Malta · Gozo
Gozo is twenty-five minutes from Malta, and yet many visitors give up on it because they don't know how it works. That's a shame: the crossing is simple, frequent, cheap, and the island is far greener and quieter than its big sister. Here's how it actually goes, including the detail that surprises everyone — you don't pay on the way out.
The crossing
The ferry leaves from Ċirkewwa, at Malta's northern tip, and arrives at Mġarr, Gozo's harbour. The crossing takes about twenty-five minutes and departures are very frequent by day, with a reduced but continuous night service.
The channel passes Comino: from the deck you can see the island, Cominotto and the entrance to the Blue Lagoon. Stay outside, it beats the indoor lounge.
Nothing to book as a foot passenger. You turn up, you board.
The channel between Malta and Gozo, with Comino in the middle
The catch: you pay on the way back
The ticket is a return, collected when you leave Gozo, not on the way out from Malta. So you board at Ċirkewwa without going near a ticket desk, and pay at Mġarr when you head back.
It throws people the first time, and it sends plenty of visitors hunting for a booth that doesn't exist on that side.
Tallinja travel cards also cover the crossing on some plans — check what yours covers before paying cash.
Should you take the car?
It depends entirely on what you want to do.
Yes, if you're exploring Gozo. The island has its own bus network, but it's thinner than Malta's and the distances between villages add up. A car genuinely changes the day. Most rental agreements allow the ferry, but check before boarding: some exclude it.
No, if you're only after Victoria and the citadel. Buses wait as you come off the ferry at Mġarr and run straight up to Victoria. That's simple and enough for half a day.
There is also a fast passenger ferry linking Valletta and Sliema directly to Gozo in about forty-five minutes. Pricier, no cars, but it saves crossing the whole of Malta by bus to reach Ċirkewwa.
The Marfa ridge running towards Ċirkewwa, in northern Malta
Arriving at Mġarr
The harbour is tucked in and the view on arrival is one of the finest in the archipelago: limestone houses climb in tiers, and the neo-Gothic Our Lady of Lourdes church commands the hill above the port.
Everything starts there: buses, taxis, quad and tuk-tuk hire. Allow about ten minutes by road to Victoria, Gozo's capital, and its hilltop citadel with a view over the whole island.
One last-ferry tip: evening departures thin out. If you're sleeping back on Malta, check the time of the last crossing before settling in at a terrace in Victoria.
Mġarr harbour and the Our Lady of Lourdes church above it