San Blas, Ramla's little sister

San Blas is the beach I’d point anyone to who already knows Ramla and wants the same with fewer people. It has the same reddish sand in miniature, green surroundings with no buildings, and one feature that protects it better than any rule, which is that you have to walk down a very steep hill to get there.

A red-sand cove below Nadur

San Blas lies on Gozo’s north-east coast, below the village of Nadur and a little east of Ramla. The Ministry for Gozo presents it as the little sister of that bigger beach, and the comparison is fair. The sand is the same reddish-orange, the beach is about 100 metres long and it’s hemmed in by greenery, which gives it a sheltered feel that the more open Ramla lacks.

The water is clear and good for swimming and snorkelling, according to the ministry. What you won’t find is development, just sunbeds to hire and a kiosk for a drink and a snack. To me, that’s a large part of the appeal.

Getting down, and back up

This is the crux of San Blas. A narrow, steep road leads down from Nadur, and the final stretch is closed to traffic precisely because of the gradient. You have to walk it. The Ministry for Gozo puts it plainly, the descent isn’t for the faint-hearted, and I’d add that the climb back in the afternoon sun is harder still.

If you can’t face it, or would rather not, a jeep runs people down and back up in summer for a small fee. The ministry doesn’t publish the price, so I’d ask before climbing in. Out of the summer season, don’t count on it.

My practical advice is decent shoes for the hill, plenty of water, sun cream and a well-chosen time of day. There’s no shop at the bottom beyond the kiosk, and whatever you forget stays forgotten until you’re back up in Nadur. First thing in the morning the walk down is cool and the beach is empty. Late in the afternoon the light slants across the sand and the climb back is less punishing.

The coast around it

San Blas isn’t alone. Between it and the cove at Daħlet Qorrot stands Ta’ Isopu Tower, also called San Blas Tower, from the Knights’ era. The ministry also maps out a loop starting in Nadur, called the Daħlet Qorrot Walk, which passes the tower, the Mistra Rocks and Qala, with views to Comino and Malta. If you like walking, it’s the best way to see San Blas from above before heading down.

What to know in the water

As on every Maltese beach, check the flags before you swim. The Malta Tourism Authority uses red over yellow for a lifeguarded area, green for calm water, while yellow means medium hazard, purple warns of jellyfish, red signals high hazard and double red bans swimming outright. Given the walk involved, I wouldn’t chance it at San Blas under a red flag.

It’s also worth knowing that nudity and topless sunbathing aren’t allowed on Maltese beaches. And if you’re coming from the UK, the UK government says you need a GHIC or EHIC for medically necessary state healthcare in Malta, which is worth having on you on a beach that’s a steep walk from the nearest road.

Daħlet Qorrot, Nadur’s other cove

If San Blas sounds like too much hill, Nadur has another, lesser-known way to the sea. Daħlet Qorrot is a small cove used mainly by fishermen and local swimmers, with a quirk I love, its boathouses, most of them natural caves and ledges at the foot of the cliffs converted into garages. It isn’t a sandy beach, but for a quiet swim and an afternoon with no tourists, it’s about as genuine as the east of Gozo gets.

San Blas or Ramla

If you only have time for one beach on the north of Gozo, I’d go to Ramla Bay, as it’s easier to reach and more spacious. If you already know it, want peace and quiet or are travelling as a couple and fancy a cove almost to yourselves, San Blas. The rest of the island’s coast, rocky coves and sandy beaches alike, is compared in my guide to Gozo beaches.