Highlights of Gozo Cycling

Helen Brown travelled to Gozo on a staff educational visit in 2006

Placing Malta on a map wouldnt be a problem for most of us, universally celebrated as it is for bucket and spade holidays under the Mediterranean sunbut how about Gozo? Despite being just 5km away from its bigger sister island, Gozo remains pretty much unknown apart from to those who have discovered the secrets of its world class diving, sandy beaches and fabulous walking.

But we were here to cycle Ill let you into a secret, the last time I got on a bike (apart from a couple of dabblings with static ones at the gym) was probably ten years ago, when I was in my athletic prime! So racing up and down hills was certainly not on my agenda.

Arriving on the island, I was astounded how the short ferry hop from Malta to Gozo seemed to transport us back fifty years, rather than forward the 25 minutes that the crossing took. The pace of life here is slow, very slow.. horse and carts often replace vehicles, church bells can be heard tinkling through the still afternoon and the roads are so quiet theres only one set of traffic lights! My instinct told me I was going to like this place after all, a slow pace was exactly what I was hoping for!

Pulling up at our 5* hotel, the exclusive Ta Cenc, confirmed this as we drank in the azuresea views and savoured a glass of Gozitan wine yes, the island has its own wine and very nice it is too under the ancient carob tree.

This all ended too soon and the next morning we were off on our bikes. As we pedalled past limpid waters, tiny villages with big architectural surprises (the church in the village of Xwejkia has a dome even larger than St Pauls in London!) and picnicked feasting our eyes on views to Comino and Malta, all was good with the world. Our first day ended with a cycle to the red sands of Ramla Bay and a visit to Calypsos cave, where legend has it that the nymph Calypso held Odysseus captive for seven years! It takes a bit of imagination that this cramped cave could have been anyones home for so long, but admiring the view across to Sicily was certainly worth a moments reflection.

The next two nights were spent at the Hotel Cornucopia in Xaghra, a traditional Gozitan farmhouse with a geranium decked courtyard and two sparkling pools. The perfect excuse not to move for the day!

Our next move on day took us to Marsalforn where colourful Maltese luzzu fishing boats bob lazily in the harbour and rugged fishermen eye pale English cyclists with intrigue. Pedalling on along the coast past a patchwork of salt pans and through a string of tranquil sun baked hamlets, we arrived happily at our third hotel, the Kempinski San Lawrenz which I (and my previously dormant muscles) were overjoyed to discover boasted on of Europes best spas!

After exploring the nearby scenic delights of the Azure Window, a honey-coloured stone archway that perfectly frames the blue sea and sky, we spent our last day lazily cycling along breathtaking (in a good way) trails before freewheeling to Xlendis secluded bay for a swim.

I arrived back at the Ta Cenc feeling triumphant and proud that my athletic prime could perhaps be making a comeback. We had explored every corner of this tiny but perfectly formed (read: fairly flat) island. It really was the perfect place to be reunited with two wheels; great hotels with pools to soothe the legs, short distances so we could combine seeing the sights with cycling - and no racing to get to the finish line! Take my word for it, Gozo is the place to go slow without the guilt it seems to be the law on this island!

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