The Citadel to Saltpans
Gozo
Distance 15km Climb 250m
Monday 25 September 2017
Today we were looking at doing our version of The Saltpans of Gozo, Walk 10 from the booklet Malta 10 Great Walks. As previous the booklet gives a good description of routes and points out loads of interesting information. It would be wrong of me to copy all of the information from the booklet on my blog, so I am only writing the basic details of the walk we did. I would recommend this booklet to anyone interested in doing this walk. If you would like a copy then please follow the link.
As on our previous walk Cirkewwa to Mellieha Bay, we took the number 42 bus down the road from the hotel to the Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal. I took loads of photos, just too many to include them all here.
The booklet, Malta 10 Great Walks, says the ferry crossing is an enjoyable trip, passing Comino and arriving at Mgarr on Gozo. Using our explore tallinja card we took the number 301 bus straight from the Mgarr Ferry Terminal straight into Gozo's capital Victoria for the start of the walk.
Turning right from the bus concourse then left, Anne was distracted by a few shops and stalls.
Really impressive views from the walls of The Citadel.
Walking down a narrow street, Anne took the opportunity to look at more craft shops. Eventually we left The Citadel and walked up the road to the right where we noticed the memorial below. I believe this may be a memorial following the invasion of Gozo by the Ottoman Empire in 1551.
Returning to The Citadel entrance we retraced our steps down a street to our right. At the bottom of the bank we turned right again.
This was where I got myself confused over the directions in the booklet, we passed a statue of Pope John Paul II.
After a few hundred meters we found ourselves walking out of Victoria on the wrong road as the descriptors did not fit with what we were seeing. So we turned round and walked back up the road. Turning down a road we had previously passed, now on our left.
This was better, now the views fit with the descriptors in the booklet.
Walking down the road.
We turned left onto a narrow track that ran by some houses. After a few hundred meters we crossed over a dry stream and had a gentle climb up the other side.
We soon found ourselves in the open and it was very warm, with no shelter until we reached Ghasri. Where we turned right, north.
Leaving the shade of Ghasri we continued north passing a road side cross. We were back into the bright warm sunshine.
At the top of the road I left Anne while I took the track to the left to have a look at the Ghasri Gorge. I took a lot of photos but none due justice to the view. A lot of divers were in the area above the Gorge getting ready to go down to the sea, it looked like they had a steep climb down with their gear.
Returning back to the junction, I met up with Anne and we continued east along the coast passing the salt pans. Someone had made an interesting pattern on the area below.
Turning the corner the large rock at Xwejni Bay came into view. Salt pans stretched all along the coast.
We passed strange but interesting looking rock features.
We passed a plaque to Nicky Farrugia showing he did a world record swim from Sicily to Gozo landing on 28 July 1985.
Reaching Xwejni Bay we walked round the back of the bay up towards what looks like apartments, behind the big rock. Dropping down to Qbajjar Bay where we had a rest, and a most welcome couple of shandy's at the Horizon.
After our rest we continued along the front and turned inland onto the main road.
After a few hundred meters along the main road we came to a road junction. Turning right then immediate left onto a narrow road we were heading towards Victoria.
A wedding party was taking place in a large house to our right before the countryside opened up and we saw the statue of Christ.
The path dropped gently down hill to a reservoir.
After the reservoir the path took us back up to a main road that leads towards Victoria. A few hundred meters along the busy road we came to a path on our left.
Crossing the road we followed the path as it twists south then east, away from the busy road and noisy traffic. It was quiet and peaceful, well until we came to a house where a number of dogs ran barking towards us. The owner silenced the dogs as we waded across the path which was flooded here.
Continuing along the path we came across a couple of other parts of the path which were flooded. Where we had to wade through, before finding a narrow track that climbed a small rise up towards a wall that led us back towards the main road.
Back at the main road we turned left. Where we had a gentle climb back towards Victoria.
As the road took us further into the city we passed shops and houses, it was getting steeper as we approached the city centre. Eventually we reached a cross roads and knew where we were. This was the junction we had turned right on earlier in the day to walk up to The Citadel.
Now we walked straight on, a few hundred meters and we turned left into the bus concourse. We had a few minutes to wait for the number 312 bus, which was the next bus back to Mgarr. The timing appears to be linked to the ferry crossings as a ferry was waiting to take us back to Cirkewwa where we jumped on the number 41 to take us back to the hotel.
It was late when we returned to the hotel, the sun was setting on our bus ride back from Cirkewwa but it had been a really good and enjoyable walk. We had covered 15km with a 250m climb. Tired we were looking forward to another walk from Malta 10 Great Walks tomorrow.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done in Malta or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
Follow link to previous walk in Malta Cirkewwa to Mellieha Bay - Malta 23 Sept 2017
Follow link to next walk in Malta Around Sliema - Malta 26 Sept 2017
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