When you take a ferry from Ċirkewwa to Gozo the name of the harbor of arrival is Mġarr.
The area of the port was developed mainly between the 19th and the 20th centuries, with the main port expansion occurring in 1969.
The first ferry boat service was already recorded in 1241. At that time Mġarr harbor was a shallow harbor which provided anchorage to small ships only. Today Mġarr harbor is a nice and big port.
As soon as we arrived at Gozo the first impression and the scene that we saw in front of us was simply breathtaking.
Ferries, yachts, the colorful fishing boats, the busy fishermen preparing their nets, Fort Chambray and the Lourdes Chapel on the hill above the harbor, really projected all the beauty of Gozo. It was not so lively since we arrived very early in the morning.
The Gleneagles bar located right next to the harbor is still a meeting point for fishermen, locals and tourists. The stories about Gozo’s past and present were shared there daily. The pub was named after the first ferry boat that moored at Mġarr in 1855, and which continued to give its regular service till 1914.
The ferry terminal is modern and clean. There is a small fast food restaurant and mini-market inside.
Be aware that if you check in with your ticket you will not be able to go out of the terminal. The rules are very strict, it felt almost like I was at the airport.
I didn’t know that the waiting area is indoor, and that you are going from the terminal through a tunnel directly on the ferry.
When a ferry arrives first the passengers that arrived were
disembarking, and after several minutes the gates were open and then you can go in.
The smoking is prohibited on the ferry and at the waiting terminal as well because it is indoor.
When I realized that and since we checked in like 40 minutes earlier, I asked the guard if I can go outside of the building just to smoke a cigarette and come back with my ticket again.
That guard was the first and only person on Gozo that was not so kind and polite. He said no, and if I go outside I have to buy a new ticket in order to get in again. It seemed ridiculous to me, since there was a date and the time of purchasing on my ticket and my boyfriend and me were the only people in the waiting area at the time. I did not wanted to argue with him, and I returned back to my seat, not so happy. He almost ruined my overall Gozo experience with his grumpiness on the end, since we were leaving the island that day.
So if you are smoker like me just wait until you see that people were disembarking from the ferry that arrived and then enter the indoor terminal area and check in your ticket last minute. Otherwise you will be trapped inside of the waiting indoor area until you reach the Ċirkewwa port on the main island of Malta.
Regarding the ferry, there is plenty of places to sit. It is comfortable. They also have a few cafe and fast food and bars with small mini- market on the ferry. The service is fast and efficient. Everything we tried was delicious and fresh baked. Prices were reasonable.
The ride is around 30 minutes. There is free WiFi on the ferry too. You don’t need to book your ferry tickets, because they are running every 30 minutes.
If you are looking for accommodation at Gozo please check the link bellow.
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We stayed at Gozo just a few days, but we saw a lot. I wish I will have the opportunity to visit this beautiful island again and to explore the rest that we haven’t seen. I wish to see how it looks in the summer time and to enjoy all these beautiful beaches of Gozo, especially Il Ramla. And maybe to take that Half day quad Tour of Gozo, next time. I am sure that it will be a very interesting journey.
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