Mgarr Ix-Xini Gozo

Mgarr Ix-Xini Gozo

History

Lying in a gorge and accessible from Sannat and Xewkija is the tiny yet lovely Gozo beach of Mgarr ix-Xini. In the Knights of Malta period, Mgarr ix-Xini was used as the main harbour of the Knights. gozo beach mgarr ix-xini At one time, it was also used as a hidden anchorage for the corsairs’ many Gozo raids. The entrance to Mgarr ix-Xini is guarded by a tower which was built in 1661. A walk to the tower provides fantastic sea views. The valley of Mgarr ix-Xini is deep and stunning. The pebbly beach is small but lovely and has some caves on the cliff faces. Its clear beautiful water will beckon you in for a dip! 

The beach has a paved area also, which is used for sunbathing. It’s one of the most secluded beaches in Gozo and is very popular with snorkelers and divers. The site is one of the best Gozo dive sites for underwater photography since you can rest assured that you’ll find a variety of fish, ranging from groupers, stargazers and seahorses. If you’re into wreck diving, you can also get to the wrecked ferry of “Xlendi” from Mgarr ix-Xini. Mgarr ix-Xini is also popular for rock climbing and has many routes which are suitable for all levels of climbers. 

Diving

This dive has a gentle sloping bottom and an easy channel to navigate, which essentially runs from north to south.  The bottom, with mostly sand soon changes to sea grass the deeper and further you go.  There are however set entry and exit points on this site.

Once again, take care to remember there emergency services are some distance away so take care.With a relatively shallow depth of 20m, Mgarr ix-Xini is a good place to do an afternoon dive, especially if the morning one was quite deep. It is also an ideal place for a night dive. Lots of fish species can be seen here - mostly flying gurnards, brill, cuttle-fish and stargazers.