Archaeolocical walks on Gozo

Introduction

The Archaeological Walks on Gozo have been designed to allow the visitor to the island to enjoy
both the beauty of the landscape and its rich archaeological heritage, in particular that of the
phases before the Christian era. Gozo possesses an abundance of interesting archeological sites
and features, some of which are among the most famous in the world. the Ggantija temples
immediately come to mind, the oldest free-standing sacred structure in the world. But there are
many more temples sites, lesser known yet equally interesting. During the Maltese Stone Age the
inhabitants built temples or clusters of temples in at least forty locations. twenty of these sites still
exist today, eight of which can be found on Gozo. the beautiful objects form the Xaghra Circle
should be mentioned, because they give us an impression of how the supernatural was visualized
in those days. Also of interest are the enigmatic cart-ruts and the numerous caves, tombs and
scattered remains of lesser known temples and dolmens.
To experience all this by walking can be most exciting, especially in the following season which in
these islands lasts from October to May. What is called " winter' on Gozo is actually the time of
year when nature comes to life and when the temperatures are most agreeable. In spring nature
flowers exuberantly, especially along he sea coast, where all our walks take us. The scent of
thyme and fennel accompanies you while walking through the garigue during these months.
Walking through the ancient landscape of Gozo can still e a comprehensive experience in every
way. Because of its size and the parasitical distribution pattern of its hills and valleys, you may
encounter [places of worship., of habitation and of burial on the course of only one day. And the
cart-ruts that you will meet with during three of the walks will add an agreeable elements of
mystery to the scene as well.
The object of this work has also been to save the visitor to the island some precious time by
helping to find the sites. they are sometimes hidden under cliff edges or are hard to find for other
reasons. As anyone who has walked in Gozo before will readily confirm, it can be very time-
consuming experience to find your way at all. Many paths that look like possible passageways at
the point where they start, may further on turn out to end in a filed.
Most walks are of medium grade and have been designed tin such a way that people of all ages
who are reasonable fit should be able to enjoy them. Most of them will take between three or four
hours, except for the fourth walk, which is much shorter. Since they all pass a beach, you may
like to consider the possibility of having a swim.It is advisable to protect yourself from the sun, to
carry some light rainwear or umbrella agianst the weather, to wear appropriate shoes and to take
at least half a bottle of water and some food with you. a compass would be useful. when the
weather gets warmer from April onwards, it may be a good idea to start walking early.

The Archaeological Museum

The enjoyment of your walks will be enhanced, if you have first visited the Gozo Archaeological
museum. It is situated within the walls of the Citadel of Victoria, in a historic palazzo called ' Casa
Bondi',l at the end of an alley to the right of the cathedral. although small, this museum exhibits
some artefacts that may safely be called unique in the world. Among these is the precious twin
goddess statue, which was discovered during the excavations in the Xaghra Stone Circle in the
early 1990's. the museum displays some marvelous little figurines, over a dozen of which were
found at this site.
The exhibits include the pillar stone with snake relief and tow heads of goddess statues, all found
in the Ggantija temple, and many interesting pots, sherds and clay objects from all the prehistoric
periods in Gozo. Of particular interest is the head of a goddess statue from the 6th century BC,
which points to strong links between the cultures of Malta and Sicily during the early classical
period.

Appreciating the Prehistoric Landscape

From, the bastions of the Citadel you will have a view of early all the hilltops and valleys of Gozo.
most hilltops, including the one of which the Citadel was built, were the sites of prehistoric
settlements or temples. The Stone Age people in particular seem to have preferred to live in and
seek shelter on high locations that enjoyed and still enjoy beautiful views over the surrounding
valleys and the sea. the oldest places of habitation were caves all over Gozo, and although
ancient material has not been found in all of them, it is not hard to imagine that many if not all
caves under the hilltops or along the slopes may once have been inhabited.
The walks will take us to all four wind directions, mostly on the sides of the hills facing the sea.

The First Walk

Ta' Cenc-Mgarr ix-Xini- Wied Hanzira

Feautres:

