Valentine Gozo 2021 – Where To Stay And Dine Out

Valentine Gozo 2021 – where is best to take my Valentine to stay safely and eat out with peace of mind on Gozo?

Certainly it’s not an easy question to answer especially during this particular pandemic.

However, like we do every year, we have specially handpicked 2 places where to stay and dine out on Valentine’s Day on Gozo island.

We suggest to check out the newly opened boutique stylish Xlendi Central Apartment in Xlendi Bay. 

Just 40 seconds walk to the beach, waterfront restaurants, bars and bus stop to capital Victoria on the island of Gozo, Malta, Xlendi Central Apartment is the perfect relaxing short or long winter stay for a couple or two, friends and solo travellers looking for a relaxing getaway by the beach, the picturesque Xlendi cliffs and scenic Mediterranean coastal walks.

This brand new and stylish beach apartment is fully equipped, fully air conditioned and easily accessible by lift to all ages.

Unlike most standard Gozo holiday homes, farmhouses or villas, Xlendi Central Apartment is completely weatherproof – thermally insulated against heat and cold, equipped with sound absorbing flooring, thermally insulated ceiling and certified soundproof apertures to make it an absolutely cosy and comfortable home away from home all year round.

 

…and what about Valentine dinner?

Well, to continue to surprise your loved one, we recommend you have your Valentine à la carte dinner at the Boathouse Restaurant  just 2 minutes walk from Xlendi Central Apartment.

 

Whatever you choose on Valentine Gozo, we hope you both enjoy the place, the food, the atmosphere, but above anything else yourselves… because all we need is love.

Time is to short to waste it. Enjoy it together!

L-ikla t-tajba f’Jum San Valentinu 2021!  Maltese for Buon appetite on St. Valentine’s Day!

Valentine Gozo – Three Gozo restaurants where to eat out on Valentine’s Day on Gozo

Valentine Gozo - where to eat out on Valentines Day on Gozo

Valentine's Day on Gozo

Valentine Gozo – where is best to take my Valentine to eat out on Gozo?

Certainly it’s not an easy question to answer. This is simply because the excellent places where to eat out on Gozo are luckily quite numerous.

However, we have specially handpicked three great places to dine out on Valentine’s Day on Gozo island and listed them below in no particular order.

Except for

…if you prefer to take your Valentine to eat out on the South East / East coast of Gozo with its amazing panoramic sea views of the islands of Malta, Comino, Cominotto and the Blue Lagoon, Country Terrace Restaurant in Mgarr/Ghajnsielem, just five minutes walk from Mediterranea Seaviews Holidays on Gozo is certainly one of the places to go.

But if you prefer to surprise your loved one in the inspiring historical capital Victoria, that is central Gozo, then Maldonado Bistro would be a great option just a 5 min drive from our brand new Xlendi Beach Central Apartment.

And of course, if you would like to leave both the harbour and Capital sides away… and enjoy a romantic dinner on the pretty West coast of Gozo, it would be surely interesting to consider il-Kunvent Restaurant in the village of Gharb.

Whatever you choose on Valentine Gozo, we hope you both enjoy the place, the food, the atmosphere, but above anything else yourselves… because all we need is love.

Time is to short to waste it. Enjoy it together!

L-ikla t-tajba f’Jum San Valentinu!  Maltese for Buon appetite on St. Valentine’s Day!

Country Terrace Restaurant

Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it. (Nicholas Sparks)

Valentine Gozo - Malta Valentines Day

Valentine Gozo - Country Terrace - holidayongozo.com

 

 

Maldonado Bistro

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I have never to live without you. (A.A. Milne)

Valentines menu 2018 - Valentine Gozo

Valentine Gozo - Maldonado - holidaysongozo.com

 

 

Il-Kunvent Restaurant Cafe’

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. (Charles A. Schulz)

Valentine Gozo, il-Kunvent restaurant

Valentine Gozo - where to eat on Gozo

 

 

Travel Tip created by Frank in association with Vacation Soup

Gozo best ftira and pizza – Free Food Tasting Tour of Gozo!

Gozo best ftira

 

Gozo best ftira preparing and eating in the countryside was the main activity of our amazing free food tasting tour surprise we prepared for our guests from Germany!

