Is Gozo Worth Visiting?

What Is Gozo?

Gozo is Malta’s smaller, quieter sister island. At roughly 8.7 miles long and 4.3 miles wide, it is technically bigger than Manhattan, though that comparison stops sharply at the population figure. Around 33,000 people live here. There is currently no functioning airport. The pace is genuinely different from the moment you step off the ferry.

The island has been inhabited for around 5,000 years and ruled by most of the major empires at one point or another. The Phoenicians came. The Romans came. The Arabs left their mark on the language, as did the Kingdom of Sicily. The Knights of St John fortified the place. And more recently, the film crews arrived and mostly kept coming back.

That history is still visible, and around every corner. For example, I walk past a Roman Catacomb every time I visit my friends in the next village.

What Makes It Worth Visiting

The history is an obvious starting point. Take the Citadel in Victoria for example. Dating back to the Bronze Age, the walled city above Gozo’s capital gives you the best panoramic views of the entire island from a single vantage point, a cathedral, several small museums, and streets that have appeared in more productions than most visitors walking through them realise.

It’s not just a living museum, it’s a focal point for Gozo’s modern culture with all kinds of events taking place throughout the year.

The Ġgantija Temples, just outside Xagħra, are among the oldest free-standing structures on earth. Built around 3600 BC, they predate the Pyramids of Giza by a considerable margin. They put a certain amount of perspective on your average sightseeing list.

Dwejra on the west coast is unlike anywhere else on the island. The Azure Window collapsed in 2017, but the Inland Sea, the Blue Hole and Fungus Rock are still there, and the landscape remains extraordinary. The Blue Hole is one of the best shore dives in the Mediterranean; the coastline is worth the trip even if you never get in the water.

Gozo’s beaches are mostly small, sometimes rocky, and definitely worth finding. Ramla Bay on the north coast is the main sandy beach. Xlendi on the south is a narrow inlet with waterfront restaurants and good swimming, best visited later in the day. San Blas is quieter and harder to reach, which is the point.

And then there are the villages. Every one on Gozo has its own festa, several have two, and they take over the village completely for days at a time: fireworks at 8am, brass bands, elaborate street decorations, and a general sense that the rest of the world can wait. If you happen to be on Gozo during one, make time for it. It is almost impossible to explain until you are standing in the square at midnight watching it happen, and then it makes complete sense. Sort of.

The Film History

Gozo has been used as a filming location since the 1950s. More than 100 productions have filmed here, and by walking around the island you have almost certainly passed through filming spots without knowing it.

Game of Thrones filmed one of its most iconic early scenes at Dwejra. The Count of Monte Cristo has used Gozo and nearby Comino across multiple screen versions. Brideshead Revisited filmed here in 1981. The Madame Blanc Mysteries, a popular British cozy crime series uses locations across Victoria, Għarb and Sannat that are easy to visit.

If you are visiting because of one of these productions, the full filming location guides are on the site.

Is Gozo Better Than Malta?

They offer different things, and the honest answer depends on what you are after.

Malta has more infrastructure, more nightlife and more of the major historical set-pieces: Valletta, the Three Cities, the Grand Harbour. It is busier, particularly in summer.

Gozo is quieter, slower and more rural. Nothing is that far, you can drive from one end to the other in under 30 minutes, and the pace changes noticeably once you arrive. Most visitors who spend time on both leave saying they wish they had given more days to Gozo and fewer to Malta. Almost nobody says the opposite.

A common pattern is only spending a few hours on Gozo as part of a two-island tour with Comino, which gives only the briefest taste of everything Gozo has to offer.

We’d recommend two or three nights on Malta followed by two or three on Gozo, or vice versa. If Gozo is your main reason for coming, you can base yourself here and visit Malta as a day trip rather than the other way around.

How Long Do You Need?

One day is possible but rushed. You will see the Citadel, perhaps Dwejra, and leave with the feeling you have only scratched the surface.

Two nights is considerably better. Three or four gives you room for the main sights, a beach day, trying the great restaurants, a slow morning in a square somewhere, plus a little time for the island to reveal itself at its own pace; which is how Gozo works best.

When to Go?

May, June, September and October offer the best balance of weather, price and space. The sea is swimmable, the temperature is manageable and the island is busy without feeling overwhelmed.

July and August are hot, peak-priced and lively. The festas run through the summer and the atmosphere is harder to find at other times of year. Worth it if you want that energy and can accept the trade-offs.

November through to April is mild by northern European standards, rarely dropping below the mid-teens Celsius, and increasingly popular with visitors who want the island largely to themselves.

Top Tip: May to June and September to October give you the best combination of weather, value and space. It is the time of year I recommend most to first-time visitors.

Is Gozo Safe?

Yes. Gozo is one of the safest places in Europe. Violent crime is rare, petty theft is low, and solo travellers, including women travelling alone, consistently report feeling comfortable across the island.

Visiting from the US?

Delta now operates a nonstop service from JFK to Malta International Airport, running three times a week from June through October 2026. We have a dedicated guide covering everything American first-time visitors to Gozo need to know.

Planning Your Trip

For getting to Gozo, ferry options, getting around the island and where to stay, our Gozo travel guides cover everything you need.