Europe – Page 22

Walking Malta, Part 3: The Island of Gozo

April 28, 2018

Almost all of the six-plus weeks that I spent in Malta were on the island of Gozo. About 1/4 the size of the island of Malta, Gozo has less than 1/10th the population and far more rural character, making it a far better choice for hiking. It is easily reached by public bus from either the airport or the capital, Valletta. Car ferries run every 45 minutes during the day from northern Malta to Gozo. The extensive and reliable bus system on Gozo meant that I could dispense with the hassle of a car.

During my sojourn I circumambulated Gozo, though private property and some rugged terrain forced me inland in a few instances. From my base in Victoria near the center of Gozo, the public bus system enabled numerous point-to-point coastal walks as well as circular ones encompassing some of the numerous rural country roads. For about half of the time my brother Clifford was visiting on a working retreat, and a couple of the photos below are his.

60 triq-il-Madonna (on the left), my apartment in old town Victoria

The Citadel of Gozo, overlooking Victoria and much of the island. It was a five minute walk from my apartment.

The Vagabond Hiker on Qala Point Battery, one of the fortifications originally built by the Knights of St. John that has been recently renovated.

Flowers and rocks along the coastal trail near Hondoq Bay, an hour’s walk east of Mgarr

Atmospheric view toward the island of Comino from the southeast of Gozo

Salt pans and Mgarr harbor. This bustling town has the only marina on Gozo and is where the ferries disgorge their passengers every 45 minutes throughout the day.

A jelly in a tidal pool near Mgarr, Gozo

Ta Cenc Cliffs along the south coast of Gozo. At about 500 feet in height, these cliffs are arguably the most dramatic on the island.

The Vagabond Hiker hanging out on the Ta Cenc cliffs

A Maltese Wall Lizard. We saw these little fellas scurrying everywhere.

Xlendi harbor entrance and tower (on the right). Some of the many small terraced agricultural plots are seen here.

Wildflowers and rubble wall near Xlendi. Rubble walls border the numerous small agricultural plots, many of which are terraced, throughout rural Malta.

Sarraflu Pond in the south of Gozo. It is the only natural large waterhole on the island!

Fungus Rock and Dwejra Bay. The world famous Azure Window just beyond it collapsed last year, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred the tourists from this iconic location. Gozo’s cliffs limit the spots one can access the water.

Clifford kayaking near the Dwejra Cliffs. We had just kayaked through a natural tunnel from the “inland sea.”

Dwejra Bay sea cave. Limestone caves abound on the island, and are popular with both snorkelers and divers.

The natural arch at Wied Il-Mielaħ on the north coast of Gozo

Wied il-Ghasri, one of the more popular valleys that drain the plateaus of Gozo. Out of view is a tiny pebble beach one can walk to down some stairs.

Salt pans along the north coast of Gozo, some of which date back to Roman times. The mound in the background here consists of compacted sand and gravel washed into an ancient doline (a collapsed cave). Some locals still harvest salt each summer to sell to tourists.

A footpath along the valley to Marsalforn

A portion of the Marsalforn harbor. With all the seafood restaurants lining the bay, it was a great place for lunch after a morning hike (or run).

Ramla Bay. Popular with both surfers and sun bathers, this bay has the only decent-sized sandy beach on the island.

Along the pleasant coastal path east from Ramla Bay

A cricket (photo courtesy of Clifford, the master of the macro)

San Blas Bay. Some reed fencing may be seen on the hill to the left, protecting small agricultural plots from the ***mistral*** winds.

My plans from now through the middle of September are now complete. I updated my calendar on this blog to reflect these trips. They comprise hikes in five countries I have not yet visited (Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo) and three that I will be returning to (the UK, Peru, and Italy).

Stay tuned for more hiking, trekking, and climbing blogs in the coming months!

The Vagabond Hiker

Walking Malta, Part 2: A short walk on Comino

April 19, 2018

At just 1.4 square miles, Comino is the smallest of the three inhabited islands of Malta, and the least densely populated with a permanent population of three. It also is a nature reserve and bird sanctuary and boasts some amazing scenery to engage the walker.

There are two ways to experience Comino: 1) as an overnight stay, either at the one hotel or camping ground on the island or 2) as a day trip taking one of the many ferry services or cruises from Malta or Gozo that land at the Blue Lagoon. My brother and I chose the latter, but unlike the overwhelming majority of the people, we quickly left the lagoon to circumambulate the island, a walk of about 8 km (5 miles), easily accomplished in 3 hours. The nine photos below capture our experience of this amazing day hike around Comino. Enjoy!

The famous Blue Lagoon in the morning. All boats land here. The islet of Cominotto is in the background.

Natural windows on a rock near the Blue Lagoon

St Mary’s tower, on the west coast of the island

St Mary’s battery and natural arch on the south coast, facing the island of Malta.

View towards Malta from St Mary’s battery

Scarlet pimpernel macro. These nearly microscopic flowers were particularly common on Comino (photo courtesy of Clifford).

View along the northeast coast of Comino from out lunch spot.

Blue Lagoon in the afternoon. This photo highlights the necessity of getting an early start on a day trip to Comino. Or not, depending on one’s proclivities.

The Vagabond Hiker

Walking Malta, Part 1: The Island of Malta

April 15, 2018

In case you’re wondering, the country of Malta is located about 60 miles off the coast of Sicily, Italy, and consists of three main islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Among the 49 European countries, Malta is the 5th smallest. (The smaller countries are all city-states). It also has the dubious distinction of being the third most densely populated country in Europe.

A map of the country of Malta, situated about 60 miles south of Sicily.

Despite its petite size, Malta boasts some particularly good walks, most all of which are either along the coast of the three islands or along rural (yes, there are rural areas) back roads. The first of my almost 7 weeks here was spent on the island of Malta with my brother Mark and his wife Norma. We stayed at an AirBNB apartment in il-Rabat, near the old capital of Medina. In the middle of the island and away from the east coast conurbation, it proved an ideal location for day hikes as well as archeological excursions in the rural areas of the island. This post (one of three from Malta) highlights some of the walks we did on the island of Malta. In the next couple of weeks I will post blogs of my hikes on the islands of Gozo and Comino. Enjoy this often over-looked corner of Europe!