After we picked them from Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo boutique accommodation  we visited some amazing hidden local gems, enough to start getting very hungry!

Then, we went for lunch.

No, not a restaurant!

Got to one of our favourite Gozo family bakeries and there we had the Gozo best ftira, the local pizza version perfectly done in the old log oven.

In Malta and Gozo, the ftira has a thicker crust and dough similar to bread making and different toppings.

But the Gozo best ftira looks and tastes are second to none!  

gozo ftira at mediterranea seaviews holidaysongozo.com

There, the bakers and I invited our guests to actually help us prepare the ftiras in the oven.

Guests were simply delighted with such hands-on-activity and pizza making on Gozo.

In these pictures, Rosi and Ewald, our guests are taking out very carefully 🙂 the fresh sheep cheese ftira…

ftira Gozo

…and then also taking out from the old oven the mouth-watering Gozo tuna ftira or pizza.

Gozo ftira making at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo

The cheese ftira just taken out from the old log oven. Incredible aroma!

Rosi and Ewald could not stop taking pictures!!! 🙂 while at the same time, we were all in a such a hurry to start dining!!! 🙂

Gozo best ftira

After leaving the bakery, we found a secret panoramic spot, away from it all… and there we had the ftiras (plural of ftira) together. 

It was truly another great experience for our guests and a wonderful experience for us hosts.

It’s a huge satisfaction when guests could not stop talking about the local experiences they have just had. They look back at their past holiday experiences…. and soon realise about the BIG difference of staying in a hotel or hotel chain or third party companies or group of holiday homes with so many villas, farmhouses and apartments…..AND the beauty, peace of mind and true experience when guests go local and book direct with the local owner.

Gozo best ftira is very juicy with a crunchy crust – typical of Gozitan ftira bread.  In brief, a ftira or pizza to die for!!! 🙂

ftira Malta

L-ikla t-tajba! / Enjoy your meal!

Ftira making and Free food tasting experience provided to all guests at Holidays on Gozo

 

Adventures in Gozo – Alex Vizeo’s activity holidays on the island of Gozo

Adventures in Gozo - Alex Vizeo

 

 

Travel blogger Alex Vizeo visited the island of Gozo, Malta and this is his adventures in Gozo – a colourful story in video and pictures.

Alex has been travelling and filming the world now since 2011. His travels were certainly a great success.

If you’ve the adventure spirit or simply thinking what can you do more on Gozo during your holidays, well… check out Alex’s video.

You’ll certainly enjoy some really great adventures on Gozo.

360 degrees Gozo panoramas by Vizeo from land, sea and air. Wonderful!

There is no doubt that Alex enjoyed his adventures in Gozo holidays.

Many memories from local Gozo wine tasting to visiting the local fruit and vegetables market, getting the fresh catch of the day, cooking with the local chef, tasting the local pizza known as ftira, visiting the Salt Pans and eating out in one of the best restaurants and having a local Cisk lager in probably the most popular pub on the island of Gozo… just few minutes walk from Mediterranea Seaviews boutique self catering accommodation.

In his blog, Alex was amazed to discover the natural beauty of Gozo island, but even more the unique character of the island of Gozo – luckily, as he wrote, still different, more tranquil and peaceful than other places visited.  He was also highly impressed by the hospitality of the local people.  In fact in his travel blog he described the island of Gozo as un petit paradis meaning a little paradise. Merci et bon voyage!

Adventures in Gozo

Unforgettable moments from Alex’s adventures in Gozo while visiting the turquoise waters of Blue Lagoon on a very quiet day.

 

Adventures in Gozo

Lovely panoramic views of the Maltese islets during Alex’s adventures in Gozo

 

Adventures in Gozo

One of the most instagramed pictures – sunset by the Fungus Rock in Dwejra bay on Gozo island.

If you are looking for adventure holidays in Europe or activity holidays in Malta, Gozo is the place to be… whether it is cliff climbing, sea kayaking, diving, snorkeling, horse riding, cycling and the local gastronomy.

 

January, Gozo, Marilyn Monroe: what’s in common?

what to eat in Malta
what to eat in Gozo
Lovely strawberries just picked in the morning in Mgarr Malta.

