter and more rural than Malta, but it’s actually packed with beauty and adventure.
Gozo is also incredibly diverse for its size, and has plenty of ways for all types of travelers to enjoy it! Whether you’re interested in nature, history, food, or adventure, there are plenty of things to do in Gozo, Malta to fill an itinerary.
We’ve visited Gozo as part of our Malta travels and actually recommend spending at least one night here rather than treating it as a quick stop. In this guide, we’re covering the best places to visit in Gozo, the top activities to add to your itinerary, and some of the most fun ways to explore the island.
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Basic Info for Visiting Gozo
Before getting into all of the best things to do in Gozo, let’s go over a few basics to help you plan your trip.
🇲🇹 Why Visit Gozo?
Gozo offers a completely different experience from Malta’s main island. It’s quieter, greener, and more rural, with small villages, dramatic cliffs, beautiful swimming spots, and archaeological sites scattered throughout the island.
One of the biggest reasons to visit is the variety in one small area. You can explore the Citadel and prehistoric temples in the morning, swim in a hidden cove in the afternoon, and finish the day watching the sunset over the Mediterranean. There are also plenty of Gozo attractions that don’t require a full day, making it easy to combine several stops into one itinerary.
It’s perfect for adventure-lovers, and also incredible for photographers – both of which tick the boxes for the two of us!
⏳ How Many Days Should You Spend in Gozo?
You can visit Gozo on a day trip from Malta, but we’d recommend staying at least one night if you have the time. We stayed one night and could have easily added one or two more, especially because there are so many coastal areas and smaller villages worth exploring.
If you’re only visiting for the day, you’ll need to be selective about which places to visit in Gozo you include. With two or three days, you can slow down, explore more of the island, and fit in some of the tours and water activities that would be difficult to squeeze into a single day.
For slow travelers, you could absolutely enjoy 5-7 days in Gozo. For those with limited time in Malta, we’d aim for 2-3 days.
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🚗 How Do You Get Around Gozo?
There are several ways to get around Gozo, and your choice will depend on how much of the island you want to see and how independently you want to travel. Having your own transportation gives you more flexibility for reaching beaches, caves, viewpoints, and other attractions, while organized tours are an easy option if you don’t want to deal with navigation.
We’ll also cover some of the more fun ways to explore Gozo later in the guide, including tuk tuk tours, quad bikes, jeeps, e-bikes, and Segways.
The Best Things to Do in Gozo
There are a lot of ways to experience the island, so we’ve broken the best things to do in Gozo into four categories: nature, history and culture, water activities, and fun ways to get around.
🌿 Explore Gozo’s Nature & Landscapes
Gozo’s coastline is one of the biggest reasons to visit, with secluded beaches, limestone cliffs, caves, salt pans, and some seriously beautiful swimming spots.
🏖️ Explore Gozo’s Best Beaches
Gozo has a great mix of sandy beaches and smaller rocky swimming areas, so there’s something for different types of beach days. Some are easy to reach, while others feel much more tucked away.
Here are some of the best Gozo beaches to add to your list:
If you’re visiting during the warmer months, don’t limit yourself to the big sandy beaches. Some of Gozo’s smaller coves and rocky swimming spots are some of the most impressive places to explore and relax at.
🧂 Visit the Xwejni Salt Pans
The Xwejni Salt Pans are one of the coolest coastal landscapes in Gozo, with hundreds of shallow pools carved into the limestone along the northern coast. Salt has been harvested here for centuries, and the geometric patterns make this a super fun place for photography lovers.
The salt pans are close to Marsalforn and Qbajjar, so they’re easy to combine with other stops along the northern coast.
💡 Some areas are still used for salt production, so make sure to double check which ones you can go into and which ones are only to observe from a distance.
🤩 Explore the Landscapes of Qolla il-Bajda
While you’re exploring the salt pans, you can also combine them with a visit is Qolla il-Bajda – a historic battery sitting next to a pictureque con-shaped limestone hill. It’s cool for photography, and also somewhere where you can enjoy a bit of Goza’s history.
🌊 Swim at Wied il-Għasri
Wied il-Għasri was one of our favorite spots in Gozo! It is a narrow inlet surrounded by tall limestone cliffs, with a small beach and beautiful clear water tucked inside. Getting down to the water requires a short walk down the staircase, but once you’re there, you’ll be surrounded by dramatic scenery on all sides.
This is a great spot for swimming and photography, although conditions can change depending on the weather and sea. It’s also close to the salt pans, making it easy to combine two of these things to do in Gozo in the same part of the island.
🪟 See the Wied il-Mielaħ Window
The Wied il-Mielaħ Window is a natural limestone arch along Gozo’s western coast and is one of the island’s most unique geological landmarks. The massive opening sits above the sea and makes for a great photo stop while exploring the surrounding countryside.
It honestly feels like the middle of nowhere, and a bit of a hidden gem. Take a walk down the stairs, and you’ll be greeted with a beautiful view!
