Walking on Gozo - Calypso's Isle
Experience Overview
Blessed with a rugged landscape and spectacular coastline, the island of Gozo is tranquil and verdant. Sleepy towns lay brimming with baroque architecture, gardens and churches, and only the occasional farmhouse punctuates the countryside. Such is the beauty here, that Gozo is thought to be the legendary Calypso's Isle of Homer's Odyssey - a peaceful, mystical backwater. From our base at one of the island’s top hotels, our self-guided walks will unveil the island's charm.
Profile
— 7 nights HHHH Hotel Ta'Cenc, all rooms en suite — 6 days centre-based walking — Walk as little or as much as you like — Low altitude throughout — Self-guided holiday. Min age 12 yrs
At a Glance
— 7 nights HHHH Hotel Ta'Cenc, all rooms en suite — 6 days centre-based walking — Walk as little or as much as you like — Low altitude throughout — Self-guided holiday. Min age 12 yrs
Trip For You
This holiday offers leisurely walking with occasional short climbs and descents to sea level. The terrain is moderate with some small hills and the walking is often along ancient roads and old farm tracks. There are some steep descents down to the coast and the occasional rough, stony section. The walking is suitable for anyone who is reasonably fit and healthy, enjoys the occasional weekend walk and can walk 2-5 hrs per day. As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. You are provided with route notes for each day, which begin with an overview of the walk and advice on lunch, followed by detailed instructions. The route notes contain a 24 hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotel is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service. You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference: http://www.exodus.co.uk/assets/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf
Group Description
Although the minimum age of clients on this trip is 12 years, younger children may also be accepted on request; please enquire for details and child prices.As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader.
Eating Drinking
All buffet breakfasts and 7 dinners are included.Meals are usually served in the restaurant or al fresco on the patio under a 200-year-old carob tree. Breakfast is an enormous hot and cold buffet and dinner is a 4-course affair offering a mouth watering selection of Gozitan and Italian specialities.Please be aware that, as Gozo has no rivers, lakes or reservoirs, the majority of drinking water is produced via reverse osmosis – essentially, the desalination and filtration of sea water. Tap water is perfectly safe and drinkable, although you may notice it has a very slightly salty aftertaste which can vary between hotels, restaurants and cafes depending whether they have additional filtration systems in place. If you still have concerns, or are put off by the taste, bottled water is widely available although please consider the environmental impact of buying and disposing of plastic bottles.
Transportation
The hotel provides a regular shuttle service (complimentary) to the island's capital of Victoria, but nowhere on the island is far to walk.
Joining Instructions
Your trip normally starts at our hotel in Gozo on the evening of Day 1 of the itinerary. Arrival and departure transfers are included in the price of the tour for flight inclusive bookings from Malta Luqa Airport to the hotel in Gozo (including the 25 minute ferry journey), and vice versa for the return. Transfers and ferry journeys can also be arranged for land only bookings for a supplement. Please ask your Sales Consultant for further details.Flights:Flights can be arranged from most UK airports, with connecting transfers as required, prices and details on request. The above prices include our standard flights/transfers: Air Malta London Heathrow to Malta Luqa 11:25/15:35, then ferry to Gozo 18:00/18:25. (Transfer to hotel, 10 mins, provided). Return: Ferry to Malta 12:00/12:25 then Malta Luqa to Heathrow 16:55/19:25.** Please note that the standard flights and ferry times may occasionally change throughout the season so please enquire for up-to-date details.
Transfer Details
When flights are arranged through us, transfers are included from Malta Luqa airport at 15:35 to Gozo (including ferry) and back to Malta Luqa airport at 11:15. For Land Only bookings, transfers can be arranged for a supplement.
Weather Information
Malta and Gozo are blessed with a subtropical Mediterranean climate; summers are generally hot and dry, winters mild, and autumns warm and sporadically wet. Malta’s average annual temperature of 18-19°C is amongst the highest in Europe, and significant temperature fluctuations are rare. Being islands however, they can face strong winds coming off the sea, particularly in the springtime, which can make it feel a little chilly.
Spending Money
— Lunch is not included in the itinerary, please allow some spending money for this. We recommend approximately €5-15 per lunch.
Highlights
— Unspoilt Mediterranean island, temperate year round climate, perfect for exploring on foot — Secluded 5 star hotel: private rocky cove, swimming pools, tranquil gardens — Magnificent coastal paths, breathtaking views, colourful fishing villages — Exotic Mediterranean flora: lemons, figs, peaches, poppies
Trip Details
Product Code: 4197
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: to walk.
