The eight best beaches in Gozo

Ramla Beach is one of the best beaches in Gozo and without doubt the most popular, but it’s far from the over-developed strip you’d expect in other destinations. Part of its popularity lies in its easy access via bus, which drops you just six minutes’ walk away. The orange-sand shore is wide and spacious, with a shallow ramp into the sea and a backdrop of lush green hillside. There’s a café, ice-cream truck and some rentable loungers and umbrellas, as well as sections of boardwalk. It does get busy, but many visitors to Gozo come on ferry daytrips from Malta, so earlier in the morning and later in the evening are the prime visiting hours if you’re staying over.

Along the coast to the east from the main port of Mġarr, this petite cove is popular with locals and snorkellers alike thanks to its clean, clear-blue waters. There’s some parking, a smattering of cafés serving drinks and snacks into the evening, and places to rent paddleboards. The pint-sized beach is a mixture of coarse white sand, pebbles and shells, and you can expect it to be bustling. But if it’s just the water that’s tempted you here, simply do as the locals do and enter via the ladders and steps from the promenade to descend into the glorious depths. There are plenty of caves to keep snorkellers busy too.

For an off-the-beaten-track experience in Gozo, head down the steps carved into the rocky hillside towards Wied il-Għasri. The beach itself is a tiny, rocky strip, but that’s not why people visit. They come to swim – and climb or hike a little – in the gorgeous and secluded canyon. It’s a swimming experience that’s hard to beat in a unique, high-sided rocky gorge, with calm and crystal-clear waters and next to nobody around. Grab a snorkel or a pair of goggles and see what fabulous fish lurk below the surface. It’s not the easiest place to find, down a track off the road leading to Reqqa Point, but it’s worth the adventure.

San Blas is Ramla’s smaller, wilder and less-visited neighbour. Buses can take you some of the way, to the top of the cliff, but the bay is mostly spared the crowds thanks to the steep 15-minute descent (and ascent coming back) on foot. The red-sand beach feels secluded and a little rugged, with no facilities besides a snack bar (in season) and surrounded by beautifully green slopes and cliffs. It can get rather wavy if the wind is up, so be sure to check it’s a calm day if you plan on swimming. Off-season, you’ll want to pack a picnic and revel in the total seclusion and peace.

A visit to Dwejra’s inland lagoon is a unique experience. Formerly, it was the place to go for snorkelling trips to the Azure Window (a sea arch that sadly collapsed), but swimmers still savour the shallow and clear lagoon and the epic 60-metre cave leading towards the sea. With a rocky shore and surrounded by colourful boats, this place mostly attracts divers, snorkellers and adventure-seeking travellers. Although the biggest draw is the magical world under the water’s surface, the sheltered location means the shoreline is a suntrap and the waters are bath-like. You’re also handily close to several good eateries, and it’s easily accessible via bus from Victoria to Dwejra bus station.

Crystal-clear waters nestle between two rocky headlands, making for calm conditions at Mġarr ix-Xini. This quaint pebbly beach has a waterside restaurant with a smattering of colourful chairs, plus a few cafés further up the road, and is surrounded by glorious countryside. There are even a few resident ducks to help you feel at one with nature. It’s sometimes busy, but the atmosphere is relaxed and the swimming is blissful. On the cliffs either side, portions of the rock have been flattened for sitting, and steps or ladders lead directly into the cool blue below. No buses stop here, so you’ll have to hike or drive from nearby Xewkija or Għajnsielem.

If you’re just popping over for the day and want a quick dip before you head for the ferry, Gorgun Beach is ideal. It’s really more of a water access point than a beach – a very petite cove, tucked at the bottom of the cliffs and accessed via steep stone steps. But your reward is unspoilt sea, very few people, and crabs, birds and fish. If you come down on a windy day, access to the water could be tricky, as it’s rocky and the beach is quickly covered at high tide. But on a calm day, you can’t beat the seclusion of a splash in the shallows here, with a pretty epic view too.

Okay, so this dreamy spot isn’t technically on Gozo, but it’s easily accessible by ferry from Mġarr Harbour, or via the hop-on/hop-off ferry around Malta and Gozo. While almost anywhere you may choose to swim on Comino is beautiful, the sheltered Blue Lagoon is famous for being just that – blissfully, brilliantly aquamarine. It can get crowded in the summer months with tourists and Malta residents alike seeking a dip in the temptingly warm, clear and calm waters. The beach itself is a postage stamp of sand, but people mostly prefer to pop their belongings on the rocks and spend their time submerged in the sea.