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GHAMMAR FARMHOUSE - Ghasri, Gozo

GHAMMAR FARMHOUSE offers a wonderfully relaxed, home-from-home experience in one of the most peaceful parts of this beautiful island.

Sleeping up to 10, or 13 with children sharing parent’s rooms, this 400 year old farmhouse is ideally suited to families or groups of adults.

There is a spacious sitting area around the pool, with sun loungers and built-in barbecue. There are two further terraces with open country views leading to the sea, as well as a lovely internal courtyard, with hibiscus and bougainvillea growing.

As our own holiday home, it is very child-friendly. You will find a cot, high chair and even a potty, as well as games, books and a selection of flippers and snorkels, all of which are available for guests to use (not to mention the full-size ping-pong table!).

When you arrive, you’ll find some food and a bottle of wine, so there’s no need to rush out to the shops. Basics like salt, pepper, loo roll, washing up liquid and many more are provided free of charge. Linen and towels are also provided, but please bring your own beach towels. The daily maid service (except Sundays) helps to make the holiday relaxing for everyone.

Accommodation

Downstairs: Internal courtyard, large sitting room opening onto terrace, spacious kitchen leading through to large dining room with door to poolside terrace, ping-pong room/5th bedroom (twin), family bathroom, separate loo.

Upstairs: Two double bedrooms with en-suite shower rooms, one double bedroom with additional single bed, one twin bedroom, shower room. Fold-out beds for children available to use in any of the rooms as required. Upstairs terrace with views over open countryside to sea.

GOZO is Malta’s tiny sister island in the southern Mediterranean. 90 km south of Sicily and 300 km from the Tunisian desert, it is the last outpost of Europe before Africa. Little-known, and often ignored by tourists, Gozo is a curious mixture of the enticingly exotic and the reassuringly familiar: palm trees, Arabic-style honey-coloured stone houses, lemon groves and the ubiquitous prickly pear all contrasting wonderfully with the red GPO ‘phone boxes and little Dixon of Dock Green police stations!

This is Calypso’s Isle of Ogygia from Homer’s Odyssey, where the beautiful nymph held Odysseus a prisoner of love for seven years (you can visit her cave overlooking Ramla Bay, from where this photograph was taken). It is a place where legend blends with history. There are Neolithic cave dwellings, the oldest man-made temple in the world - pre-dating the Giza Pyramids by over 1,000 years - and an amazing array of monumental Baroque, neo-Gothic and neo- Romanesque churches and basilicas.

Gozo offers something for everyone (except lager-louts and committed nightclubbers), with beautiful sandy and rocky beaches, clear blue water (loved by scuba divers) and a remarkable history that has left behind fascinating sites, including the ancient citadel and prehistoric temples.

For foodies, there is a wide selection of excellent restaurants, offering both local cuisine and strong influences from Italy and elsewhere. Of course, fresh fish is plentiful, as is excellent local wine. Each village in turn holds its own ‘festa’ during summer weekends, with fireworks and traditional horse-racing up the main street.

Gozo is known for its beautiful countryside, which makes it ideal for walkers and cyclists - although possibly not in July and August because of the high temperatures.

And of course the island is perfect for families and children who enjoy its reliable sunshine, warm seas, golden sand and the ever-present smiles of

GOZO has 56km of coastline, with beautiful sandy and rocky beaches and some of the best diving in the Mediterranean .

The front door leads into a lovely internal courtyard, with hibiscus and bougainvillea, where diving equipment can be left. There are two terraces with open country views leading to the sea - and plenty of space for drying wetsuits, etc.

The diving is incredibly scenic with some of the most dramatic vertical cliff faces, natural archways and caves to be found anywhere in the world. Fish life is profuse, with damselfish, bream, bogue and smelt, barracuda, scorpionfish, moray eels, goatfish, octopus, sardines, parrotfish, grouper, tuna, lizardfish and wrasse (the list could go on).

Night diving is very popular and most dive centres offer several trips a week. An underwater film studio is also based on the island. They offer courses in underwater photography, or can be hired to film you whilst diving (contact us for more details).

Ghammar Farmhouse is ideal for diving groups, and for mixed groups of divers and non-divers.

Non-divers will find everything they need too, including games, books, snorkels and flippers, a even a full-size ping-pong table.

The Dwejra area, with many of the best dive sites, is just 10 minutes drive away. Here, divers can visit two of the natural wonders of the Mediterranean , the gigantic natural arch known as the Azure Window, and the Inland Sea , a sheltered lagoon cut by an awesome fissure running through the headland. The famous ‘Blue Hole’ is also reached from Dwejra point.

We can arrange jeep or car hire for you, and transfers from the airport. We can also provide details of dive centres and underwater videographers.

