Gozo is one of the islands that make upt he Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the country of Malta and is also the second largest island after the island of Malta. Gozo is best known for its scenic hills and rural areas. The hills that Gozo is so well known for are also featured on their coats or arms. Gozo is also known as the “island of Calypso” because of the proximity to the location of Ogygia in Homer’s Odyssey. The myth states that the island was controlled by a nymph named Calypso that detained the story’s hero for seven years as her prisoner of love. 

The island of Gozo has a population of about 31,000 people. The total population of Malta is about 402,000. Gozo will provide any traveler with an abundance of historical locations and other tourist attractions. There are the Ggantija temples that are the world’s oldest free standing structures along with being the world’s oldest religious structure. 

The history of Gozo stretches back all the way to 5000 BC when it was first inhabited. The island was inhabited by farmers from Sicily. Archaeologists have pinpointed that the first colonists actually came from the Agrigento area, due to the similarities in pottery found on both the island and in that region of Sicily. Gozo was the island to inhabit first because it is closer to Sicily than Malta. 

Much of the current history of Gozo is intertwined with the history of Malta because the government in Malta has had control of Gozo since September of 1800, after Gozo’s short stint as an autonomy. 

The size of the island of Gozo is comparable to the island of Manhattan. It features many places of interest, including the Calypso cave, the temples mentions above, and the picturesque landscape. Gozo is mainly a rural area because the land is more fertile than the island of Malta. One of the finest natural features on the island is Ramla Bay, a place where you can find orange-red sand and crystal clear blue waters. It is one of the finest beaches in Europe, and is a big draw when it comes to tourism for the island. There is also another world class beach nearby call San Blas. 

While Gozo may not be a familiar tourist destination, it is definitely worth a look if you want to spend your vacation surrounded by beautiful landscapes and world class beaches.

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