MALTA. (The Hidden Treasures) Mgarr Harbour. Gozo.

MGARR HARBOUR

As the ferry approaches Mgarr Harbour I am always enthralled by the breathtaking charm of this gateway to the island of Gozo and its link to the outside world. I’m captivated by its picture-postcard natural setting. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful little harbours in all the Maltese Islands. Lines of colourful little fishing boats anchored in the dock, quaint honey-coloured houses, a tapestry of tiny green fields above, and the blue waters of the Mediterranean caressing the shore.

There is now a new pristine ferry terminal at Mgarr Harbour. It used to be a ‘stone age’ port facility dating back to 1841, but in recent years the government upgraded it at a cost of many millions of Euro and now it is state of the art. The mainland ferry port at Cirkewwa has also been fully modernised recently and both new terminals are now a great comfort to commuters and tourists. This big expenditure is fully justified by the huge numbers who use the service as the two ships carry 4 million passengers and over one million vehicles on 20,000 crossings each year.

Besides being Gozo’s main harbour, Mġarr is one of the most important fishing villages of the island, providing the best shelter for the local fishing boats during the winter months. The village also has a modern yacht marina which hosts a large number of yachts and pleasure boats throughout the year. Overlooking the Harbour is Fort Chambrai, which was built by the Knights of St. John in 1749 and later used by the British forces. A church dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes also overlooks Mġarr and typical of Mediterranean fishing ports, the harbour is very well served with restaurants and bars.