Soon after the end of World War II, my family – who used to live in the village of Ta’ Sannat in southern Gozo – moved house to Victoria (‘Rabat’ for us Gozitans), and there I was brought up and educated, a student at the Government Primary School in Vajrinġa Street and at the only Gozo Lyceum in Victoria, an altar boy up to the age of 16, a member of the Salesian Boy Scouts, and a member and later president of two of the Legion of Mary presidia. Joe Zammit Ciantar writes

As a boy scout – later Senior Scout, Rover Scout, and Rover Scout Leader – I used to participate in both day- and night-hikes, and especially in the week-long camps held both in the Easter and summer holidays, in either of Wied il-Mielaħ, Xlendi Bay, Marsalforn, or Dwejra. I used to look forward to these quite enjoyable experiences and my involvement in them was full. I was always eager to learn by working for proficiency badges offered as incentive ‘trophies’ to be proudly worn on our uniform shirts’ sleeves.

Getting to know Gozo

It was during lessons we used to have, at the Scouts’ Head Quarters, that I learnt map reading, which much later on in my life helped me travel, especially with my car, overland, on holidays to Italy, England, France, Germany, Austria, Norway, and Sweden. But, it was on those hikes that I walked to almost every corner in Gozo in my youth, that I learnt most about the coast! A four-day hike around Gozo, part of the requirements for the Baden Powell Award badge (which was eventually ‘vested’ on me by visiting Chief Scout Sir Charles McLean in February or March 1964) left me with impressive pictures of Gozo’s diverse coastline.

My research on the place names of Gozo during the years 1973-78 entitled “A Linguistic Study of Gozitan Toponymy” for an MA at the University of Malta, helped me appreciate what I might have loved without any insight, the beauty of all that makes my native island. However, it was during my detailed study on the place names of the coast of Gozo, which was later published in book form: The Placenames of the Coast of Gozo (Malta), (Malta, 2000), that I came face to face with most of the geo-morphological features that form part of Gozo’s shoreline, bathed in the blue clear warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

A map of Gozo

When I was working on this book, besides giving possible interpretations to the hundreds of Semitic names, I tried to illustrate the otherwise purely linguistic study with the most colourful photos and interesting pictures I could lay my hands on. These included photos of the striking fault It-Tieqa ta’ Wied il-Mielaħ (another azure window rarely known to Maltese and foreigners), the large deep sea-cave Għar il-Forna (which most probably gave the name to Marsalforn Bay/Harbour), the saltpans and spectacular Il-Qolla l-Bajda in Qbajjar Bay, an aerial view of Marsalforn, awe-inspiring Ir-Ramla l-Ħamra (Red Sand beach), pretty San Blas Bay, the Qala headland, the large rocks in the sea around the south-eastern coast (between Qala and Mġarr Harbour), picturesque Mġarr ix-Xini Creek, the high breathtaking cliffs of Ta’ Ċenċ, romantic Il-Kantra tax-Xlendi, ‘Id-Dkieken’ (natural rock ‘benches’) at the foot of the high imposing cliffs on the left of Xlendi Bay, an aerial view of the same scenic bay, and the fascinating and attractive Fungus Rock, Il-Qawra, the inland sea, and It-Tieqa (the Azure Window) – all in Dwejra.

For this book I also designed and then inserted in it, a colourful contour map of Gozo, on the coast of which I included several names that do not feature in any of the popular maps of the island. The map shows the important roads and streets, but also paths that may help the ‘rambler’ find his way to the most remote places on the shore. My aim was to help the reader realise what toponymic heritage our forefathers have left us, appreciate the linguistic treasures in our toponymy, but, above all, inspire walks to these beautiful places with which nature has endowed our homeland – Gozo.

Acknowledgement by

the Coastal Marine Union

It is very satisfying that the Coastal Marine Union – (EUCC) has acknowledged this beauty of Gozo as pertaining to one of the top 10 among 50 evaluated from among 500 coastal destinations spread in nine southern European countries.

Gozo has been given this recognition because what many may have rarely appreciated has been appraised as a sustainable destination “which offers a natural and cultural heritage with a clean maritime environment”. This was announced during a ceremony organized by the Quality Coast 2011 – Southern European Top 50 awards, held in Kouklia (in Cyprus). An appropriate certificate to this effect was presented to Minister for Gozo Giovanna Debono by EUCC Malta representative Foppe J. Seekles, in June.

This fits well and is very recommendable in the Eco Gozo project! The people of Gozo and their lovely island home merit this recognition!