The island of Gozo is probably one of the more unknown and exotic destinations. Where this island lies at all becomes clear to many only when the keyword "the neighboring island of Malta" is used. Geographically, Malta and Gozo are located in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily and thus at the height of Tunisia.
From October to May there are usually pleasant temperatures for a hiking holiday, but the small island state of Malta has so far hardly been associated with a hiking holiday. Malta is more known for language trips (English!) And as a location for the TV series "Game of Thrones".
Malta and Gozo are extremely well suited for hiking due to the spectacular cliffs! For example, the "Gozo Coastal Walk" has been around for a few years, and it leads completely around the island of Gozo. Since the arrival takes place via Malta Airport, it makes sense to combine both islands for a common long-distance hike.
In mid-January 2020 - with a pleasant 12 to 15 degrees Celsius, lots of sunshine and some rain - I got to know both islands in 6 stages and on a 100 km hiking route.
And finally ... The most beautiful and varied long-distance hike I know! The hike is definitely recommended!
Bays with a deep blue sea
Cliff hike only for those with a head for heights
Interactive map
Highlights
Why did I love hiking in Malta and Gozo? In no other place have I seen so many different highlights while hiking in such a small space:
- Where else can you visit several UNESCO World Heritage sites on a long-distance hike? There are a total of 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Malta and Gozo (3 recognized and 7 nominated). On the first stage you can marvel at 3 of them! More info: World heritage in Malta.
- Where else do so many interesting cultural aspects mix? Maltese is spoken here - an Arabic dialect with Latin letters. Left-hand traffic prevails - until 1964 Malta was a British colony. And the kitchen has a strong connection to nearby Sicily ...
- Malta has been the seat of the Order of Malta since 1530. Countless fortresses and military installations - built by knights of the Order of Malta - still take visitors back to the Middle Ages.
- Malta and Gozo are therefore also architecturally interesting: well over 300 churches and around 30 defense towers are spread over both islands. Their typical reddish limestone blends beautifully into the landscape.
- Numerous bays and beaches are ideal for a dip in the water - at least between April and November.
- Seldom have I stayed in so many lovely guest houses, hotels and bed & breakfasts on a hike as in Malta and Gozo. More info: Hotels.
In short: Anyone who is enthusiastic about long-distance Mediterranean hikes should definitely consider Malta and Gozo as their next holiday destination!
Photo Gallery
Detailed information on long-distance hiking in Malta and Gozo can be found in the following sections:
3D preview of the long-distance hike
The entire long-distance hike is available in a three-dimensional view at Ayvri.com. This can be very helpful when planning a long-distance hike. The preview is interactive: the camera perspective can be adjusted at any time using drag & drop. The speed of the preview can also be set variably.
(Clicking on the picture opens the 3D simulation on Ayvri.com)
15 November 2021
Hello Frank,
Thank you for the detailed information on your website.
After we finally hiked the wonderful fishing path of the Rota Vincentina in Portugal this autumn, I am now looking for new adventures. :-)
Since my husband was very troubled by the amount of loose sand on the fishing path in combination with the weight of our backpacks (complete luggage), I would like to know a little more about the nature of the paths on Malta and Gozo. Can you tell me something about that?
Kind regards
Days
15 November 2021
Hello Dana,
I can understand the problem with the sand very well - especially with the weight of the backpacks it is quite exhausting! On Malta and Gozo there are actually almost only cliffs - so you hike on rocky ground or normal hiking trails with a little scree. In some places the rock can be quite sharp.
There are very few beaches on the two islands. Overall, I would estimate that you only walk a few hundred meters on sand on the entire tour (on stage 6 for example at waypoint 3 / "Ramla Bay"). In this respect, Malta should be a top hiking destination for you!
Regards
Frank
29 December 2021
Hi, thanks for this detailed report of Malta hikes. I have a question about the markings, is the trail easy to follow? Is there a map I can find in stores in Malta, not sure if the trails are official. Thank you!
30 December 2021
Hello Raluca,
The long-distance hiking route I have described does not follow an official path and therefore there are no continuous signs. Even on Gozo, where there is the official "Gozo Coastal Walk", I deviated from its route in some places in order to hike closer to the coast. My route is available as a GPX download or as a PDF hiking map (Link: Downloads). Unfortunately, I cannot say whether there are good hiking maps to buy in Malta.
Please also note the following information: Prohibition signs and private paths.