Cart-ruts
Dolmen
Ta' L- Imramma Temple
St. Cecila chapel

Take the bus to Sannat and get off at the church. from here, take the road uphill to the left of
it.After about 400m you will come to a crossroads where there is a row of signs all pointing in the
same direction: Ta'Cenc, Dolmen, Cliffs, Ta' l- imramma Temple. Follow these signs whenever
they appear; they lead you to the entrance to Ta' Cenc, which is marked by a notice that you are
entering private property. the buildings behind the entrance on your right belong to the Ta' Cenc
hotel. A broad unpaved road leads on your right belong to the Ta' Cenc hotel. A broad unpaved
road leads onto the Ta' Cenc plateau, from where you will have a lovely view over the valley of
Wied Hanzira on your left. about 50m after the last building of the hotel complex, just before a
eucalyptus bush, take the path which branches off to your right. Immediately behind the trees
there is a crossing of three roads.Keep straight on. this path will take you to the cart-ruts. In fact,
after 30m. on your left, where the rock is bare, you will find a short pair of ruts, running from under
the path you are on in the direction of the sea in the distance.20m from here, just before another
another eucalyptus bush, there is a similar situation, with tow pairs of ruts cut deeply into the
rock.
But the nicest ruts are still to come. Keep following the path, with the buildings of the hotel on
your right, and keep walking parallel to the field wall for about 500m. this wall here is once of
those old rubble walls that were once so characteristic of the islands. Just past the hotel, about
25m behind the rubble wall, there is an old field-hut built of rubble with a square doorway.
Although they are usually round in shape,this is a Gozitan variant of what is called a girna. The
art of building these stone huts dates back to Celtic times.
We continue following the path and soon we see the sea ahead of us. Here you may want to
have a look at the spectacular cliffs. On a windy day it is advisable not to get too close to the
edge, though.
Now face north and start walking over the barren plateau in front of you, with the big square
building of the hotel in the distance. About 25mfrom the edge of the cliffs you will find the first
stretch of cart-ruts. A bit further on, still walking in the direction of the hotel, you will see a patch of
rick full of grooved. On close scrutiny they appear to fill the space between a pair of shallow ruts.
If you go back to the previous pair and follow them, they soon disappear under the vegetation, but
they will appear again. In fact there are two pairs next to each other. Near the wall on you left
they disappear under , plants again, but immediately behind the wall, near the edge of the cliff,
you will come across several pairs, running parallel and following the edge. Some 20 m further on
they meet the former pair, creating a junction in a most dramatic fashion.They then continue as
one pair along the edge, apparently running under the boundary wall of the hotel. they continue
behind this wall all the way uphill, where they can be see again as a short stretch of shallow ruts
along the Saguna cliffs to the west.
Cart-ruts can be found all over the Maltese Islands wherever the rock is not coered by soil.
Although here are other places in the Mediterranean and elsewhere where they occasionally
occur, nowhere in the world to they appear in the way they do in Malta.Over two hundred cart-ruts
have been counted, in seventy sites. eight of the sites occur on Vozo. The ruts may run over
stretches of one kilometre or more, and often they run in pairs that somewhere along their route
cross each otehr, as we have seen here. The most famous cart-ruts site is near the Dingli Cliffs in
Malta, an area which has been called Clapham Junction' as dozens of ruts occur here. many of
which run in the same direction, but occasionally cross or interdict each other as well. the riddle of
the cart-ruts on Malta and Gozo has not yet been solved.As the rut pairs are always parallel
grooves, they were definitely man-made. That much is certain. But the three obvious questions
that then arise are still unanswered: when were they made, why and how?
Attempts to date the cart-ruts have been undertaken mainly by archaeologists, with no conclusive
outcome. the ruts have been assigned to various periods of the Maltese past, from the Bronze
Age to the Romans. Open lonely voice in this filed has dated them to the time of the Temple
builders, as they very often occur in association with ancient stone quarries. Invariably they are
thought to have been produced by the war and tear of the action of vehicles or sledges that ran
through them for a long period of time.
Since the ruts do not contain dateable material, it is questionable whether the final answer can
come from archaeology alone. Lately, a fascinating and daring theory has been presented by
Dmitri Bekh-Ivanov, a Russian geologist who has published his article on his website
www.cartuts.ru. By closely looking at the nature of the imprints he made the observation- which
any layman spontaneously would come up with, but was until now prevented by the books from
pursuing such thoughts-that the ruts were not made when the surface was hard, but could only
have been produced in a much softer and more plastic substance. the ruts here on Ta' Cenc
seem to confirm this theory nicely.We retrace our steps to the path and return all the way to the
broad. Here we turn right in a sought-easterly direction, with a panorama of the sea, Malta and
Comino before us. After 30m you will see on your left hand side a large agave shrub. Behind this,
near the edge of the plateau, are the remnants of the dolmen of Ta' Cenc.
If you walk towards the ruins, you may notice on your left the rims of an ancient stone quarry.
Here the stones of the dolmen were cut out of rock. In at least tow places blocks were cut loose
but were left there, as if the dolmen builders for some reason abandoned their project.
Walk back to the road and turn left. After having walked about 300m in a south-easterly direction,
you will see on your right a huge stone behind the low wall that lines the road. About 30m further
on there is a gap in the wall, forming a sort of parking space for two or three cars. From here a
little footpath leads to the rocky area ahead. You will see about 100m ahead of you a little bunch
of sparsely leaved eucalyptus trees, with a stone hut to the right of them. Walking towards them
you will see nearby a rubble wall to the right. If you inspect it, you will see that the lower part is
made up of megalithic blocks. they seem to be still in position more or less in the form of a temple
apse. And if you take a closer look at the hinter's den and the wall running from it in an easterly
direction, the same observation can be made. we have found the first remains of the Ta' L-
Imramma Stone Age Temple.
But the more impressive remnants are to be found some 50m from the trees, towards the south.
Some of the megaliths seem to be definitely still in their original position here, including an upright
one that was used for support tin a trapper's hut.
the part of the plateau behind it, in the direction of the sea, is strewn with megaliths in an area
about 80m in circumference. the temple must have been quite large, and it certainly commanded
