Malta hums with life and activity. Gozo goes a little slower. The pace here certainly is made for relaxation. Nobody hurries.
No one rushes. You are never ignored. And the smile that comes with the service is warm and real. The landscape too is different.
The villages are ancient, and many of their buildings are as they have been for hundreds of years. The stone is honeyed and mellow. The old lanes are peaceful, and the cloth-capped village elders still sit in the church square, putting the world to rights.
Places of Interest
Gozo
The commercial centre of the island, Victoria, has a sleepy 17th-century feel. The view from the Citadel, or 'Gran Castello', takes in the entire island.
As Gozo & Malta are almost entirely Roman-Catholic one can find many churches all over the island. Although Gozo is considerably small it has one of Europe’s grandest church domes with the Dome of Xewkija, which is the 3rd largest in Europe. In close proximity to the Resort you can find the pilgrimage church of Ta’ Pinu.
You can retrace the footsteps of Ulysses at Calypso's Cave, in the cliffs overlooking Ramla Bay on the northeastern coast.
With the Ggantija temple complex, near Xaghra, you can go even further back in time and find the most spectacular archaeological structures in Malta. With their estimated age of 6200 years, built in Neolithic times around 3600-4000 BC and older than Stonehenge. Ggantija and the other Neolithic temples on Malta are the oldest known human structures in the world.
Another geological phenomenon is just minutes away from the Resort. The Azure Window a giant rock arch in the cliffs of the Dwejra coastline and the Inland Sea, a secluded pool of clear water and pebbly sand, sheltered by sheer cliffs.
Malta
Malta’s capital Valletta is beautifully preserved 16th-century walled city, small enough to cover in a few hours. From the City Gate at the southwest edge of Valletta, you can walk to the centre of town through a series of squares surrounded by palaces and cathedrals. Among Valletta's many fine gardens are the Upper Barrakka Gardens, originally the private gardens of the Italian Knights of St John, where you can get a magnificent view of Grand Harbour and the Cottonera.
St John's Co-Cathedral and Museum presents an austere facade, but the interior is a baroque masterpiece, with a patchwork of marble tombstones set in the floor commemorating the knights. The museum houses a collection of outstanding Flemish tapestries and two paintings by the Italian master Caravaggio.
At the Palace of the Grand Masters, also the seat of the president and parliament, you will also find a museum, which is loaded with tapestries, frescoes and friezes commemorating the Great Siege. Fort St Elmo, at the northeast tip of the city, features guides dressed as knights and re-stagings of historic battles.
Malta’s old capital Mdina about 15km (9mi) west of Valletta - has a commanding view of the island. Mdina is about 3000 years old and is filled with Norman and baroque buildings and narrow cobblestone streets. The best-preserved building is the Norman-style Palazzo Falzon, built in 1495.
As well as in Gozo you can step back in time even further at Hagar Qim, it dates back as early as 3800 BC. This megalithic temple complex is adorned with carved animals and idols, sacrificial altars and oracular chambers. The view of the Mediterranean and the nearby island of Filfla is one of the best in Malta. Hagar Qim and its neighbour, the Mnajdra temple, are near the village of Qrendi, about 15km (9mi) southwest of Valletta.