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Car ferry · red sand · fossil coast

Gozo Two-Day Island Loop

Circle Gozo from Mġarr through Nadur, Ramla, Ġgantija, Victoria, Dwejra, Ta’ Pinu and the north-coast salt pans.

Allow
2 days
Route
38 km
Drive time
47 min
Stops
9
The roadbook

Gozo deserves its own roadbook rather than a rushed Malta day trip. The vehicle ferry lands at Mġarr, after which Nadur and Ramla open the eastern half, Ġgantija adds one of the islands’ great archaeological sites, and Victoria’s Citadel makes the natural overnight center.

The second day crosses to Dwejra, Ta’ Pinu and the north-coast salt pans before returning to Mġarr. Ferry schedules and queues set the outer frame; working salt pans, village lanes and rough weather set the behavior. Comino remains a boat excursion, not an improvised vehicle stop.

Interactive route

The road, in one glance

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Drawing the route…

Road-trip route9 recommended stopsDistances and drive times are estimates
Stop by stop

The route earns
its distance

Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.

  1. 01Mġarr, Gozo
  2. 02Nadur
  3. 03Ramla Bay
  4. 04Ġgantija Temples
  5. 05Victoria & the Citadel
  6. 06Dwejra
  7. 07Ta’ Pinu
  8. 08Xwejni Salt Pans
  9. 09Marsalforn
Mġarr, Gozo on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 01

Mġarr, Gozo

The vehicle ferry lands below a compact harbor and church-topped village.

What it is

Mġarr is Gozo's main harbour town and the island endpoint of the vehicle ferry from Malta. Fort Chambray, terraced streets and the church dome rise above a waterfront where ferry marshalling, fishing boats and restaurants share a compact bay.

Nadur on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 02

Nadur

A high village opens wide views over Gozo’s eastern farmland and channel.

What it is

Nadur (Maltese: In-Nadur) is an administrative unit of Malta, located in the eastern part of the island of Gozo. Nadur is built on a plateau and is one of the largest localities in Gozo. Known as the 'second city', it spreads along a high ridge to the east of Victoria.

Ramla Bay on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 03

Ramla Bay

Red-gold sand lies below terraced fields on Gozo’s north side.

What it is

Ramla Bay (Maltese: Ir-Ramla l-Ħamra, "red sands") is a bay with a beach of reddish-coloured sand in Gozo, in the Maltese Islands. It lies on the north-east coast of the island, between the bays of Marsalforn and San Blas. The closest village is Xagħra.

Ġgantija Temples on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 04

Ġgantija Temples

Monumental Neolithic walls give the island an astonishing depth of time.

What it is

Ġgantija is a megalithic temple complex from the Neolithic era (c. 3600–2500 BC), on the Mediterranean island of Gozo in Malta. The Ġgantija temples are the earliest of the Megalithic Temples of Malta and are older than the pyramids of Egypt.

Victoria & the Citadel on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 05

Victoria & the Citadel

Gozo’s capital gathers markets and lanes below a fortified acropolis.

What it is

Victoria (Maltese: Il-Belt Victoria, meaning "the city Victoria"), also known among the native Maltese as Rabat (which is the name of the old town centre) or by its title Città Victoria, is an administrative unit of Malta, and the main town on Gozo. Victoria has a total population of 6,901 (as of March 2014), and is the most populous settlement in Gozo.

Dwejra on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia Commons contributor · See source
Stop 06

Dwejra

An inland sea, fossil-rich rock and a severe western coast form Gozo’s defining landscape.

What it is

The Azure Window (Maltese: it-Tieqa Żerqa), also known as the Dwejra Window (Maltese: it-Tieqa tad-Dwejra), was a 28-metre-tall (92 ft) natural arch on the island of Gozo, located just off the shores of Malta. The limestone feature, which was in Dwejra Bay close to the Inland Sea and Fungus Rock, was one of the island's major tourist attractions until it collapsed in stormy weather on 8 March 2017.

Ta’ Pinu on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 07

Ta’ Pinu

A great basilica stands almost alone among open fields west of Għarb.

What it is

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu (Maltese: Santwarju Bażilika tal-Madonna ta' Pinu) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located some 700 metres (2,300 ft) from the village of Għarb on the island of Gozo, the sister island of Malta. Pope Pius XI granted a Pontifical decree of coronation, Marianum exstat Sanctuarium towards its venerated Marian image, the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu on 24 May 1935.

Xwejni Salt Pans on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 08

Xwejni Salt Pans

Geometric pans and low cliffs mark a working north-coast salt landscape.

What it is

Xwejni Bay (Maltese: Il-Bajja tax-Xwejni) is a bay located in the northern part of Gozo, Malta, within the limits of the village of Żebbuġ. It is used as a bathing bay and starting point for divers. The nearest place on the coast is Marsalforn.

Marsalforn on the road-trip routePhoto: Wikimedia contributors · See source
Stop 09

Marsalforn

A sheltered bay offers an easy meal stop before the ferry road south.

What it is

Marsalforn, also written as M'Forn for shortcut purposes, is a town on the north coast of Gozo, the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago. The town lies between the hilltop towns of Xagħra and Żebbuġ. Associated with this town is the bay of Qbajjar.

Before the next bend

Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.

Check Gozo Channel schedules and live queues, arrive early for the vehicle ferry and use only signed public roads. Never drive onto salt pans or private farm tracks.

Route desk

Checked against
the people who run it

Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.