a beautiful view. About 50m to the south-east from the main cluster of blocks, you may also find a
water cistern, recognizable as a gap in the rock about 50cm wide. It is to be found on the line
between the hotel to the north-west and the Comino tower to the south-east.
then walk back to the broad road we came from, in the direction of the dome of Xewkija church,
carefully walking over the rock plateau through the garique, Always try to step on the bare rock,
as some plants seem to grow in holes that look as though they have been dug and could very
well be unexcavated ancient Phoenician graves. Though this is hard to tell for sure, it is better to
stay on the safe side.
Back on the road again we turn right, in a southerly direction, with the sea and Comino ahead of
us.
walking along, you will see megalithic blocks all over the plateau, both to your left and right. Until
some thirty years ago a row of at least twenty dolmens could be observed on the left, overlooking
Xewkija.
further on the road is asphalted. When the low wall lining the road on the right ends, 10m further
on a rough road branches off to the right. we turn into it. first it goes in a semi-circle, then it runs
straight in a westerly direction. After about 30m you will see on your right a short stretch of cart-
ruts, dramatically cut into the rock. they are actually the extension of the ruts we saw along the
cliffs earlier on. You may notice even from the path that they make a bend to the left in precisely
the direction of the large square building in the distance, near which we found ourselves a while
ago. 10m further on there is another pair, shallower, but still recognizable.
We walk back to the broad road again, turn right and follow it downwards. Along the way, some
50m up on your left, there is a well preserved girna, this one also square, which seems to be their
style in Gozo.
From the point where the road makes a bend to the right, we can see a gorge, right under the
dome of the church of Xewkija. this is the imposing gorge of Wied Hanzira, which runs towards
the bay of Mgarr ix-Xini. it is also interesting from a geological point of view.
We follow the read downwards until, on our right, a rough path meets the road. Precisely opposite
this, on our left, a narrow footpath can be seen. This takes us across the rock garigue and runs
downwards for a few hundred metres. It leads us through a gap in a field wall to an asphalted
road. From here we now have a closer look down into the gorge and you may also notice the
cave high up in the rock cliffs, which may be of particular interest for the geologist among us.
Turing right, we follow the road in a southerly direction. on the way down towards the bay of
Mgarr ix-Xini there is a magnificent panorama of the sea and the Gozo channel, Malta and
Comino. We walk all the way down.
At Mgarr ix-Xini, facing the valley, we see on our right hand side steps cut into the rock, next to
the house. go up the steps ( careful at one point, which is a bit tricky), an go all the way up until
we meet paths that cross ours to the left and to the right. we take the one to the left, which runs in
a level direction north, high above the valley, and leads to a country road concreted at first,
becoming asphalted.
the road bends to the right and goes up the hill. Keep following the road in the direction of the
church, ignoring a side road on your right. about 5 m further on, behind the wooden cross, turn
right and right again. You are on a broad unpaved road. After about 400m the road forks; there is
a fountain in the middle here. Between the first and second electricity poles after the crossing,
you will find a barren patch of rock. On this patch, still faintly visible here and there, are the tracks
of a pair of ruts.They are a bit hard to find now but, according to the farmer who owns the arable
land to the south, until 25 years ago the ruts could still be seen running all the way in the direction
of the woodland to the south-west. Walk back to the fountain. Here we turn right, past the Heliport
and towards the watch tower that can be seen on the right hand side of the road. Just before the
tower you will see an old square building, which is the chapel dedicated to St. Cecilia.
It is one of the few surviving examples of un-aisled chapels, once so common in the Maltese
Islands. although this chapel was first recorded in 1615, it is likely that it much older than that. At
the time of writing, the laudable work of restoring this unique chapel was well under way, so that
we may even be able to experience its dark, vaulted interior.
The watch tower near the chapel was built in 1613 during the rule of the Knights of St John. It is
known as the Saint Cecilia Tower, after the chapel. The tower was built to protect Gozo from
pirate attacks. Today it is used as a private residence.
We retrace our steps past the Heliport, to the crossing with the fountain. We return right and right
again at the next crossing, following the road in the direction of Xewkija's church. About 200m
further on, behind an old derelict building-which is the ruin of a most ancient little farmhouse- a
rough road crosses our way. from March onwards, when the weather has been dry for a while,
you may turn left here. Soon you will pass a working farm on your left. When the path forks, take
the one to the right; about 100m further on the path turns left into the valley. But do not go into the
valley, as this leads to a dead end. Instead, straight ahead of you, you will see a trail. It looks like
a goat trail at first, but it will become a footpath a bit further on. It leads into a valley, dry from
March onwards, and then it goes uphill, along the village of Xewkija, with its church continuously
on your right hand side.Keep walking along this path until you see a few farmhouse buildings.
Here the path becomes a concrete road of sorts, bending to the right and then to the left. After
about 10m we get to the Xewkija pumping station. Having passed it, a path to the left leads into a
pleasant olive grove, full of flowers in the season. Some 20 m along the path you will see on your
right between the trees the rim of an ancient stone quarry, and bit further on a path between the
olives. this leads to an area where, on the barren rock, there are more cart-ruts. You will first
discover one pair, with plants growing in them. there is also a dilapidated stone hut. When you
look back, you will see another pair of ruts, very faint, running parallel to the overgrown pair, their
tracks nearly touching. The rim of the ancient quarry is only 3m away and it appears also to be
parallel to them; the cart-ruts join each other to the east, behind the hut.
Walk back to the paved road near the pumping station. turn left here, walk to the first houses of
the village of Xewkija and you come to a broad street ( Triq L.Z. Haber). cross this in the direction
of the parish church, the dome of which you will soon see before you. After a short and pleasant
walk through some old streets of Xewkija you arrive at the church. It was built right on top of an
old Stone Age temple. of which no trace is left.
Buses through Xewkija run only occasionally in the morning. Therefore walk down Triq l'
Indipendenza opposite the church to the main road to Victoria, where there is a bus stop by the
side of the old windmill.