When Christmas and New Year’s Day festivities are over, all the lovely colours of lights and decor which light up our homes, shops and streets will slowly fade away and we get back to normal life. But not all colours do… In Malta and Gozo, January is the beginning of the red strawberry season which reaches its peak in Spring with various and endless healthy, social and philanthropic initiatives around the islands.

Just after New Year’s Day, during one of my countryside walks from home in our town of Ghajnsielem on the island of Gozo, I could not but notice the strawberry plants growing bigger and bigger and the first bright red strawberries coming out from beneath the dark green leaves and the rich fertile soil.

Local farmers actually start preparing their fields for strawberry planting in the hot summer days of August and September. A whole network of plastic tunnels with an in-built water drip system just beneath the rich soil is the first setup for strawberry growing on Gozo and Malta. Then, the farmer will start putting one small strawberry plant next to each drip and when the whole plastic tunnel is completed with the plants, it is covered again to maintain a constant temperature.

Strawberry growing in Gozo
Small strawberry plants still growing on Gozo.
Strawberry fields in Gozo
Strawberry fields in Ghajnsielem, Gozo.
Strawberry fields in Mgarr Malta on October 2, 2017. Courtesy: Festa Frawli facebook Page.
Strawberry fields in Mgarr Malta on October 2, 2017. Courtesy: Festa Frawli facebook page.

What’s the secret of such a success strawberry story on the Maltese islands? Definitely the Maltese climate, the various types of fertile soils on the islands as well as the passionate work of our farmers are the primary reasons for a high quality, nutritive fruit such as the local Maltese strawberries. As one local farmer said, “We make sure each strawberry plant uses all its natural potential entirely to produce its own fruit!” To make this happen, it is therefore very important to provide the most natural environment of excellence – natural warmth, right amount of watering and local expertise.

Gozo climate
Maltese climate with 300 hours of sunshine per year provides the perfect strawberry environment.
where to go in Malta
Strawberry plants are also grown in small pots in Maltese houses.

Frawli, Maltese word for strawberries are very popular in Malta and Gozo. From January till May, it is the seasonal fruit and certainly is enjoyed by everyone, except for those people who have fragariaphobia, fear of strawberries.

I love strawberries Malta
The dilemma to choose which cupcake to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!

Children take strawberries for their school break. Schools promote healthy eating with loads and loads of strawberries and fieldwork visits where strawberries grow are organised as an integral part of the curriculum. Teenagers, adolescents, the elderly and tourists – just almost everyone loves the local strawberries!

what's on malta
Strawberries play an important role in Malta’s healthy lifestyle promotion.

Strawberries have many health benefits. Strawberries are very rich in antioxidant properties and help to reduce inflammation, promote weight loss, boost immunity, treat arthritis and gout, strongly support our eye health and even prevent cancer. Very interesting to know that strawberries are also known as brain food because together with banana, boost brain function especially at a time when we start getting older and older.

Health benefits of strawberries Gozo Malta

The strawberry season peak time is certainly around Easter time, that is mid March / April. A huge festival known as Festa Frawli (Strawberries Feast) is held in a small village named Mgarr on Malta thanks to the amazing commitment and dedication of the Mgarr Local Council and the local farmers’ cooperative. It’s actually a grand food festival! But there is one common denominator in all the types of food on sale and on show at the day-long feast. All food contains little or much of the strawberry fruit itself.

So, for instance, you can start your day with a strawberry coffee or a strawberry milkshake followed by a strawberry yoghurt and then you walk little more and get tempted by a mouth-watering seafood pasta or a white creamy risotto with local pecorino cheese with a dash of strawberry sauce. Must try are definitely the strawberry sourbet, ice cream, cookies and the strawberry and chocolate muffins and wait… don’t leave without tasting the strawberry liqeour just to mention a few!

what's on Gozo
One of my favourite strawberry cup cakes!
what's on Malta and Gozo
Perfect blend of sweet ingredients with the local juicy strawberries.
Strawberries festival Gozo Malta
Delicious chocolate and strawberry muffins.
Strawberry liqueur in Malta
Gorgeous strawberries and its liqueur in Mgarr Malta.

