Parish Church of the nativity of the Madonna Xaghra

Xaghra is in Gozo. It's an attractive village of 4,900 people (2014) that houses the Ġgantija temples, and is a 5-minute drive or a 30-minute walk to Ramla i Hamra beach and to Rabat, so if you don't have too much time to explore the island, this is a good place to use as a base.

Understand

Pronounced Shara, this village is centrally located on the island.

Get in

There are some buses from Rabat, a taxi from the ferry terminal at Mgarr should set you back €13-15; from Rabat, a bit less.

Xaghra is serviced by bus routes 307 (Rabat-Xaghra) and 322 (Mgarr-Marsalforn). The fares are cheap, the service is reliable, and comfortable (air conditioned).

Get around

There is no public transport inside the village, only to and from it. As it's quite small everything is pretty much within walking distance: Allow 15 minutes from one edge of town to the other (going from the hotel to the temple, for instance).

See

Ġgantija Temple Complex

• 1 Ġgantija Temple Complex, John Otto Bayer st. June till September 09:00-18:00, it closes one hour earlier during other months. The two Ġgantija temples were erected during the Neolithic (c. 3600–2500 BC), which makes these temples more than 5500 years old and the world's second oldest existing manmade religious structures after Göbekli Tepe in present-day Turkey. €9, which includes admission to the Ġgantija Temples and Ta’ Kola Windmill. (updated Nov 2019)
• The attractive village square with its classical baroque church, locals and chickens enjoying the afternoon sun.

Do

• Go down to the Ramla i Hamra beach. Walking there will take half an hour but is pleasant through the fields.

Buy

If you are short of fuel, the Cini station will sort you out. During normal house the fuel is served but out of hours you can serve yourself with your card. Not just a petrol station but inside you will find a selection of most things you could need from bicycles to houseware.

Victor's just off the square will provide almost anything needed in the home. He only charges €1 for video rental.

Eat

Ta' Kola Windmill as seen from Il Bambina

Them main square has a number of good restaurants and cafes. Give the pea pies and the cheese pies a taste. They are a local speciality and almost everyone will have a couple in the morning.

• Oleander on the picturesque village square (Pjazza Victoria) is a very good little restaurant which among other things serves typical local dishes.
• The Cafe Royale is certainly worth a few visits. It is run by a quality pastry chef and the pastries are out of this world. Plenty of room inside but outside you can enjoy the world (village) pass by.

Drink

There are many places to get a drink in the village square.

• The Olympic Bar serves really good food and drink at affordable prices both inside and out on the square. Service is friendly and efficient.

Sleep

• 1 Cornucopia Hotel, ☏ +356 21556486. Triq Gnien Imrik, has good deals for its four stars in the low season, only a few lira more than the somewhat tacky English B&B also in town. Be sure to ask for a room at the front of the hotel where you'll get a gorgeous view of the sea with Marsalforn and the Rio style Jesus statue overlooking them on your right, and the Citadel of Gozo on your left. 

Go next

• Għajnsielem
• Victoria