Sunday 18th October 2026
Coastal Walk Qala
Must have been the fact that today was the last walking day in Gozo that had me looking out at the view during a fitful night’s sleep.. The light of day solved one mystery with a small cruise ship proving to be the source of the bright lights I had never noticed before.
Got rid of breakfast early to get out of the blocks on a day where two swims were promised and we might actually get a chance to wear our reef shoes to conquer a stony shoreline.
The upward climb for first couple of kilometres certainly had us puffing, even with the coastal breeze.
Reached the prettiest town yet Qala at around 900am and the town square was full of people spilling out of the church. It must have an affluent drawing area given the line up up of cars in the carpark. Religion plays a strong part here with churches and chapels aplenty and the majority of houses having a religious icon out front or being named after a Saint.
Seems like in other Mediterranean countries cats are revered eg the Slow Cat Crossing sign and feeding boxes in most parks. I suspect a stiff legged one we passed in the park will be ceremoniously disposed of.
Whether it was the time of day or not there was a distinct lack of tourists, just lots of locals going about their business. The renovation trend continued as did the knock down and build. Thankfully the new houses retained the architectural theme.
On the way out we passed an autonomous bus, with one brave passenger, dodging in and out of the narrow roads. Good luck with that trial.
Made our way out of town and the farmers were busy as were the invisible shooters. The steep downhill trail and closer presence of the sea augered well and after an hour we were clambering down rocks to meet a path to a beautiful sandy beach
just as the book promised.
There was only a handful of people and it even had changing facilities. No need for the reef shoes it was massaging white sand that led to the waters edge and an elegant dive over the steep drop off to be into into crystal clear water. This was Dahlet Qorrot beach in all its glory.
The surface was covered in tiny fish and if you stood still something deeper down nibbled on your skin- it sure kept you lively. The locals were talking about the stingers coming in with the wind, but we felt nor saw any whilst swimming.
Had an hour swimming or more appropriately lolling in the ocean. Later whilst we were on shore the stinger invasion eventuated with several people coming out of the water showing off their welts. It was now just a beautiful seaside vista unspoilt by swimmers.
The pleasure over and with beachside cafe closed it was the converse as we traversed our way up a paved road for a kilometre where we decided to go off track and return to Qala for lunch. It meant a rollercoaster run on country roads but we were rewarded with a lovely lunch in a kerbside cafe opposite the church we passed in the morning. We appeared to be the only tourists.
There was one colourful local who spent an hour talking to himself and laughing out aloud and a young lad ruefully patting grazes he had suffered after coming a cropper of his motor bike. Grandma arrived on the scene offered some consoling words and a wave of the finger only for him to jump onto the bike and do a wheelstand up the street. Hope he doesn’t regret listening to granny.
It was another hot day , about 80 in the old measure, and we recalibrated the GPS to take us to the more famous of the two beaches Hondoq. Enjoyed the rewarding downhill trip with views across to Comino Island where the inlets were actually packed with twice as many boats as yesterday- we certainly chose the right day to visit.
It was no rock scramble onto the beach just a twisting tarred road down to the parking area and a larger rockier beach. Its popularity was evident with a bigger crowd, moored boats, change rooms and a lone lifeguard who was enjoying his book. As we arrived a busload of tourists arrived, jumped in water for 10 minutes and then got hounded back onto the bus- some experience that was.
The water was again warm but not so clear, as the sand was churned up by the swell. No sign of stingers, only thing resembling a sting was a kid who bellyflopped into the ocean from about 5 metres off a beachside wall.
Half an hour later we were off walking the cliffs and taking in our last longing glances of the coastline back towards the hotel . Had our last steep hill for the trip before careering down the hill we climbed in the morning.
Passed a group of diners coming from an exclusive restaurant to be given the condescending once over by a 12 year old done up in her designer clothes, albeit ill-fitting, who then popped into an ETYPE Jaguar.
Don’t thing she understood the reverse V for Victory sign she got as she drove past.
A last turn down what used to be a very quiet street to run into traffic wardens directing traffic elsewhere. When we turned the corner there was a traffic queue for the ferry for about 600 metres at about 4 in the afternoon and it was still the same at 20. With only one way off the island the Gozitans may pay a price for their success in increasing tourism when the facilities cannot support it.
The La Traviata Opera on the mainland, kite festival on Gozo and the Rolex Yscht Classic to Scicily and back obviously had a lot of people in Malta wanting a little taste of Gozo for a day,
A couple of post walk celebratory drinks which made itfour for the day and it was upstairs to start the wash, sort and pre pack process.
All that finished it was a farewell dinner at the hotel and a time to reflect on not only Gozo but the walking trip generally
And the perennial question – “where will we walk next?” , other than our little Flinders Island trip in March.
Me thinks the Easy to Moderate grading might be watered down to plain Easy.