But you may ask, what does Marilyn Monroe has to do with strawberries? Well, the colour, the taste and pleasure of eating a bright red juicy strawberry knows no borders and has no limits on creativity. Even Marilyn couldn’t but not recognise it. In fact once she said: Dating a new man is like holding a strawberry milkshake; first the taste, then the pleasure.

Marilyn Monroe's quote on strawberries

So, January, Gozo and Marilyn Monroe actually do have something in common. Here on Gozo, strawberries in winter and spring become a sort of staple food being so fresh, delicious and healthy. In shops and in the streets when the daily fruit and vegetables hawker stops by, you’ll hear someone asking Ghad baqaghlek xi ftit frawli jekk joghgbok? that is Do you still have some strawberries left please?

what to eat on travel in Gozo Malta
Picking some fresh strawberries from the market on Gozo – January 8th, 2018.

Strawberries have become an essential element in the Maltese healthy lifestyle and culture… and it’s our pleasure promoting the local fresh produce when welcoming guests at our boutique self-catering accommodation on Gozo with some freshly picked bright red local strawberries.

villa holidays on Gozo Malta
Very Special welcome to our guests at HolidaysOnGozo.com

Merhba! Welcome home! Wish you berry lovely holidays on Gozo!

 

I Found The Best Bakery on Gozo

Gozo bread

Gozo bread

Part of my work in running boutique self-catering accommodations on Gozo and providing a truly personalised hospitality is certainly recommending the right places, which sites and when to visit and also where to buy authentic locally produced food and eat out.  This is one of such places where to meet locals and eat the local way.

It’s Saturday morning, 6 January 2018.  Just another perfect day with the lovely sunrise and day temperature expected to be 20 degrees Celsius (maltairport.com).

Gozo Malta weather - maltairport.com

It is exactly 7.00am at Debono bakery in the very centre of our village-by-the-sea of Ghajnsielem on the island of Gozo.  Oven temperature is almost 500 F, equivalent to 260 degrees Celsius.  Robert and Terik, the bakers have already been working for over three hours. The freshly baked bread is finally ready.

Gozo bread oven temperature

Unfortunately words cannot describe the aroma of the bread coming out from the bakery oven!  Robert and Terik are very busy bringing one Maltese traditional bread after another, putting each one side by side in long wooden boxes called tilari in Maltese.

After the bread is all taken out, you can still hear the tender sound of the crispy bread.

Malta Gozo bread

The Maltese traditional round bread is locally known as il-hobza Maltija, It is normally baked in two sizes, small and large.  At the bakery, the locals started coming to get the freshly baked crispy round bread.  I could hear a lady asking the third baker Naim for Wahda kbira jekk joghgbok that is one large bread, please.  Another man soon asked for two small ones and very well done – Aghtini tnejn zghar u ftit mahruqin.

The locals have different likes for the bread. Some of them prefer the Maltese round bread more white in its texture that is just baked to the minimum. Others, however, prefer their bread to have a crunchier crust and therefore some Maltese bread are perfectly baked to have that special dark brown crust.

At the bakery, apart from the Maltese round bread, one can also buy the traditional loaf, which is more of an oblong shape. Clients who prefer to have a thicker crust generally tend to buy the local loaf.

Gozo bread Ghajnsielem

By 7.15 all the Maltese round bread and loaves are ready. However for Robert and Terik it was time now to put into the oven more bread doughs.  In a few minutes, all the bread doughs in the remaining four wooden boxes were put inside the oven.

Gozo bread dough

Gozo bread doughs

Gozo bread dough in Ghajnsielem

Gozo bakery Ghajnsielem

Gozo bakery

Meanwhile, Naim was busy using the bread slicing machine to slice both the traditional round bread and loaves and put them into plastic bags. This is normally done after the bread is no longer warm. Some of the locals prefer to have it sliced ready for toasting and sandwiches.

Gozo bread slicing

Gozo sliced bread

At the bakery I could not but notice the delicious local pizza known as ftira.  The ftira is similar to pizza but with a thicker dough and crust as well as different toppings. Basically, at the bakery you find two types of ftira. The tuna ftira and the anchovy ftira. Both of them contain toppings such as thinly sliced potatoes, onions, red tomatoes, capers, olives, olive oil and of course either tuna or anchovy. Being a local, it is not the first time that I have to phone Robert, Terik or Naim to specially hold for me some ftiras because like the bread, ftiras at Ghajnsielem Gozo are sold out in a few minutes!

