Photo 1: arriving by plane to Malta
A few years ago @mariacristinafossa and I took a trip to Malta. We stayed in the modern city of Sliema, just opposite the capital Valletta.
Photo 2: the Valletta skyline
I recounted my cycling adventure with a visit to the ancient capital Medina on top of a hill. Afraid of having to deal with left-hand drive for the first time, I didn’t rent any car and we relied on public transport to get around the islands.
Photo 3: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina, Malta
Therefore, to visit the island of Gozo, the second largest island in the archipelago and also the northernmost, we took a boat that went on a cruise with a visit to the city of Rabat or Victoria and the island of Comino.
Photo 4: Gozo from the sea
Apart from Malta which is the largest island, only Gozo and Comino are inhabited, although in truth Comino has only 4 inhabitants. The cruise skirted the east coast of the island of Malta in a north-westerly direction. We disembark at the port of Mgarr and with a bus we continue towards the city of Rabat, then dedicated by the English to Queen Victoria in the nineteenth century, hence the current name, on the hill, almost in the center of the island of Gozo. Inhabited since prehistoric times, of which it retains very important traces in Ggantija, the guided tour allows you to see the mighty fortified citadel with inside some important monuments such as the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin and the Basilica of San Giorgio both built at the end of 1600, practically following the terrible earthquake of 1693 which destroyed much of Sicily and caused extensive damage to Malta.
Photo 5: Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Rabat-Victoria, Gozo, Malta
Photo 6: The citadel of Rabat-Victoria, Gozo. Malta
Photo 7: The citadel of Rabat-Victoria, Gozo. Malta
Photo 8: The citadel of Rabat-Victoria, Gozo. Malta
After this visit, we take the boat back to head to the island of Comino. A very short trip as the island is just a few hundred meters from Gozo. When we arrive we realize why this little paradise has been chosen as the stage for many famous films: Troy, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Gladiator, By the Sea, Agora, Alexander the Great, World War Z, Poppeye! We are entranced by the blue lagoon, with its shallow and transparent waters that take on all the color of the sky. It is a stretch of sea closed to boats and accessible only to swimmers who can swim safely without having to worry about fast boats.
Photo 9: The Blue Lagoon seen from the Citadel of Rabat-Victoria, Gozo. Malta
Photo 10: The blue lagoon from the island of Comino looking towards the island of Cominotto
We head towards the highest part of Comino and more precisely towards an islet detached from Comino by a few tens of meters and on the top of which we see boys diving directly into the sea from a dizzying height.
Photo 11: Diving from the top of the islet
From here there are incredible views over another dream corner of the island; The Crystal Lagoon. Spectacular boats, the water is so clear with a crystal bottom, that they seem suspended over the void and not objects floating on the water. The cliff is full of openings and arches, caves above and below the water. I can also photograph the passage of a boat on the other side of the islet through a huge arched opening sculpted by the wind and the sea. What a show!
Photo 12: Cristal lagoon
Photo 13: Cristal lagoon
Photo 14: Cristal lagoon
Photo 15: Cristal lagoon
In the background, at the highest point, the Torre S. Maria has been observing all this beauty for 400 years. Built by the order of the Knights of Malta as an observatory to defend against possible invasions, it retains all its original power.
Photo 16: The S. Maria tower on the island of Comino overlooks the Crystal lagoon
Too bad to have arrived for such a short visit, the place would have deserved an in-depth exploration as we like it, trying to grasp those more hidden sides that are reserved only for the most adventurous and those who are not afraid to fight for a glimpse to bring to home only with eyes and heart.
Photo 17: Comino Island
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