The Second Walk

Xaghra hill, Ramla valley and beach, il-Pergla, Qortin

Features:

Santa Verna Temple

Xaghra Stone Circle
Ghar ta' Ghajzu
Ggantija Temples
The North Cave
Roman Villa ruin
Calypso Cave
Ghar ta' Pergla

Starting from the bust terminus in Victoria, walk past the information booth and turn right into
Main Gate street. Cross the main road (Triq ir- Republika) and walk down into Triq il-Kapuccini,
which is the road to Marsalforn. After about 20m, turn right into Triq Luigi Camilleri and keep
straight on. You will pass the Gozo Sports Complex, the road leads into the Is- Sellum valley and
up the hill to Xaghra. It is a walk of only twelve minutes, including a short break to enjoy the
panorama over the valleys to arrive at the top. There is an even nicer view from the paved garden
at the very top over Marsalforn Valley to the northwest.
Continuing our walk, after about 20m we turn into the first asphalted country lane on the right. this
is an old hospital a farm on the left and a deserted building on the right. This is an old hospital
that was built in1814 after the plague broke out in Malta. the only hospital in Gozo affected was
Zaghra. The village was isolated and this hospital built for the victims. those who died were buried
in the little cemetery in the vicinity, which still exists.
When the lane forks, take the one on the left. After about 15m, you will see a depression in the
rock on your right. samll stony steps lead a few meters down, when you may see between the
vegetation the opening of three caves, one on the left, one on the right opposite it and the third a
bit further on. According to the locals they were used for habitation in days gone by.
Retrace your steps to the lane and follow it in a south-easterly direction. After having bypassed a
half broken barrier the path then leads over a rocky stretch and past a rubble wall on your right.
Beyond this wall you will see about 10m further on, on your left, a short row of conspicuous
megalithic stones. this is the remnant of the Santa Verna Temple.
The stones that are still standing formed part of the facade which must have been quite
monumental. There is a stone bench along the entire length of the standing stones. One of the
uprights contains a hole that could have been a so-called oracle hole. The Santa Verna temple
dated back to the oldest phases of the Temple Period. the locations of the temple is most
interesting. situated on top of the hill, with views of the sea on two sided, the Santa Verna temple
site is at about 1 kilometer distance from Ggantija, which lies to the east, downhill. This
positioning of the temples is reminiscent of that of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, and Tarxien and the
Kordin temples around the village of Paola in Malta.And just like the situation at Paola, here too
we find an underground sanctuary between the temples above the ground. It is known as the
Xaghra Stone Circle, the site of which is our next destination.
Follow the path again to the outskirts of the village of Xaghra. When reaching the first houses turn
right, bear left, then right. turn left at the traffic mirror, into Triq St. Anton. The street makes a
bend to the left and passes the little church of San Anton Abbati. When you arrive at San Anton
Square,turn right. Halfway down the street, in a recess on the left, is a statue of the Madonna.
10m further on, also on our left, past a renovated farmhouse named Razzet Xemxi, is a lana that
leads to the site of what once was the Xaghra Stone circle. to reach it, look for the path through
the field behind the Razzett ( please be careful not to tread on the crops). The path leads to a
wire fence which is usually closed, although a key may be obtained at the Archaeological
Museum. Nothing much is left to see at the site now. from behind the fence you will be able to
see the gap that was created during the recent excavations.
The rediscovery in the nineteen eighties and the subsequent re-excavation of the Xaghra Stone
Circle constitutes one of the most important events in recent Maltese archaeology. In antiquity,
the gap that the is now was roofed over and surrounded by a circle of stones that were still there
in the 18th century.
The middle area under the roof was a sanctuary, surrounded by natural caves, in which an
immense quantity of human bones were found, together with ritual objects and some animals
remains from the various phases of the Temple Period. the skulls belonging to the human burials
were of the long-headed type, testifying to the high antiquity of the site.
Among the most fascinating ritual objects found here are the so called ' Shaman's Bundle', a
group of six figurines, none of them higher than 16cm, carved out of limestone, and now
exhibited in the Gozo Archaeological Museum. They are most unlike the other statues from the
Maltese Temple Period and seem to have been executed to resemble various states of
completion or different stages of the life cycle. They are accompanied by an animal head.
Furthermore, a whole series of beautiful little clay figurines were found in the Circle's gap.
although they clearly represent the 'fat lady' type of figurines that are so typical of the Maltese
Stone Age, their style is curiously different.
But the most intriguing find from this site surely is the 'Twin Goddess Statue'. It represents two
identical goddesses seated on a couch. Apart from the missing head of the right figure, the only
difference between the two is that the one holds a child on her lap, whereas the other holds an
object that seems to be a phial. this little treasure constitutes a proof- if ever there were a need
for one- that the deities of the Maltese Stone Age were female.Leaving the site of the Xaghra
circle we walk back to the street, turn left and walk down to the main road. Here we turn left and
walk uphill. After about 300m on the right there is a bus stop, behind which is a parking area and
the entrance to the Ggantija temples. But before we visit the temples we will fist have a look at
the cave Ghar ta' Ghejzu. which you will find after the crossing, on the left hand side of the street,
behind the sign ' Merhba' Welcome to Xaghra'.
On the patch of land behind this sign you will see a round opening. this ponce led to a cave, but
access seems to be no longer possible.
It must have been spacious enough for habitation, as a round opening. This once led to a cave,
but access seems to be no longer possible. It must have been spacious enough for habitation, as
it was reported to be 13m long and 6 m at its widest point, and about 1.60m below ground level. A
large number of potsherds were found in it, all dating to the Ggantija Temple Period.
the stones you will see strewn along the base of the wall of the modern building once formed part
of a megalithic building, probably a small temple.We now cross the road and the parking area to
visit the Ggantija temples. Immediately after you pass the iron gate behind the parking lot you
may see on your left some large megalithic blocks built into the filed wall. These also were very
likely remnants of a temple. If this is so, this side of the Xaghra hill must have been covered with
at lest four temples above the ground and one below.
The impressive outer wall of Ggantija will appear on your right. Note the bend in the wall. At this
point another temple was added to the east of the older west temple. The wall embraces
therefore two temples.
the gigantic upright stones with which the lower part of the wall was constructed fit astonishingly
precisely one agianst the other, as if they were all cut out of the same slap of rock near the place
where they were erected, and heaved upright on the spot. This theory stems from the Russian
geologist referred to in the first walk. He also infers from this that the constitution of the rock when
the temple was built, was very different from what it is now. It was much softer.
Before following the path that leads around the outer wall of the temples, you will see on your left
hand side the North Cave. A large amount of broken pottery from the Tarxien Temple Period was
found in it. These may have been the deposits of pots that were ritually broken.
We follow the path around the back of the temples and come to the forecourt in front of them. It is
advisable to take ample time to appreciate the atmosphere inside the one temple that is
accessible. When tourist groups are present to appear on the scene, they usually pass through
relatively quickly. Ggantija is the most impressive temple complex n the islands. The inside walls
tower high overhead. Most likely they were originally even higher and roofed with wooden beams.
The inner walls were also plastered and painted with red ochre.Both the outer doorway and the
passage between the two oval rooms of which the temple consist could be closed,either by
curtains hang over rods that fitted in the round openings on either side of the passage, or by
doors that were kept in place by bars.
