Nadur, the hilltop lookout of eastern Gozo

Nadur has two faces that couldn’t be more different. There’s the summer one, a quiet hilltop village with three coves below, and the carnival one, when its streets fill after dark with costumes the Ministry for Gozo itself calls irreverent and even macabre. If you like places with character, to my mind it ranks among the most interesting villages on the island.

A village built as a lookout

Nadur sits on Gozo’s easternmost hill, and its name explains why. According to the Ministry for Gozo it comes from nadar, to watch at length or keep guard, and the village served as a sort of watchtower for the island. Its highest point has some of the finest views on Gozo. That’s where you’ll find Ta’ Kenuna Tower, built by the British in 1848 not for defence but as a telegraph link between Malta and Gozo. It’s now surrounded by a botanical garden.

With 4,696 residents at the end of 2025, per the NSO, it’s one of Gozo’s larger villages. You can reach it from Victoria or directly from Mġarr harbour, and Malta Public Transport lists route 322, which passes through Nadur and Qala on its way to Marsalforn.

The basilica and the Mnarja

The Church of St Peter and St Paul dominates the skyline from a large square, opposite an old stone cross. Its foundation stone went down in December 1760, but the façade and aisles date from the early 20th century, designed by Francesco Saverio Sciortino. It was consecrated on 12 May 1867 and became a basilica on 26 June 1967. The Ministry for Gozo counts it among the island’s best baroque buildings.

Its feast is the Mnarja, on 29 June, a public holiday across Malta. The name comes from luminaria, the illuminations marking the start of summer, and the ministry describes it as one of the oldest feasts, closer to a harvest and folk festival than the other summer festas. There’s a farming and crafts exhibition, traditional food and live demonstrations. If you want to see Malta’s village feasts in a different key, this is a good one to choose.

Nadur carnival, after dark and unscripted

Gozo’s carnival has its main parade in Victoria, with floats, dance companies and comic troupes. Nadur’s is something else. The Ministry for Gozo describes it as spontaneous and satirical, with no programme, the idea being to turn up in the weirdest costume you can come up with. The costumes often take aim at local and international politics, there are no choreographed routines, and many acts are small groups or one-person shows.

Gozo’s 2026 carnival was held between 13 and 17 February, with 2027 still to be announced. For the parades on both islands, see my Malta carnival guide. While you’re there, try a slice of prinjolata, Gozo’s carnival cake, topped with cream, glacé cherries and nuts.

Nadur had another moment in the spotlight in 2026. The Malta fireworks festival opened its edition here on 18 April before moving on to the Grand Harbour.

The coves below and the two towers

Three stretches of coast lie below Nadur. San Blas Bay, a reddish-sand beach about 100 metres long reached by a lane closed to traffic; Ramla, the big red beach on the north coast; and Daħlet Qorrot, a small cove popular with fishermen and local swimmers, with boathouses cut into caves at the foot of the cliffs. Between Daħlet Qorrot and San Blas stands Ta’ Isopu Tower, from the Knights’ era.

The Ministry for Gozo has a circular walk from Nadur, the Daħlet Qorrot Walk, taking in that tower and Qala. Nothing beats it for taking in the east of the island slowly.

If you’re visiting on 29 June

Because the Mnarja is also a national holiday, it’s worth knowing how Malta handles those days. The Malta Tourism Authority says that on public holidays many shops, attractions and businesses keep their doors open, sometimes with shorter hours, and that public transport may run a reduced service. On Mnarja day in Nadur I’d get there early, leave the car well outside the centre if you’re driving, and plan the bus back with a margin.

A very personal maritime museum

Nadur’s maritime museum is a private collection built up over decades. It holds original timber from Nelson’s HMS Victory and from the frigate Constitution, one of Lord Mountbatten’s gold epaulettes and 300 ships’ crests. I couldn’t find opening hours or prices published, so it’s worth asking before you go. Don’t mix it up with the Malta Maritime Museum, Heritage Malta’s one in Birgu, which is shut for a full overhaul with no reopening date.