Gozo pizza ftira

Gozo ftira in Ghajnsielem bakery

Of course if you are on holidays on Gozo and would like to try some bread, at the bakery you can find also the ftira tal-hobz or pizza like bread which is perfect for toasting or filling with ham or cheese or tuna and salad. So, the next time you visit the bakery and you ask for a pizza style ftira, kindly identify if it’s tuna or anchovy you prefer. If you simply ask for a ftira you will be handed the pizza like bread you can then fill in with your favourite cheese, ham, salad and other fillings.

Gozo food

Gozo ftira bread

Other bread you will certainly enjoy would be the buns locally known as panini. These are very popular with families to prepare a healthy school lunch for their children but also for parents themselves at work!  There are also the mini loaves, bziezen zghar. In the local street food, you will find these widely used for burgers and hotdogs as well.

 

Best time to visit?

Certainly in the morning when the bread is just ready.  Absolutely irresistible!  You can just eat the bread by itself or as the most popular Maltese snack, hobz biz-zejt that is crispy bread with halved red tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt, freshly grounded pepper, Mediterranean capers and fresh basil leaves.

Opening hours

It is open every day – mornings and afternoons. Freshly baked round bread, loaves, buns and mini baguettes, tuna and anchovy ftira every morning from Monday till Saturday.  Saturday and Sunday evenings are pizza making only.  We’ll talk about that in another post.

How to get here

From the Mgarr ferry terminal take bus #303 or #323 and stop at bus stop named Loretu.  The bakery is just across the Our Lady of Loreto Square, Ghajnsielem.

Will the baker understand me?

Yes definitely.  Maltese people are bilingual. Maltese and English are both official languages on the Maltese islands.  Practically the whole population speaks both Maltese and English and a large majority speak Italian and some German and French.  Besides, people here are friendly and helpful.

Gozo hobz biz-zejt

L-ikla t-tajba!  Enjoy your meal!

 

Checkout our latest new addition: an amazing boutique beach apartment just 40 sec walk from Xlendi beach.

Xlendi Central Apartment

 

Shop from your doorstep!

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home

Real travel is meeting real local people, enjoy local food and certainly live like locals do. One of these moments will definitely be when you shop from your doorstep and eat like locals do!

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home

On the island of Gozo, fresh daily fruits, vegetables, bread, pastries and local groceries on delivered each day just right to your doorstep!

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home

At Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo Holiday Home, daily fresh fruits and vegetables and local groceries are available every day Monday to Saturday between 11.30am and 12.00 (Frank’s white van – pictured below this morning) and Toni’s green van between 13.30 and 14.00hrs.

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home
You’ll hear the beep beep!! sound for sure and that means the mobile fruit and vegetables and groceries store is just in front of you door!

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home
For all our guests at Gozo Holiday Home, if you’re not at home, please leave a note and either Frank or Toni will leave you in a bag inside the porch (away from the sun 🙂 with you requested fruit and veg. list.

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home
Travel local. Eat local. Stay healthy.

Gozo fruit and vegetables hawker at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home

Live like locals – Eat like locals

Gozo food

Gozo food
Lent time is over… and this is the most important week, known as the Holy Week leading to the greatest feast of all – Easter – the birth or the very beginning of no end!

On the island of Gozo, traditional food is very widespread in the local tiny villages. The so called ‘Qaghak tal-Appostli’ or the Apostles Rings are traditional rings made for hundreds of years.

People on Gozo enjoy buying these freshly baked rings from our town of Ghajnsielem – straight from the wood oven. Many like to eat them as a snack, others sipping them in coffee and tea and children and teenagers make sure it is part of their lunch to school.

Very tasty and not sugary. No chocolate. Few dried fruits and almonds. Excellent treat whether for breakfast, fruit break, tea time, lunch or dinner.

This week, in our town, these popular rings are freshly baked every day till Good Friday.

After these rings, it’s another very popular Easter treat which takes over in practically all local homes… more details another time!

Pictures below taken this afternoon at 6.15pm while sharing some of the freshly baked rings with our current guests – Paul and his family from Australia.

Gozo hospitality at Mediterranea Seaviews Gozo holiday home
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