Whatever went on in the temple could be screened off from the public eye. the inner oval room
with its broad altar at the back ( the head of the temple) and the high altars in its northern apse
would certainly have offered the seclusion needed for initiation into the art of contacting the deity.
The reddish darkness of the ambiance and the no doubt beautiful sound inside the plastered
dome will have contributed to that uplifting experience. The temples are orientated in a southeast
direction. The forecourt overlooks the barren hill of In-Nuffara which must have been a settlement
site from the Temple Period onwards, as numerous potsherds from the Ggantija Phase and the
Bronze Age have been found there. the bell-shaped recess on that hill were probably used as
tombs during the Temple Period and subsequently as cisterns during the Bronze Age.
We exit the temple area by the back gate, which is usually shut but not locked. In order to reach
this gate, after leaving the forecourt of the temples, do not turn left back to the main entrance, but
pass the public conveniences and walk straight on.
In the unlikely event that the back gate is locked is locked, leave the area through the main
entrance then turn right in order to get to the back gate by walking around the block: Triq l-
Imqades John Otto Bayer ( from here you see a windmill to the left), past the water reservoir, Triq
L- isqof Ruzar Farrugia and behind the little playground, turn left at Mario Wood Carving and turn
right at the end of the street. After about 1009m , on your right you will see a fence. Walk along
the fence to the gate near the palm tree, This is the back entrance of the temple area.
Walk down about 20m to the crossing and turn left, following the sign to Ramla Bay. Soon we
have a lovely view over the valley of Nadur and ?Nuffara hill. Ignore the next sign ' Ramla Bay',
which points to the left, and keep walking straight on.
The streets narrows and makes a bend to the left, becoming a paved country lane.
While enjoying a gorgeous panorama of the valley we follow the lade all the way down to where it
meets the main road at the waste water pumping station. We turn right, downhill, and follow the
road all the way to the beach of Ramla Bay. After a leisurely walk of about 30 minutes,
surrounded by the gardens, and fertile fields of the valley, we reach Ramla l' Hamra, the red
beach, so called because of the peculiar colour of the sand. In the season and at weekends and
public holidays some booths here may be open and you will also find public conveniences.
facing the sea, on the left hand side of the beach is a hill. It covers the remains of a Roman villa,
once the country house of a rich merchant or official. It was excavated in 1913, but today not
much of it is left. The site also tells us that sea level must have been somewhat lower in Roman
times.
After a break at Ramla, our walk continues to the Calypso Cave situated on top of the hill on the
left hand side of the beach when facing the sea. In the dry season, from April onwards, we can
climb up the hill. following the path between the ruins of the villa and the public conveniences. the
path becomes a goat trail, which leads to the buildings above. Before the buildings, you will have
a good view of the impressive rock cliffs above them.Between them is the opening of the Calypso
Cave. The path leads to0 the left to the deserted area of the buildings. from here you can reach
the paved road that leads uphill to the cave.
In the winter season and after a rainy day, it is advisable top take the paved country road uphill.
In order to reach it, we walk back about 100m along the valley road, then turn right into the small
paved road, which soon takes you uphill. At the top, we turn right and right again. this road takes
us to the Calypso Cave.
On top of the hill, the cave is signposted. from near the entrance to the cave, you will have a
beautiful view over the sea, Ramla beach and the valley behind it. The climb down into the cave
is not without right after rainy weather. Although its size was reduced in recent times because of a
collapse of part of the interior , yet the view form within is still fine.
Whether this was the location of Calypso's cave may be open to debate. But that these Islands
were here realm seems so be beyond doubt. With so many temples on the islands, the fame of
their ancient goddess culture is likely to have lasted until well into the classical period.
After leaving the cave area, we tuyrn right and follow the main road until the seocnd country road
oin the right. we turn into it, uphill,passing some old farmhouses. Just over the hill, past the
modern villas, an unpaved road branches off to the right. We turn into this road.About 30m away
you will see a house on your left, but about 10m before it, on your right hand side, you will see an
olive bush. Behind it is Ta' Pergla Cave, in a most hidden and secluded location.
the passage to it- a hardly perceptible trial up some stepping stone and through the garigue- is
past a dilapidated little stone hut. Pass to the left of it. then you will see through the trees in front
of you a square girna. Beneath it, under the rim, is the Pergla cave. You can see it from above; it
is situated at the end of a fertile field. this is a private area and it is strictly forbidden to enter the
field. the cave is today completely overgrown with fig trees and other vegetation. It is therefore
purely its location which is of interest to us. And from above, you actually have a better position to
appreciate this: just imagine that the wall that separates the field from the road is not there. Three
would be a view from the area in front of the cave over the Pergla valley all the way to the hill of
Ghajn Damma. when the cave was discovered, many postherds and bone implements from the
Ggantija and Tarxien Temple Periods were found, as well as animals bones and even a human
skull. They are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in the Citadel.
After leaving the area, return to the rough road and follow it in a northerly direction, to enjoy a
beautiful view of the sea and the rocky slope of Rdum tax-Xaghra.
A footpath runs along the edge. Behind the rubble wall on your right, 15m up the path, you will
see the ruined wall of wall looks like a former building. Precisely beneath it is the entrance to a
cave.Although no potsherds have been reported from this cave, it is easy to imagine that this was
once a habitation.If you wish to visit it, please be extremely careful; be preferably only undertake
it in dry weather and not on your own. The views from its tow windows will reward your effort.We
then walk beck via the same footpath and rough road we came from, to the asphalt road we left a
while ago. Here we turn right, downhill. The road bends to the left and leads past a modern house
to a crossing. Turn right, following the sign to Marsalforn. At the next crossing turn right again, in
the northern direction of Triq Marsalforn. When the road descends after having passed the
houses, some 20m further on, where the high field wall on your left ends, you will have a
gorgeous view over all Marsalforn Valley with the Citadel in the far distance. from here you will
see to the left of the citadel a high promontory, which extends well beyond the village of Xaghra.
It is called Is-Srug. In a rock shelter on its western side late Temple Period pottery has been
found, proving that his high location, too, was a site of Stone Age habitation. It is not accessible
today, but especially from the point at which you see the site now, you may appreciate the sort of
location the Stone Age people chose for their habitations. A taste which, as we can see, is still
adhered to today.
About Marsalforn, where the high wall that liens the road on the right stops and the road dips
steeply downhill, a two-track path runs to the right, across the slope. Taking this path instead of
following that asphalt road will be a lovely option to get to Marsalforn. Whereas the main road
takes you there within five minutes, this will take about 15 minutes. following this path, you wills
be towering above you on your right hand side the steep ricks of the Ghajn Damma promontory.
Under the crest are some caves, which could will have given shelter in ancient times. the
promontory itself was once the site of at least two temples. The remains of them are scarce,
scattered all over the place, and accessible only through a large rubbish dump, for which reason
a visit to these remnants has not been included. But especially after today's walk you will easily
acknowledge that a location like this is not an unlikely one for a temple or two.
Our path runs in the direction of the sea. In full view of the sea, don't go uphill, but take the
footpath behind the lower rubble wall, which runs downhill ( please be careful on parts with loose
stones). With the sea on your right hand side, the path leads to the outskirts of Marsalforn, near
the little harbour for fishing boats.