🕳️ Visit Mixta Cave
Mixta Cave is a natural cave overlooking Ramla Bay, with an opening that frames an incredible view of the beach and surrounding nature. The cave itself is not one to explore, but the viewpoint makes it one of the more unique places to visit in Gozo.
We loved this spot because we were able to enjoy the beach below, and then finish the day by capturing this gorgeous view.
🌊 Visit the Blue Hole
The Blue Hole is one of the most popular spots on the island of Gozo. We actually went twice – once in the afternoon (when it was packed), and once the following morning to capture it without everyone.
Tucked away beneath limestone cliffs, this bright blue swimming hole boats super cold and clear waters, and it goes down 17 meters. It’s a popular dive site, and also a fun place to capture with a drone if you have one!
Also, after experiencing the Blue Hole itself, you can climb to the top of the cliff for some great panoramas of the area.
💡 Bring water shoes or sturdy waterproof sandals to walk around, as the rocks there are sharp!
🌅 Catch the Sunrise or Sunset
Gozo’s coastline makes it an incredible place to watch the sun come up or go down, especially if you find a viewpoint overlooking the water. Sunrise is a great way to start an early day of exploring, while sunset gives you a chance to slow down after exploring all of the island’s attractions.
Some of the western coastal areas are particularly beautiful around sunset, while the eastern side of the island gives you the best opportunities to watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean. If you’re a photographer like us, these are some of the best opportunities to capture Gozo’s beauty.
🏛️ Discover Gozo’s History & Culture
Gozo may be small, but there is an incredible amount of history packed into the island. From prehistoric temples and fortified cities to churches and traditional villages, there are plenty of ways to learn about Gozitan culture while exploring.
🏘️ Roam Through Gozo’s Towns & Villages
One of the best things to do in Gozo is simply spend some time wandering through its towns and villages. Instead of rushing from attraction to attraction, leave some room in your itinerary to explore the narrow streets, local shops, churches, and restaurants.
A few places to add to your list include:
🏰 Visit Gozo’s Historical Sites
History is a huge part of the island, and some of the best Gozo attractions are centuries or even thousands of years old. You can easily build an entire day around the island’s archaeological sites, churches, fortifications, and historic landmarks.
Here are some of the historical sites worth visiting:
Gozo’s historical sites are easy to combine with other attractions, so you don’t necessarily need to dedicate an entire day to history unless that’s your main interest.
🍷 Go Wine Tasting
Gozo has its own wine-producing tradition, and visiting a local winery is a great way to experience another side of the island’s culture. Wine tastings are a fun chance to sample local varieties while learning more about how wine is produced on the Maltese islands.
If you’re interested in food and drink, this is the perfect experience to pair with a walking food tour or a day exploring Gozo’s villages.
🍴 Take a Walking Food & Drink Tour
A walking food and drink tour is a great way to experience Gozo beyond the major sightseeing stops and beach days. You’ll get to explore local areas while trying traditional foods and drinks and learning more about the island’s culinary traditions.
We found a particularly great tour for a full gourmet experience – perfect if you’re traveling with a group!
🌊 Get Out on the Water
With gorgeous turquoise wanters surrounding the island, some of the best things to do in Gozo happen right in the Mediterranean. Whether you want a relaxed boat ride or something more adventurous, there are plenty of ways to spend time in the water.
⛵ Take a Boat Trip
A boat trip is a great way to see Gozo’s coastline from a completely different perspective. Depending on the tour, you can explore sea caves, cruise along the cliffs, stop at swimming spots, or head toward nearby islands.
There are different options ranging from larger group excursions to smaller boats and private charters. This is one of the best ways to see corners of the island you wouldn’t be able to get on your own, and have a day full of sunshine and the ocean breeze.
💡 If swimming is your priority, look for an itinerary with multiple swimming stops rather than choosing solely based on a sightseeing route.
🚤 Go Jet Skiing
If you’re looking for something a little more adrenaline-filled, jet skiing is another way to get out on the water around Gozo. It’s super fun if you want to see more of the coastline while having a much faster-paced experience than a traditional boat trip.
🤿 Go Snorkeling or Scuba Diving
Gozo’s clear Mediterranean water makes snorkeling and scuba diving some of the most popular activities on the island. The coastline has rocky reefs, caves, underwater formations, and plenty of marine life to discover.
Beginners can book guided experiences, while experienced divers have plenty of opportunities to explore more advanced sites. Even if you don’t want to commit to a full dive, bringing a mask and snorkel can be a great option because many of Gozo’s swimming spots have clear water close to shore.
🛶 Take a Kayak Tour
Kayaking gives you the chance to get closer to Gozo’s coastline and explore areas that aren’t accessible by land. You’ll find tours that take you along cliffs, into caves, and around some of the island’s most beautiful coastal areas.
It’s also a great way to combine sightseeing and exercise, especially if you’d rather actively explore the coastline instead of simply cruising past it on a boat.
