Beach hopping with watchtowers for a history lesson.
The "Golden Bay" in the north-west of the Mediterranean island of Malta, as the golden sandy beach is self-explanatorily called, is a popular destination. In spring, beach tourists are still rare, but a few outdoor enthusiasts have discovered the island of Malta and its sister islands Gozo (read also the blog about Gozo) and Comino for themselves. Hikers, climbers, divers and mountain bikers - sport-loving tourists get their money's worth here.
♡-Factor: ♡♡♡♡♡
Start and end point: Golden Bay car park.
Duration: 3 h - There is so much to see and Golden Bay invites for a swim
Distance: 5.3 km
Height difference: 100 m up and down
Refreshment stops: At Golden Bay there is a nice restaurant right on the beach. Here you can eat or just have a coffee.
Level of difficulty: red
GPS data on Komoot - you have to log in to see it:
A golden beach stretches out below us in a crescent shape, gently merging into the turquoise sea.
A bay like something out of a picture book.
One of the lighthouse towers is enthroned on a peninsula of limestone rocks. The Gћajn Tuffieћa Tower is just one of several watchtowers that Grand Master Lascari had built in 1637 to protect Malta's vulnerable coastline from attack. After its completion, a half-pounder cannon was mounted on the roof, which was then guarded by four men. The tower was not only used by the Knights of St John, but also served as a sentry point during the Second World War and played an important role in some of the most significant moments in Maltese history. For this reason alone, the Gћajn Tuffieћa Tower is worth a visit.t!
Today, Gћajn Tuffieћa Bay lies peacefully nestled in a sea of wildflowers. At the end of the stand, the II-Qarraba peninsula rises out of the sea like a fortress. We scramble through caves and walk around the rock, whose base is overgrown with red clover. In addition, there are rock formations in various shades of colour, eroded slopes of blue-green clay form colour contrasts as if from another world.
Read my other blogs on Malta and Gozo:
- the hike to Golden Bay in Malta
- Malta's little sister: The island of Gozo
- Hiking around Dwejra Point on Gozo
Info:
General information is available (in English) at www.visitmalta.com.
35 hikes are described in the Rother hiking guide "Malta-Gozo".
Best time to visit:
Spring starts as early as mid-February and is the most beautiful time for hiking - temperatures rise and wildflowers transform the islands into a sea of blossoms.
Getting there and around:
Direct flights from Frankfurt to Malta are available with Lufthansa, for example. Ryanair flies from Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden from the end of March.
Alternatively, it is also possible to travel by ferry. Twice daily between Marsa (near Valletta) and the town of Pozzallo in southern Sicily.
The public express bus lines X1, X2, X3 and X4 connect the airport with the main destinations on the island. www.publictransport.com.mt (English).
In addition to taxis and rental cars, Malta Transfers offers group and individual transfers to many hotels. www.maltatransfer.com.
Malta has left-hand traffic.
Car rental price comparison e.g. at: www.arguscarhire.com
Malta and Gozo are connected by a car and passenger ferry. It departs about every 45 minutes, reservations are not required. www.gozochannel.com.
Sleeping:
From a 400-year-old farm in Malta, the hosts at Talbot & Bons have converted a charming little B&B with twelve individual rooms.
https://talbotbons.com/ Double rooms from €80.
In the heart of Gozo at the foot of the Victoria Citadel is Casa Gemelli Boutique Guesthouse. Twin sisters Anna and Sonia run the house with great attention to detail and serve excellent breakfasts. Book via tel: +356 2155 9067 or booking.com, double room from 100€.
On Gozo, we had booked a flat in the middle of the old town via Airbnb. It can only be reached on foot and there is no parking in front of the house. But it is wonderfully quiet and lovingly renovated. There are several flats here:
Dining:
Colourful chairs, wobbly tables, whimsical memorabilia - what doesn't sound glamorous at all glamorous, was used by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as a filming location for "By the Sea" - and today serves guests as a very good fish restaurant.
Café Mgarr ix-Xini, Gozo in the bay of the same name off Xewkija. Tel: +356 7955 3691