A good piece of advice
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2006
1
63
100
Trip End
Sep 08, 2008
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
Marsalforn, Malta
Sunday, September 23, 2007
It only took about half an hour to walk from Xaghra down the hill to Marsalforn, with spectacular views along the way. At one point Victoria's citadel could be clearly seen between two other hills, as well as a large statue of Christ on a hill just outside Marsalforn. I planned to head out that way for a closer look, but later changed my mind as I decided to spend the day on the coast.
Marsalforn was a nice little town, less bustling and hectic than Marsaxlokk and Marsaskala in Malta, but that may have been due to the fact it was a Sunday. I didn't hang around for too long, instead opting to follow Mario's advice and head west. A small promenade took me to Xlendi Bay, a sandy beach below a headland with a small fort. Further on the rocky shore had been carved into a patchwork of salt pans, which made for some great photos.
Continuing on past the salt pans and some small cliffs above incredibly clear water with views to depths of about 10m I came to my destination, the narrow cliff bound inlet of Wied il-Ghasri. Here a narrow staircase cut into the rock lead down to a tiny beach at the head of the inlet. It was an incredibly picturesque place, and I spent about an hour and a half relaxing, swimming and reading here.
I soon realised time was passing on, so I retraced my steps back to Marsalforn where I grabbed a light lunch. I then found a gravelly track heading east along the coast towards Ramla Bay. It didn't appear on my map, and I soon found out why as it disappeared and I found myself boulder hopping along the shore. A steep climb then brought me to the outskirts of a village where I was surprised to see a long black snake slither into some bushes ahead of me. Steve had told me he also saw a black snake at Ramla Bay so it was quite a coincidence. From here it was a short walk down to the reddish-gold beach of Ramla Bay. Overlooking it was 'Calypso's Cave,' possibly the location from Homer's Oddyseus where the nymph Calypso seduced the hero Oddyseus and held him captive for seven years. I decided against scrambling up the hill for a closer look as I'd covered quite a lot of ground during the day, and was content sunbathing for an hour or so.
I followed another road back up the hill to Xaghra, which offered more incredible views. Whilst Malta had the history, Gozo certainly matched it with scenery, and I was glad I'd followed Mario's advice and headed west from Marsalforn. The salt pans and stunning Wied il-Ghasri were sights unmatched anywhere in the Maltese islands.