Guide Language: English
Tour Operator:
Exodus Travel
Supplier Code: W07GO
Starts: Gozo, Malta
Finishes: Gozo, Malta
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Unknown
Includes
— All buffet breakfast and 7 dinners — Accommodation for 7 nights — Route notes and maps — Flights from London (if booking Flight Inclusive) — Arrival & departure transfers - subject to 2 people traveling (if booking Flight Inclusive)Accommodation
Hotel Ta'Cenc - 5 StarSet in 400 acres of private grounds and built in harmony with the natural surroundings, the Ta'Cenc offers complete tranquility, a friendly atmosphere and delicious Maltese cuisine. Guests stay in tastefully furnished, air-conditioned single-storey stone buildings, each with its own terrace. There are two enormous swimming pools, a hydro-massage Jacuzzi, a fitness centre, tennis courts and a private (rocky) swimming cove. Beauty treatments are also available, as well as WiFi in public spaces. All prices are based on 2 persons sharing, so if there is an odd number of people travelling in your party or you are travelling alone, there will be a compulsory single room supplement for sole occupancy of a twin/double room for the tour duration.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1,625 ($203 /day)
Itinerary
Arrive at your hotel in Sannat. The evening is at your leisure to settle in, unpack and enjoy your first dinner.
Mgarr is Gozo's port, full of traditional and colourful luzzu fishing boats and dominated by the 18th Century Fort Chambray, built by the Knights of St John. The path from here hugs the coast as far as the narrow creek of Mgarr ix-Xini, where Turkish raiders landed in 1551 - the perfect place for a picnic and swim. From here you follow an old mule track up through the hotel's rocky grounds with fine views across to Malta, stopping to explore the remains of a Copper Age temple and Neolithic dolmen.
The north-western corner of the island is only accessible on foot, along easy farm tracks. The first stop is the remarkable neo-Romanesque Basilica at Ta' Pinu, a huge national shrine built on the site of a miracle in 1923. Your route then leads through unique ravine-like wieds (wadis) to Gharb with its stunning Baroque church (1699) and traditional stone houses. The final stretch takes you along the striking cliffs of the north coast where you are rewarded with fantastic views across Gozo's famous salt pans. Two walking options: 3.5hr, distance 12km/7.5mi or 4hr, distance 14km/9mi.
The cliffs near Sannat are the highest and most dramatic cliffs on Gozo and in late spring they are alive with Mediterranean shearwaters. The route takes you past breathtaking views towards Comino and Malta and down through tamarisk trees to the gorgeous Xlendi Bay. Then it's up through the terraced fields, bright with poppies and fields of gladioli cultivated in rows like Provencal lavender. Two walking options: 2.5hr, distance 9km/5.5mi or 3hr, distance 10km/6mi.
Today you could perhaps take a ride on one of Gozo's quirky buses to Xaghra to start your morning, as you head towards the Ggantija Tombs, a massive free-standing temple of 6m-high monoliths, and Calypso's Cave. Lunch on Ramla Bay, undeniably the best beach on the island, then perhaps head on to the lively capital of Victoria for the afternoon. The bustling market square, used as a meeting place since Roman times, is dominated by the mediaeval citadel, with spectacular views over the whole island. But the real charm lies in the maze of tiny back streets clustered around the Basilica, with carved stone balconies, flower-decked doorways and statuettes of the Madonna in street-corner niches.
The walk today takes you to the west coast and the fascinating Punic burial site at Wardija Point. There's a mythical feeling here, like being on the edge of the world. Narrow stone-walled lanes lead down to bamboo groves and to Fungus Rock (named after the 'magic' plant which grew there) and the Inland Sea.
Starting from Qala, it's an easy stroll to Dahlet Qorrot, a tiny harbour with gaily coloured boat houses. Then it's on through fragrant lemon groves, vineyards and past fig and peach trees to San Blas Bay, a hidden beach with gorgeous ochre-coloured sand. Your final stop is Nadur, where the spectacular views at the end of the day are a great finale to your week.
The tour ends in Gozo after breakfast.
