Xlendi, the cliff-framed bay where Gozo goes for a swim

Xlendi is one of the bays where Gozo swims all year round, locals and holidaymakers alike. It’s a narrow arm of sea between cliffs, with a small village at the head and a tower on the point. There isn’t much room, which is both its charm and its problem in August.

From fishing hamlet to holiday bay

According to the Ministry for Gozo, Xlendi started out as a tiny fishing village and has grown into a small resort that stays lively through the year. Many of those fishermen actually lived up the hill in Fontana, and it was they who paid for the church there. For administrative purposes Xlendi comes under the local council of Munxar, the village just above.

The beach is small, a mix of sand and shingle, and the water stays shallow near the shore, which makes it easy going with children. Around it, the rocky coastline drops into deeper water that’s good for diving and snorkelling. In summer there are banana rides, pedalos and canoes too, and the Ministry says boat trips and fishing trips are easy to arrange.

The 1650 tower and Caroline’s Cave

The tower at the mouth of the bay was built for Grand Master Lascaris in 1650 on the headland of Ras il-Bajda. The Ministry calls it the oldest free-standing coastal watchtower on Gozo. Its job was to keep out pirates, smugglers and anyone trying to slip past quarantine, and it commanded the south-western approaches to the island and the entrance to the Comino Channel. It stayed on duty until 1871.

Paths lead off along the cliffs from the bay. The best known is the Xlendi Walk, with views across to the Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs and to Sanap. Steps cut into the rock take you down to Caroline’s Cave, and beside the tower opens the little Kantra valley, which the Knights crossed with a stone bridge and carved steps to reach their tower.

Is Xlendi worth it for diving?

If you’re new to diving, I’d put it near the top of the list on Gozo. The reefs and tunnels in the bay suit divers of every level, and there are several dive centres in the village itself. If you’re experienced, Heritage Malta protects the Xlendi Underwater Archaeological Park beneath the tower, with a 7th-century BC Phoenician wreck and amphorae spread across 67,000 square metres, 108 to 112 metres down. That’s serious technical diving, so for most of us it’s a curiosity. For the other wrecks around the islands, see Malta wreck diving.

Eating, sleeping and getting there

Several restaurants line the waterfront, and I’d book for sunset, when the bay is at its prettiest. For a bed, the MTA register lists three hotels and 131 licensed holiday flats and houses in Xlendi, so there isn’t a great deal and August books up early. If you’d like more peace, Munxar is right above.

Bus 330 runs from Victoria bus terminal, or it’s a few minutes’ drive. On the same outing, walking down from the Sanap cliffs is the loveliest way into the bay.

The Carmel feast

Xlendi’s feast honours Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with a procession along the promenade and fireworks let off from barges. The Ministry’s page puts it on the first Sunday of September and links it with the gostra, one of the festa’s traditions. The Carmel chapel in the village has a front dating from 1868 and was lengthened in 1969. If you want to compare it with the island’s other swimming spots, I’ve lined them up in Gozo beaches.

Salt pans, old finds and the sightseeing bus

The bay holds more layers than you’d guess from the beach. The Ministry for Gozo mentions archaeological finds from the Punic and Byzantine periods in the area, and beneath the tower there are rock-cut salt pans that are no longer worked. For the ones still in use, head to the north coast and the Xwejni salt pans.

Xlendi is also one of the stops, along with Victoria, Dwejra, Marsalforn and Ramla, on the open-top Gozo bus that comes bundled with Gozo HighSpeed’s fast ferry package. With a single day on Gozo and no car, that’s one way to do it. With more time, I’d rather take the regular bus and stay on for dinner by the water.