The Third Walk

Qawra, inland sea, Dwerja, Ghajn Abdul, Wardija Point, Ta' Saffalfu, Tal-Lunzjata

Features:
Cart-ruts
Megalithic ruin
Ghajn Abdul caves
Ras il- Wardija Punic Temple
Roman catacombs
Tal-Lunzjata rock shelter

take the bus to San Lawrenz and get off in front of the poarish churhc. Facing the church, take
the street immediately to the left of it ( Triq |Ta' Cangura). where the street forks take the street on
the right ( Triq Wied Merill). Soon you will see the sea ion front of you. Keep following the street,
which has now become a pleasant country road between fertile fields. The road narrows, goes
down and we see Fungus rock and the Knights' watchtower in front of us bellow.
On your right you will pass a deep stone quarry. About 20m further on the road forks. Ignore the
road on the right and keep following the road, which meanders downhill. We soon have a
beautiful view over the Dwejra scenery and the depression of the Inland Sea at the mouth of the
gorge of Wied Ilma. We keep walking down. about 30m, behind the low palm threes, we turn left.
This is a country road, running level. We have a view of the sea in front of us again. The road
curves to the right. It narrows to an unpaved footpath. It follows the rim of the Inland Sea
depression, becoming a path with steps hewn in the rock. We follow it, downwards, enjoying the
beautiful view over Dwejra and the flowering garigue in winter and spring.
After passing the wind-eaten yellow limestone ridge on your right, you will see beneath it a
deserted trapper's stone-hut. Here we leave our path and start walking over the rocky plateau
behind the hut, in the direction of the sea ( please walk carefully). right in the middle of this
plateau, you will find the first pair of cart-ruts.
We will soon start following the ruts downwards, but before we proceed to do this, turn your back
to the sea for a moment and look up in the we walk up to the watchtower that has been beautifully
restored and is open to visitors. A visit to the tower is recommended, not least because of the
view from the roof.
After visiting the tower take the goat-trail down that goes from the tower exactly in the direction of
Fungus Rock. when it crosses a broader path, turn left into it, uphill.
It is also possible to have a swim in Dwejra Bay, which is much more secluded than the Inland
Sea. If you would like to do this, keep following the trail down, always in the direction of fungus
Rock, with beautifully flowering garigue in the season all around you. Eventually you will find
steps in the rock. descend the steps and turn left along the edge of Dwejra Bay. There is a long
rock staircase to the left, going down all the way to the bay.
After the swim, walk back up the steps and in the direction of the tower,until you get to the paved
path. Here turn right, uphill.
We follow the path all the way over the hill. On the slope on the northern side of it we encounter a
rough path which crosses ours.We take path to the left. It is a cart-trail going slightly uphill above
the terraced fields. From this position we can already see our next destination: the Ghajn Abdil
caves that appear high up under the cap of the barren hill ahead of us. Keep following the track.
AT one point it is intersected by a little field, which we can circumvent by passing through the
grass on the right hand side of it, and up to the track again over some loose stones. When the
track passes through two fields, you will find a path along their edges. the track continues behind
them.
It leads uphill, to the left, and further on passes a derelict quarry. From here onwards the path
becomes a pleasant country lane, allowing beautiful views over the valley. It leads to a
farmhouse. Just before reaching it, you will have on your left an imposing and more close-up view
of the caves of Ghajn Abdul.
Past the farmhouse is a crossing. from here you can go and visit the caves or, if you are satisfied
with the gorgeous view of them form here, you may decide not to make the adventurous climb up
to them. In the latter case turn right at the crossing behind the farmhouse.
If you wish to undertake the climb up to the caves, turn at the crossing. the road descends into
the valley ( wied Ilma) and climbs up again. It passes a ruined building of what seems to have
been a farmhouse. Visiting the caves, including the climb up and down form here, will take about
30 minutes. Level with the ruin the road forks. About 10m to the east of the ruin there is a goat
trail leading straight uphill. Somewhat more than halfway up, it ends and is crossed by a little
footpath, which runs horizontally along the slope. Take this trail to the left and follow it when it
climbs up. It then passes left over and lever area, which is grassy in winter and spring; keep
following the trail to the west, past a boulder, upwards again. The cave is now about 30m ahead
of us. We follow the trail towards it and up the area where the stone is eaten by the wind. We can
use the rims of the eaten stone to climb up; then we see (left) a footpath, leading to the caves.
The first cave has a rubble wall at its entrance. You might wish to explore this cave first. Then
return to the path between the two boulders ( please be very careful). Proceed some 10m in a
north-westerly direction. In front of the massive boulders that lean towards the entrance of the
second cave there is a stony sort of stepped path leading into it. The cave is spacious inside and
appears to be connected to the first cave. One of the window overlooking the world outside
certainly does offer a five-star view over Dwejra Bay, Fungus Rock and the watchtower.Finds
from the Ghajn Abdul cave indicate that it was inhabited from the earliest period of Prehistory
onwards.
While retracing your footsteps on the way back down, it may cross your mind that even this trail
might at least be as old as the pottery found in the caves. Please be extremely careful where the
path descends, sharply on bare rock. Try to step on patches of greenery in order to prevent
slipping on loose stones. Along the way, where the trails starts going straight down, you may also
notice an ancient water well. this probably provided the people of ancient times with vital fresh
water.
We walk back past the ruined house down into the valley again and uphill towards the farmhouse.
Here we keep straight on and follow the road uphill. the road continues alongside the valley for
about one kilometre allowing a wide view over all the fields, with the sea in the distance. Keep
going straight, following the road uphill. when you encounter a quarry on your right, an unpaved
country lane descents just before the quarry. The lade passes the entrance to the quarry and
climbs up. You will see a rusty iron barrier, which can be passed on the left. Follow the track
behind it (note the ancient water well on your left) and, following the left hand side branch of the
path, cross the garigue in a westerly direction. when you see a rubble field wall in front of you,
turn left ( about 50m before it). You will find a small trial a few metres away from the wall on your
left. climb over a low rubble wall and follow this low wall, in a south-westerly direction, towards the
sea coast. At the edge of the ridge, in full view of the sea, we follow the trial to the left along the