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Tour Operator
Exodus Travel
It’s all about adventure That is what Exodus was founded upon 50 years ago, and what the company is still all about. Discovering countries, cultures, environments, cities, mountain ranges, deserts, coasts and jungles; exploring this amazing planet we all live on. At Exodus, we know what makes you tick when it comes to holidays. It’s a desire shared by so many others. A yearning to visit new places and come home with a real sense of what they’re all about. This means delving into local traditions, cultures, cuisine, lifestyles – anything that contributes to its unique identity. At the same time, we always remember that we are only guests. So we travel courteously and respectfully, in smaller groups to minimise our impact, to ensure that every Exodus holiday is a beneficial experience for everyone involved. This is a philosophy we take with us around the world, helping you reach some incredible destinations on 500 itineraries across over 90 separate countries. We also strive to provide as much flexibility and choice as we possibly can, making it simple for you to experience a very different holiday. Exodus started life on 4 February 1974 when two friends got together to provide an overland truck to travel to the Minaret of Jam, deep in the heart of the Hindu Kush, the most inaccessible of the world’s great monuments. See our history page for more details about how we began and how we have grown over the past 50 years. Never travelled with Exodus before? Visit our New to Exodus page for some useful, first-timer information.
In Business Since 1974
Reviews
Tricia Simon - Traveled, July 2014
luxury hotel to return to after lovely island walks a week of luxury and lovely walks on this quiet and relaxed island Most Inspirational Moment walking through the beautiful spring flowers with the pounding sea in our ears. Amazing cliff walks the food in the hotel was amazing. heated pool was great. walking through the local's fields and being given freshly picked oranges to enjoy at lunch Thoughts on Group Leader self guided - good map and notes, helpful and very friendly locals if needed Advice for Potential Travellers getting the local bus is easy, get a map from the ferry/bus station in the capitol and buy a week ticket for just a few euros so that it is easy to hop on and off. There is a hotel shuttle to Victoria but the local bus is also convenient. take clothing that will still fit after a week of 3 course meals and enormous, well stocked buffet breakfast. Suggestions Gozo is where the people from Malta go on holiday and it is very quiet and relaxed March was sunny but windy so was unusually cool but very green
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/14/2014
Bonnie Hechtkopf - Traveled, March 2014
The Adventure of Being Lost in Gozo I was given much misinformation when booking this tour. I am not fond of running into loose dogs, when alone on trails. I was told that no reports had been made of participants encountering dogs and that there was a leash law on the island. I was accosted by dogs on 3 separate walks in a week. Other fellow walkers had the same experience. Exodus outsourced everything to Headwaters and there seemed to be little if any communication between the companies. I was told that I would be the only one on the trip, although I was told at an earlier point that there would be 8 others. Why book a tour, if you will be totally alone? The walking tours book was useless. I was unable to complete any of the walks as indicated. Most Inspirational Moment I loved the walk along the cliffs to Xlendi, until the winds starting picking up and I couldn't find the path down to the village. The prehistoric megaliths in Ggantija and Mjandra were awesome! Thoughts on Group Leader There was no group leader. A man named George handed us some paperwork, coordinated our departure schedule and then disappeared. Advice for Potential Travellers My advice is to book the hotel on your own and buy a walking trails book on Gozo. The book provided by Exodus (Headwaters) was totally inadequate and who knows if it has ever been updated. All of the walkers using this book were lost and called the book "rubbish". You will save money and have less wasted time and frustration by booking on your own. I was provided with no value add by booking through Exodus. I feel totally ripped off, since I could have booked the hotel with meals and transfers for less than half of what I paid to Exodus. I never got to see many of the sites that I walked my butt off to see. Suggestions I heard from some fellow travelers that in the past Headwaters had always provided them with a quality product, but that they were very disappointed by our tour. I seemed to be the only one who had not booked directly through Headwaters. I was also told that Headwaters had been sold and that that might explain the poor quality of our walking guides. Not a good excuse, but this is what was mentioned.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/25/2014
Rosemary Gregory - Traveled, September 2018
great gozo A great holiday. Ta chenc is a lovely hotel. Single storey buildings with very spacious room and bathroom. A fabulous choice of food at breakfast with plenty of choice for dinner. Staff very friendly and helpful. Gozo is laid back with a very good public transport system to get you to start walks. Most Inspirational Moment Seeing the ancient monuments and magnificent churches along with stunning scenery. Thoughts on Group Leader NA Advice for Potential Travellers Not a huge choice for vegetarians at dinner in the hotel. Suggestions The written instructions for the walks provided by headwater were very clear and easy to understand. The best walk instructions we have come across. We were very impressed by the speed and efficiency of responses to queries to headwater.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/12/2018