🏝️ Take a Trip to Comino
Although Comino is a separate island, it’s easy to visit from Gozo and makes a great addition to a Gozo itinerary. The island is best known for the Blue Lagoon, but boat trips can also take you around the coastline and to other swimming areas.
If you’re staying in Gozo, taking a trip to Comino means you can experience another of Malta’s islands without having to return to the main island first. Just keep in mind that the Blue Lagoon can get extremely busy during summer, so going early can make a big difference!
🚙 Explore Gozo in a Fun Way
You don’t have to stick to a rental car or public transportation to explore the island. There are several fun ways to get around Gozo that have the transportation itself as part of the experience.
🛺 Take a Tuk Tuk Tour
A tuk tuk tour is a fun way to see a lot of Gozo without worrying about navigation or planning every stop yourself. Tours can take you between major landmarks, coastal areas, villages, and other highlights while giving you a local perspective along the way. It’s also a lot more fun to be in an open air vehicle, rather than simply driving in a car.
This is a great option if you’re visiting Gozo without a car or only have a limited amount of time on the island.
🏍️ Ride Quad Bikes Around Gozo
Quad biking is a more adventurous way to explore Gozo’s incredible landscapes. Rather than simply driving between attractions, you’ll get to experience more of the island’s rural landscapes along the way, and even go off-roading to places a car won’t be able to reach! It’s a great option for someone who want sightseeing mixed with a little adrenaline.
🚙 Take a Jeep Tour
Jeep tours are another fun way to explore Gozo, especially if you want to reach several of the island’s natural and cultural highlights without planning the route yourself.
Depending on the itinerary, tours can combine beaches, villages, viewpoints, historical sites, and coastal landmarks into one day. They’re also a convenient option if you’re traveling without a rental car, and some of them are self-drive, while others offer you a chauffeur included.
🥾 Go Hiking
Gozo’s cliffs, countryside, valleys, and coastline make it an amazing destination for hiking. There are trails ranging from relatively easy coastal walks to longer routes, so you can choose based on how much time and energy you have.
Hiking is also a great way to see parts of Gozo that you might otherwise miss when driving between attractions, and are key to finding the real hidden gems on the island If you’re interested in doing a longer route, we’d recommend booking a guided hiking tour so you can learn more about the landscapes and local history along the way.
🚲 Take an E-Bike Tour
An e-bike tour is a fun middle ground between walking and driving, allowing you to cover more of the island while still being outside and active. The electric assistance is actually really useful when you’re dealing with Gozo’s hills and longer distances, so you can still enjoy yourself along the way.
It’s a great option for travelers who want to see multiple places to visit in Gozo without spending the entire day inside a vehicle.
🛴 Try a Segway Tour
Segway tours offer another way to explore Gozo while covering more ground than you would on foot. They’re generally organized around major sights and scenic areas, making them a fun option if you’re looking for something different from a traditional walking tour.
They’re also a good choice for travelers who want a small guided experience but don’t necessarily want to spend a full day exploring in a jeep or car.
Final Tips for Experiencing the Best Things to Do in Gozo & What’s Next
Gozo may be small, but there is a lot to pack into an itinerary. Between beaches, coastal landmarks, historical sites, villages, water activities, and adventure tours, you could easily spend several days exploring without running out of things to do in Gozo.
If you’re visiting Gozo from Malta, don’t underestimate how much time you’ll need to actually explore the island. A day trip works if you want a taste of the island but staying overnight gives you much more freedom and makes it easier to catch a sunrise or sunset, spend time at the beaches, and enjoy some of Gozo’s restaurants and nightlife without constantly watching the clock.
And finally, bring comfortable shoes, sun protection, and plenty of water. Many of the best places to visit in Gozo involve walking over limestone, climbing stairs, or spending time under the Mediterranean sun. If you’re planning to swim, snorkel, kayak, or take a boat trip, check the weather and sea conditions before heading out.
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👀 What’s Next?
Now that you know the best things to do in Gozo, let’s help you discover more of the island! We already have a guide about how to get to Gozo, along with getting to Malta and the best things to do on Malta’s main island. However, here are a few more guides that will be coming up in the upcoming weeks:
⛵️ Gozo Island travel guide
🏝️ Day trip to Comino Island
🚗 How to get around Malta
📖 Complete guide for planning a trip to Malta
There are so many incredible things to do in Gozo, and we know you’re going to absolutely love this island! If you have any questions about anything, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
Ready to learn more about visiting the Maltese islands? We have quite a few Malta travel guides coming up – but in the meantime, you can explore all of our other European travel guides. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get all of our updates on articles, trips, and shop discounts..
Are you ready to start booking your trip to Malta? With Scratch Your Mapa Travel Planning we make it super easy, so you can adventure more and stress less. To learn more about how it works, take a look at some of our travel planning packages or book your one-on-one consultation with us.
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