Gozo
Gozo is part of the Maltese archipelago islands found in the Mediterranean Sea. It is technically part of the country of Malta It is the largest island of the Maltese chain after Malta, and is very rural with many rolling rolls that present view’s more green in nature than other Mediterranean islands.
Gozo is often referred to as the Isle of Calypso, from the Iliad of Home’s Odyssey, due to its large cave that is known to tourists and locals as the Calypso cave. Unlike the epic poem however, Gozo is not deserted and is home to a permanent residency of about 31,000 people.
Among its many historical features is a large concentration of Churches with some of the 22 church structures considered to be the oldest religious structures in the world. The structures are also some of the oldest free standing structures found anywhere in the world.
Gozo was first known to be inhabited in 5000 BC when Sicilian farmers travelled across the sea over to the island.
During the Neolithic period Gozo is thought to have been the centre point for cultural evolution when most of the temples on the island were built, which also makes them the oldest in the world.
Some of the largest temples are the Xaghra Stone Circle and the Megalithic Temples of Malta.
Most of the people who live on the 67km square island reside near its capital city of Victoria. The width and length of the island is about 7.25km by 14m which makes it about the same size as Manhattan.
At the moment the only way to get to Gozo is by seaplane or a ferry boat, although an incomplete bridge is found between the ‘mainland’ of Malta and the island. It was never completed following protests from Gozo whose citizens wanted to protect the private nature of the islands.
Those who want to take the ferry boat can cross from the Cirkewwa port in Malta, with the sea plane operated from the Valletta harbour.
Tourists who want to take in the rich historical sites of the island may want to visit the Megalithic Temples of Malta on Gozo which have been made an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here there are not only temples but also many stone remnants of ancient dwellings that are still mostly well preserved.
Also worth a visit on Gozo is the underground temple burial site of the Xahgra Stone Circle which is found in Xahgra that is estimated to have been built around 3000 BC. In addition to a chambered tomb, the monumental tomb also has many artefacts of prehistoric art.
Those who want to visit Gozo for simple relaxation will want to stay near the capital of Victoria where they will find the best resorts and the near by beaches of Ramla Bay and San Blas where reddish orange sands and clear Mediterranean waters are found.