Regards
Frank
March 30, 2022
Hello Frank,
on Sunday we - my daughter and I - came back from Malta. We followed in your footsteps and hiked around the island of Gozo. And in Malta we hiked along the Victoria lines and on the cliffs in the southwest.
Gozo: We were based in Victoria and always took the bus to the starting points. And back again by bus. And we agree: That was the most beautiful multi-day hike that we did together. Varied, exciting, the greatest distance and views, and now in spring an incredible number of different flowering plants (certainly over 40!). And there were only a handful of tourists away from the hotspots – and surprisingly there are quite a few – out and about. We mostly had this crazy environment to ourselves. A dream!
We were a bit irritated by the countless huts/shelters and traps/hunting devices of the - we called them that - bird killers, who illegally shoot down an incredible number of protected migratory birds every year or capture them for resale. But they only do this in April, we didn't see any in March. This issue also seems to exist in other Mediterranean countries; I hadn't seen it anywhere in this massive form before. We suspect that the very frequent markings "private!", "out!" etc. are due to the fact that the illegal shooting of birds should not be discovered on the one hand and on the other hand hikers should of course not drive the birds away. But maybe we're wrong about that. In the meantime, some of the paths were blocked with fresh walls and high stone deposits, so that we had to accept larger detours or climb over them.
Info: According to the tourist information on Gozo, there is no longer an official coast path. Too many owners have not allowed roaming of their properties. So there is no more map.
Malta: walking along the Victoria lines is also really nice in parts. You can also see the hinterland, which is almost entirely used for agriculture outside of the villages; now green and full of juice in spring. In return, we gladly accepted the sections that you have to walk on the country road.
The coast in the southwest is also very beautiful. But Malta is much more built-up and touristy than Gozo. Compared to other Mediterranean coasts, there are hardly any structural mistakes, which we noticed very positively.
Basically, my classification of the level of difficulty of the tours on Gozo and Malta would be: easy to medium, a few places also difficult. For people with a slight fear of heights (unfortunately both my daughter and I have this limitation) there are no problems. Those with a severe fear of heights might not want to venture too close to the edge of the cliffs.
Thank you very much for your valuable information and descriptions of the tours!
Greetings Dagmar and Rosa
3 April 2022
Hello Dagmar and Rosa!
I am very happy about your feedback! Great that you had such a nice hiking holiday! I can well imagine that it's even nicer in spring than on my tour back in January...
It is a shame that the Gozo Coastal Walk has officially been cancelled, particularly on the grounds that the property owners have complained. Luckily I haven't received any complaints from Malta so far.
Thanks also for the information about the fear of heights – I would have judged it differently now. Maybe I'll defuse my note on the subject of having a head for heights a bit.
Regards
Frank
2 November 2022
Hi Frank,
Many thanks for all the information you posted. We just came back from Malta/Gozo, doing more or less the route you had done earlier (just used bus a little bit more often to avoid hiking through urbanized areas). I found your website extremely useful and professional – hats off!
One thing for potential hikers reading this comment in the future. I was totally unaware of bird hunting (or better bird slaughter) being widely practiced in Malta. In fact, if I had known about it, I would not have come to Malta at all. You should be aware that hiking in rural Malta means passing countless caged birds, nets and other kinds of traps, accompanied by rather unwelcoming armed (firearms! ) hunters. More about it here: https://www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/malta/travel-guide/malta-bird-hunting
Once again Frank, many thanks for your splendid job!
Regards,
Piotr
8 November 2022
Hello Piotr,
Thank you for your feedback and the information about bird hunting in Malta. I didn't really notice that back in January. In particular, the hunting season in April should probably be avoided...
I included a note: Bird hunting in Malta and Gozo.
Regards
Frank
6 December 2022
Hello Frank,
Thank you for this great hiking inspiration and your great work-up!
This made it possible for us to follow in your footsteps for 8 days quite spontaneously this November.
In general, we felt very comfortable in Malta & Gozo - above all, the many pastizzies and pizzas to go delighted our hiking heart.
We should send you greetings from Carol, the owner of the B&B in Sannat.
We are already looking forward to your next route.
Greetings from Halle,
Nancy
6 December 2022
Hello Nancy,
thank you, that's nice with the greetings from Carol! :-)
I am very happy that you enjoyed Malta & Gozo!