ridge. Where the trail widens to a track, looking back you will have a beautiful view of the Azure
Window in the distance.
We keep following the track in a south-westerly direction. Where it bends to the left, you will see
ahead of you a little hill or knoll. Leave the track and walk in the direction of the little hill. A path
leads towards it. Before reaching the hill, you may enjoy the fabulous view of Dwejra, fungus
Rock and the Azure Window on your right.
Take the path on the left hand side of the hill. In spring, this area is full of flowers.
Walk to the back of the hill, then pass between the hill and a rubble field wall and turn left, across
the patch of land embraced by rubble walls. At the point where the walls meet there is a gap.
Pass through it and you will see a platform-like area in front of you. Keep left. Please be careful
not to disturb anything, as this passage might be private property. Walking down the path you will
soon see on your right a big square pool. From there you can see a cave-like structure under the
ridge to the right built into the yellow limestone. In front of you, you will have a gorgeous view
towards Dwejra again.
This lovely site is the rock chamber, all that remains of a Punic-Roman sanctuary, at the
headland of Ras il-Wardija. they certainly knew how to choose their locations.
The temple was dedicated to the Punic goddess Tanit, as was evidenced by her sign, which was
carved in the niche in the south wall of the cavern.The missione Archeologica Italiana excavated
this temple n the 1960's and called it in their report unique in the Punic world. It was in use from
the third century BC to the end of the first century AD ad was therefore also a sanctuary during
Roman times. the sign of Tanit was stolen after the excavatiors published it.
the goddess Tanit was the Punic counterpart of the Phoenicain goddess Astarte. The Punic
population of Cartago, which is Tunis today, originally came from Phoenicia, on the eastern sea
coast of the Mediterranean in what is now Lebanon.
The triangular head and the outstretched cross-like arms of the Tanit sign prove her identity. she
was named the goddess of war, or more aptly strife,and of love all in one. In the former capacity
she was connected with death, making her the deity of both love and death, the most
fundamental forces that heaven bestows on mankind. Unsurprisingly therefore, like Astare, she
was worshiped as the goddess of heaven.
In a place like Malta, where the cycle of life, death and rebirth had been so exuberantly venerated
in the dozens of temples with which the islands were covered during the preceding millennia, it
seems no less than logical that the tradition continued in Punic times.There were at least three
important centres of worship dedicated to this cause, albeit that the aspect of rebirth was
gradually lost: there was also a Punic temple in Gozo, on the hill of the citadel and another one at
Tas- Silg in the south of Malta. all of them are in carefully chosen locations.
The temple here was built n a high location, between two ancient landing places or barhours:
Xlendi bay to the south and Dwejra to the north. so also was the Punic temple at Tas-Silg in
Malta. It was situated on a hill between the harbours of Marsaxlokk and Marsaxcala. These
islands in the centre of the Mediterranean appear to have been important centres of commercial
activity as well as of the worship of this goddess until well into the first century AD.
Continuing our walk, we retrace our steps back to the little hill and pass between it and the rubble
wall again. We now turn right, parallel to the wall, and proceed along the path, which goes down
and bends to the left. With a lovely sea panorama continuously on our right, we keep walking
along this path, along the ridge, enjoying the view over the cliffs of Xlendi and Xlendi Bay further
on with the coast of Malta in the far distance. Keep following the path; it becomes a paved
concrete lane that eventually takes you up to an asphalt road. which is the road to Kercem. At the
point where our land meets the road, you will find a lovely freshwater pond across the road, full of
fishes and reptiles.If you are lucky- and a bit patient- you may even see some freshwater turtles
that were pout into the pond by the locals. A lovely spot for a little rest.
From here, follow the main road to Kercem, in an easterly direction. This is about half an hour's
walk, with beautiful views over the sea and the cliffs and promontory of Xlendi for most of the
way. Where the road forks, you may take either way, as they will join again. Keep straight on into
the village of Kercem and past the parish church. Where the street forks and you see a sign to
Victoria pointing left, take the road to the right, which goes downwards. After the houses you will
pass a high wall on your left. At the point where you are able to look over the wall you will see
trees. The wall will become lower still, allowing you to see a field, behind which is the opening of
an impressive cave. Although there is an opening in the wall, which would allow access to this
cave, you are advised not to pass through it here, as you would allow access to this cave, you
care advised not to pass through it here, as you would have to walk through a fertile field. But a
bit further on the wall has been partly removed. Behind the passage there is a patch of
uncultivated land and the opening of what seems to be another cave. On closer inspection it is
the same cave. It is reported to have been a Roman catacomb, although it could have been a
habitation in more ancient times as well.
continuing your walk, you may at this point either decide to go straight up to the outskirts of
Victoria and into the city centre, or it might be interesting to make a little detour to see the fertile
Lunzjata valley. If you opt for the latter, turn right at the crossing, downwards ( be careful here, as
the brave rick may be slippery) towards the pock, which was built by the Knights of St . John ,
though which is the access to the valley. Behind the porch there is a lovely old chapel. the chapel
was rebuilt early in the 16th century, but there was one before it even than that. In 1370 the
chapel was dedicated to the Annunciation of Our Lady, during the reign of the Aragonese king
from Sicily. It still retains some features typical of Maltese late medieval chapels.
Both before and after the chapel are caves that have been used as shelters or habitations. In fact,
there is a whole row of caves in the cliff wall all along the valley, that were used as shelters
during the Second World War. Only the first one is accessible from here, although visiting it is not
really recommended, because of the chance of being confronted with the prosaic remains of
modern-day culture. Still, it can be reached, and the view from it is not unrewarding; behind the
house at the porch is a stone bench behind which is a rubble wall. Between this and the
overhanging rock ( mind your head), is a little path to the cave.
Back on the road again walk uphill, into Victoria. When you see a large blue signpost at ta
crossing, walk into the narrow quaint old street straight ahead ( Triq San Gwann), and then follow
the signs to the centre. The Fourth Walk

