Ramla l-Ħamra Bay
Xlendi Bay
Just a few minutes’ drive away from
the majestic temples, down a winding
country road, is one of the most
beautiful bays of the Maltese Islands.
Ramla l-Ħamra Bay is a beautiful
stretch of beach, characterised
by its striking red sand. The water
itself is sometimes dangerous to
swim in, as there are a lot of strong
currents in the bay – however you
can check whether it is safe or not
with the Information Centre just off
of the bay. If you have kids, they will
love building sand-castles in sand
that seems like it was made for that
purpose. Also, red sandcastles make
for some lovely photos! This beach is
the perfect place to unwind and relax
to the sound of the crashing waves.
What better place to end your jampacked Gozo tour, than Xlendi Bay?
The bay is a perfect spot to watch
the sunset, as the sun seems to
melt into the sea just between the
two cliff-sides of Xlendi. The bay
itself is a quaint little thing, not
that great to swim in, especially if
you like your beaches sandy. There
are some lovely restaurants along
the water though, and there is an
astonishing walk way, which leads to
the edge of the cliffs. The colossal
cliffs plunging into the sea make for
a great backdrop for a photo as well!
The path winds on into a small creek
between the cliff faces, where the
sea-water makes its way, creating a
lovely valley called Kantra.
Interesting fact: There is a cave near
this beach which is said to have been
the home of Calypso, the beautiful
nymph who held Odysseus with her
for 7 years, while he was on his way
home from the battle of Troy!
Interesting fact: The Tower on top of
the opposite cliffs over Kantra valley
is the oldest freestanding watch
tower in Gozo. It was built in 1650
to warn the island of any incoming
pirates!
Back to the
Motherland
Interesting fact: The word ‘Ġgantija’
in Maltese is a derivative of the
word ‘Ġgant’ meaning ‘Giant’, as
the Gozitans used to think that the
temples were built by a giantess who
lived on a diet of broad beans and
bread!
Take a deep breath and inhale all
of the beauty that Gozo offered you
during this day. There is still much,
much more to see, however, we’ll
leave that for another day-trip in
the future. Our sister island may
be small in size, but she is great
in character. It is an island full to
the brim with hidden splendour,
and not-so-hidden gorgeousness as
well. Please do your best to keep
this untarnished natural beauty as
you found it, so that we can re-visit
and be in awe of all things Gozitan
once again. Until next time!
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