Xagħra, Malta
The second largest community of Malta's island of Gozo features a surprising number of unusual places to visit. Xagħra is the second largest locality on Gozo, the second largest island within the nation of Malta. Like many other towns on the island, Xagħra is located on a hilltop overlooking agricultural fields below it, although Xagħra seems to sprawl more. While Xagħra’s outwards appearance may make it look as quiet as most other residential communities on Gozo, the location actually has quite a few sites that are worth going out of the way to visit. The Xagħra Parish Church and the central plaza in front of the church stand at the center of the community. The current limestone church was built in the nineteenth century, and while it is similar to many of the other parish churches across the Maltese Islands, it is still an impressive building both inside and outside. The rest of the plaza features most of the community’s local shops and restaurants, and many of these restaurants have outdoor seating on the plaza. Also note the cross at the west end of the plaza; these crosses are a common feature of communities across the Maltese Islands. Xagħra’s most notable attraction is Ġgantija, a neolithic temple complex that sits on the community’s southern slopes. Built between 3800 and 2000 BC, Ġgantija is one of the largest neolithic structures in the islands, and the complex is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In spite of being so famous, Ġgantija is actually relatively uncrowded, making it a peaceful place to visit. Visitors will first be able to see neolithic artifacts from Ġgantija in the visitor center, including a few of Malta’s famous fertility figurines, before being able to walk inside the complex itself. Just north of the entrance to Ġgantija is the Ta’ Kola Windmill. In the 1700s when the islands were ruled by the Knights of St. John, the government constructed many windmills like Ta’ Kola to mill grain for the local population. Each windmill had a broad square base and a cylindrical tower at the center, giving the windmills a very distinct appearance. Most of Malta’s windmills have either been dismantled or demolished, but Ta’ Kola provides visitors with a chance to go inside one of the very few windmills left in the islands and to learn about their history. People who enjoy small, quirky tourist attraction will want to visit Ninu’s Cave and Xerri’s Grotto, both of which are located near the central plaza. Both locations are small limestone caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites that were found serendipitously by people drilling wells behind their homes; Ninu’s Cave was found first in 1888, while Xerri’s grotto was found in 1924. Both were turned into tourist attractions, and both are now run by the descendants of the men who found the caves. Note that Xerri’s Grotto is open during regular business hours but that Ninu’s Cave is only open late in the afternoons, and visiting both caves requires descending down narrow staircases. Located just north of Xerri’s Grotto is Sansuna’s Rock. While this looks like just a large limestone rock in a weedy plot of land, the rock may actually be the remains of an ancient burial chamber. It has also been associated with the mythical Sansuna, who is credited with constructing Ġgantija, and it is recognized as an important cultural site. The far northeastern end of Xagħra features a closed lookout standing over Calypso Cave, one of a couple of caves in the Maltese Islands that has been associated with the nymph from the Odyssey since the 18th and 19th centuries. While it is not possible to stand on the lookout or see the cave from above, this spot does offer spectacular views of Ramla Bay, which has one of Malta’s very few sandy beaches. The trail down to the beach passes through Ulysses Lodge, the most notable abandoned building on the island of Gozo. While this hotel was a popular wedding and events venue in the 1980s, it’s now aatracts graffiti artists and urban explorers (but note that walking around inside the structure may be unsafe because the structure is unstable). Most visitors spending just a few hours on Gozo will want to at least stop by Ġgantija for a couple of hours, but people spending at least one night on Gozo may want to spend the better part of a day exploring all of the different sites within this small community. Xagħra is easy to reach either by car or by public transport, but walking to the location is not recommending. For people driving on Gozo, the center of Xagħra is less than 10 minutes from the city of Victoria and less than 15 minutes from the island’s sole ferry terminal at Mgarr. Some of the roads may be narrow, but street parking is easy to find. Buses regularly travel to Xagħra from both the central bus station in Victoria as well as from the harbor. Although Xagħra does not have any large resort hotels, it does have a series of small guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, and smaller hotels that may appeal to tourists who are interested in having a quiet place to stay in a small town setting while visiting Gozo.