Qala Point

Features:
The Qala Stone
Cart-ruts

Take the bus toi Qala and get off at the first bus stop in the village, at the crossing of Triq L-
Imgarr with Triq l'Isqoff Mikiel Buttigieg. You will see a sign pointing to Nadur.Follow this sign, into
Triq L- isqof Mikiel Bittigieg. You will pass a school on your left; 50mfurther on from the school
you will see on our right hand side, in a patch of land between two modern houses, the ' Qala
stone'. This large stone is about3m high and is the only evidence that it once formed part of a
Temple, as pottery found near it made this likely. The spot itself is in a high location. There are
reports, that further down towards the sea there is an as yet unexcavated temple. The Qala Stone
could therefore very well have formed part of a pair of temples, not unlike Hagar Qim and
Mnajdra in Malta, and St Verna and Ggantija in Gozo.
We retrace our steps downhill, past Triq Lord Strickland, and take the next turning left, opposite
the school. Follow this street to the very end. On the way you will see the parish church on your
right, but keep on walking, into Triq il- Forn where you will see a sign to Hondoq. after about 50m
the street forks and we turn left, walking downhill towards the main road. we keep walking down,
following the main road in the direction of Hondoq. After about 50m the street forks and we turn
left, walking downhill towards the main road. We keep walking down, following the main road in
the direction of Hondoq. this road is called Triq il-Kuncizzjoni. After you have passed some
houses and villas, you will have a beautiful view over a fertile valley, with Comino and the north of
Malta in the distance.
The road descends; at the little roundabout with a pillar and cross in the middle we turn right,
toward the chapel with the cemetery. about 20m further on an asphalted country lane branches
off to the left. We turn up it and soon it becomes a rough road , from where you will have
gorgeous views over the sea, Comino and the Blue Lagoon. In spring, fennel plants flower
abundantly all around you here. Keep following this road, ignoring any paths to the left or right. it
becomes a tow-track lane. The views here are beautiful all the way.
When we see the north coast of Malta in the distance, our path descends and seems to end at
the spot where a modern rubble wall has recently been built. there is a footpath alongside this
wall. Follow it; you now look down, you will notice that you are actually walking between a pair of
cart-ruts. At the end of the wall, which is about 80m long, you arrive at a rocky plateau. Only a
few metres further on, a bit to the left ahead of you, will see the Qala cart-ruts. They can be
followed over a distance of at least 150 metres downhill.
Walk back beside the wall and follow the path we came from for about 250m, until you see a
valley on your left. At this spot, on your right, a path goes up. We take this path. It will soon
become a footpath, then a trail. Where the trail forks, take the one uphill, which after about 20m
passes between rubble walls. Keep following it upwards. When you arrive at the top, where you
can see a square newly built hut in front of you, the trail branches to the left and to the right. take
the right trial, with the sea in the distance ahead of you. Please walk carefully while following it, as
it passes alongside a field. It goes downhill. We are heading towards a paved road below. After a
rainy spell, be very careful while descending, as the soil may be slippery for a stretch of about
30 m.
Soon our trial meets the road. Here turn left and walk uphill, and continue down into the village of
Qala village, where you may catch a bus back to Victoria.
From May onwards, it might also be pleasant to go for a swim at Hondoq ir-Rummien. In this
case, do not walk into Qala, but walk down past the chapel with the cemetery you passed earlier
on. the road leads directly down to the beach.