Beverley Thorpe - Traveled, January 2017
Gozo go slow An ideal escape, even in the winter months when the sun is not so reliable. Most Inspirational Moment I'm really pleased to look at the map of Gozo and know that I have walked virtually all of it. The walk booklet led me across the island in all directions but knowing that it was very hard to get lost gave me more freedom to explore 'off piste'. Thoughts on Group Leader Not applicable Advice for Potential Travellers The Ta Cenc hotel was very welcoming and the rooms comfortable and heated! The spa was a bit tired but the heated pool a must. Staff were lovely. Winter in Gozo was okay but it would have been even nicer in the spring. As a single female traveller I felt very safe. Suggestions Remember - you can't get lost on Gozo!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/31/2017
Judith Pickthall - Traveled, February 2016
Gozo; self-guided walking holiday Feb.2016 Excellent Hotel (La Cence). Lovely weather Walking was excellent. Food great. Peopl,e very nice and very friendly. Most Inspirational Moment Cliff walks. Thoughts on Group Leader N/A Advice for Potential Travellers Go to Gozo Don't hire cars. Use the buses - the service is cheap and covers everywhere, regularly. Suggestions It is a wonderful place, full of historic interest (esp. the Victoria Citadel, and the ancient tombs at Gjigantes The beach at Ramala Bay is as impressive as advertised, but the whole place was shut.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/31/2016
Mair George - Traveled, February 2015
Exploring Gozo - Calypso's Isle Great holiday to take in Feb to get away from wet cold UK. Easy walking with a beautiful coastline, hilltop villages and lots of churches to visit. The hotel was amazing, with cottage style rooms in the gardens, delicious food and a great Spa & Pool. The local bus stopped outside and we used the local buses to walk in different parts of the island, so convenient and very good value. We did all the suggested walks, we saw some beautiful views and the route notes were all excellent. Most Inspirational Moment Arriving at San Blas bay having walked down a very steep hill, the beauty of the small, sandy, rocky cove in the sunshine was breathtaking. It was well worth the effort of the descent and subsequent ascent (by a different route) (Bays and Towers walk- we did it on our last day too and had seen almost all the island) Thoughts on Group Leader N/A self guided Suggestions Wish we had stayed an extra day to visit the Medina in Malta!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/15/2015
Jacqueline Faccenda - Traveled, August 2014
Calypso isle Lovely hotel even if had to share with film crew. Staff helpful and attentive. Pool very relaxing Enjoyed the spa and facilities Most Inspirational Moment Hard to answer this Thoughts on Group Leader Not applicable Advice for Potential Travellers Make sure no film crew in residence! Suggestions Plan to explore other than walking really enjoyed the boat trip round the island and swimming in the sea.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/14/2014
Ruth Morgan - Traveled, March 2014
Calypso's Isle We’ve just returned from a week in the stunning Ta’Cenc Hotel on the cliffs of the south coast of Gozo, which was a last-minute booking and proved to be an excellent choice. We had a very comfortable room which opened out onto the poolside, in this well designed single storey complex of rooms and trulli, in its own landscape of limestone and flowers. While the weather was quite warm and sunny, there was always a breeze (or more) which stopped us using the pools, but there was also a spa with warm in/outdoor pool and all facilities – the perfect end to a day of walking. The food was superb, with buffet breakfasts and four course dinners, and the service was immaculate. The holiday is self-guided and we did most of the walks suggested by Exodus, sometimes bumping into other hotel guests on the way; the walk notes we’d been given were so detailed we never got lost. But we did miss the group activity that are such a feature of the previous Exodus group holidays we’d been on and that people benefit enormously from. The hotel had a courtesy bus into the main town Victoria, from where local buses went out to all the villages, so we either caught them or walked from the hotel. The cliff walks were amazing and the flowers a myriad of colours; the views were stunning. The limestone quarrying and the salt pans fascinated us but we were upset by the evidence everywhere of the shooting of migrating birds. Being early in the season, some of the villages were sleepy, but there are many fine churches and archaeological sites to visit, as well as the citadel and museums in Victoria. We liked the folklore museum in Gharb and it was good to hire bikes and explore the villages (though the drivers are crazy!). It would have been easy to have a day on Malta by bus and ferry but we had no time. Most Inspirational Moment Climbing steep rock-cut steps out of Xlendi bay among all flowers of all colours, to catch the view at the top. The view from the bell tower in the church at Xewkija and the bells tolling right above our heads! Thoughts on Group Leader Self-guided.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/18/2014
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