Gozo

It is well worth while making the trip to the smaller island of Gozo (ferry from Marfa, 20 minutes), the history of which is bound up with that of the main island.

The island of Gozo is separated from Malta by a channel some three mi/five km wide, divided into two (the North Comino Channel and the South Comino Channel) by the little island of Comino. Like Malta, Gozo rises gradually toward the southwest, though here the limestone hills are lower and the cliffs on the southwest coast are correspondingly less formidable. The northeast coast, with few indentations, has no natural harbors like those of the main island. Gozo is further in spirit from Malta than the eight-kilometer channel Il-Fliegu, which separates the two islands, would suggest. Sleepy Gozo is like a step back in time compared with the comparative fast pace of Malta.

The island's proud emblem of three green hills (said to be Zebbug, Xaghra and Nadur) over a blue sea is the first silhouette of landfall; peaceful villages cling onto the side of the fertile and flat-topped hills. The greens of the landscape and valleys are a welcome surprise after the summer has baked Malta into a dry brown desert.

Bathing and diving here are superb, and the walks are peaceful.

There are a handful of good restaurants, some pretty handmade lace to buy and the finest hotel on the Maltese islands.