Greetings from Hamburg
Frank
15 January 2023
Dear Frank, thank you for your website! I want to go next June 2023 in the first two weeks and would travel alone. In particular, the hike around the Gozo island appealed to me, but now after reading the comments I'm unsure: is it even allowed to go through there? And as far as bird hunting is concerned, is that dangerous, is there also shooting? can i do this alone Many thanks.
María Rosal (Fernán‐Núñez, Córdoba, 1961) is a complete writer. She has published children's theatre, has received the Andalusian Critics' Award (2004), the Children's Poetry Award (2007) and the José Hierro National Poetry Award for Carmín rojo sangre (2015). Her poetic work has been translated into English, Italian and Greek.<br/> <br/> This is her second book for children in edebé, after the funniest title, El secreto de las patatas fritas.<br/> <br/> Maria has a very funny sense of humour.
18 January 2023
Hi Mary,
Based on the latest feedback from other hikers, I would assume that the trail is still easy to do. You've probably already discovered the comments on the extra page, haven't you? (Link: Testimonials). If you're patient, I can give you the latest feedback - I'll do the tour again at the beginning of February and can then give you an update :-)
Because of bird hunting, it seems that shooting is mainly done in April. I completely missed that on the hike back then, so I only added it afterwards. I'll keep an eye out for that when I'm on the road.
From my point of view, there is still nothing against the hike - even alone. I would be careful in June though because of the temperatures.
I hope this is helping you!
Regards
Frank
March 28, 2023
Hello Frank,
we are flying to Malta in two weeks and plan to follow your suggested routes on Malta and Gozo We have already followed your footsteps on the Amalfi Coast (: It was one of our best vacations.
Is there any current information or advice about Malta and Gozo that we should consider.
Thanks and best regards,
Martina
6 April 2023
Hello Martina,
The instructions I just wrote to Hubert also apply to you.
Have fun hiking!
Frank
14 April 2023
Hi Frank
I'm just back from a great trip to Malta and Gozo walking this trail with my husband and two teenagers. We all really enjoyed it, both the walking itself and the islands generally. Your trail directions were generally really clear and easy to follow, with only one or two challenges.
On Day 2, we took your recommended variant and made our way up through the reed bed to the end of the Victoria Lines. The route finding at the end was a bit tricky but well worth it, and the view from the top was fantastic. A highlight of this day for us. Another group who were doing the walk at the same time took the direct route and when we talked to them afterwards they said they wouldn't recommend it. I don't think they encountered unfriendly owners, but they did have to climb through barbed wire and pass where they felt definitely unwelcome.
At the very end of that day, in the section coming into Golden Bay, there has been a fairly recent looking landslip so the path went quite a bit higher than your trail. It was clear enough, but felt a little insecure as it was loose earth that hadn't really been compacted yet.
The Gozo loop trail is still well marked and easy to follow. Also we were warned that hunting season was about to start, but up to our last day, 12 April, it hadn't yet.
Thanks for documenting this trail so well & making it available in English.
Best wishes from Ireland
Barbara & family
16 April 2023
Hello Barbara,
Many thanks for your report and the feedback on the new variant on the second day! I am very happy that you as a family did the hike and that you enjoyed it!
Greetings from Hamburg
Frank
30 May 2023
Hello Frank,
my wife and I returned from our Malta/Gozo long distance hike over the weekend. With a few minor exceptions, we followed your description pretty much exactly. Super researched, perfectly described, everything worked out. Sometimes it is helpful to have the track ready via GPS or mobile phone. At the end of May it was almost too hot, we were lucky and some clouds didn't let the temperatures climb quite as high. We also noticed the really many shelters, from which birds are probably shot. Nobody shot, the migratory bird season was probably already over. However, had a few problems with stray dogs trying to get at our calves. Conclusion: In the future we will have a small pepper spray with us. Unfortunately, we also noticed that the garbage problem does not stop at Malta/Gozo.
Nevertheless: It was a great hike again, in a unique landscape, with great flora and fauna (we even saw a chameleon) - and definitely recommended. Thank you for your perfect research, which we were happy to use when preparing, as with some previous tours.
Regards
Heike and Jochen
March 30, 2024
Hi Frank,
Wij hebben van 11 tot en met 17 maart deze daughter gelopen met behulp van je gpx tracks. The GPX had become a burden before Malta. Thank you very much, it was a fantastic vacancy!
Nicky & Karin
7 April 2024
Hello Nicky & Karin,
Thank you for your feedback! I am very pleased!
Regards
Frank