Archaeology in Gozo and Malta

Gozo is Calypso’s Isle of Ogygia from Homer’s Odyssey, where the beautiful nymph held Odysseus a prisoner of love for seven years and is a place where legend blends with history. There are Neolithic cave dwellings, a huge temple pre-dating the Giza Pyramids by 1,000 years and an amazing array of monumental Baroque, neo-Gothic and neo- Romanesque churches and basilicas.

The oldest man-made temples in the world are to be found on Gozo, along with many other sites on both Gozo and Malta. Because of Gozo's quieter pace and lack of crowds, it makes it the ideal base for exploring the archaeological history. As well as the sites themselves, there are several fascinating museums, including a number within the ancient walls of the citadel in Rabat (Vitoria).

Gozo has enough archeological history for a first visit, although for the very keen a day or two in Malta will be very rewarding. Gozo is also ideal for mixed groups - while some are lounging by the pool or playing on the beach, you can head off to explore some of the archeological mysteries of the island.

The following are just a few of the many sites to visit:

Ggantija Prehistoric Temples - Gozo

A group of two very important temples erected side-by-side on the Xaghra plateau. These date back to 3600-4000 BC, which makes them older than the Pyramids in Egypt. Close by, one can also find the 17th century Xaghra Windmill.

Ancient Cart-Ruts through solid rock - Gozo and Malta

Although they cannot compete with megalithic temples as a tourist attraction, the mystery of the cart-ruts in solid rock has baffled archaeologists, historians and geographers for 100 years. Many locals have never noticed the ruts, or think very little of them, but in most other countries these ruts would be considered part of the national heritage, a visible survival from a distant past when history was in the making.

Hagar Qim

The original temple was subject to many alterations, but the complex presents many novelties in construction, together with carvings bearing a unique foral motif. Entirely built of the soft globigerina limestone, it contains the largest single stone used in any of the Maltese temples.

Hypogeum - Paola

This is an ancient underground monument (circa 2,400 BC) 12 metres below street level. It consists of a system of caves, passages and cubicles cut into the stone, similar to the interiors of megalithic temples.

For more information on historical sites, visit Heritage Malta.

Ghammar Farmhouse is an ideal base from which to explore for groups of archaeologists and for mixed groups. The farmhouse is situated in a peaceful and beautiful spot on the island and is equipped with everything needed for a comfortable holiday. Spacious living areas, a daily maid service, table tennis, a pool and built in barbecue, for when its time to relax.

Walking holidays

The Spring and Autumn on Gozo are wonderful times for exploring the island on foot. After the long, hot summer, the island comes to life with a colourful and highly scented display of wild flowers. Fields are full of vegetables and hillsides are carpeted with fennel, clover, wild iris, myrtle and much more. By late spring, a thousand or more species of plants will be in flower.

Whether you prefer gentle strolls or more strenuous hikes, the island offers a fascinating variety. Put on walking boots and head out from the village squares on the narrow farmers’ tracks. You’ll find yourself in a timeless landscape, quite alone even in peak season. There is plenty to discover, from spectacular cliffs and seascapes to lush valleys and in the terraced fields of the flat-topped hills, flocks of shaggy goats and sheep being herded along ancient tracks.

Ghammar Farmhouse sleeps up to 10 adults (including two double bedrooms - so a maximum of 8 if there are no couples). In the sitting room you will find books with information about the island, its landscape, wildlife and archeology, as well as guides detailing enough walks to keep you going for many holidays to come.

More about the landscape, flora and fauna

The island’s landscape is made up of terraced hills and valleys. Over the centuries, farmers have used prickly pear to mark boundaries - this rampant, spiny cactus has now spread widely.

The island has a rich plant life, and is home to many trees; some native, some introduced by the Knights of Malta. Olive, carob, fig, the evergreen oak - the oldest species of tree in Gozo - and wild almond are natives. Others such as eucalyptus and conifers were introduced as shade and shelter trees to protect fields and houses. Decorative, flowering trees include the shrub-like hibiscus, oleander, tamarisk, jacaranda, the flame-pink Judas tree and the spectacular, yellow mimosa, were introduced in the last 50 years or so.

In the winter and spring months, the island offers a series of flowering spectacles. In the autumn, you’ll find the first plants to resurrect after the summer: daisy, marigold, buttercups. Then come flowering heather, and Cape Sorrel, locally known as the English Weed since the plant was introduced here by an Englishwoman in 1806. Although no native, it has spread throughout the Islands covering the landscape in a bright yellow hue for most of the winter months. In spring, the colour continues with wild poppies, purple clovers, capers in flower, irises, daisies and herbs from springy, thyme bushes to towering fennel.

By the coast, only the hardiest of plants like samphire, sea lavender, thyme and heather survive, but they are nonetheless colourful and provide a habitat for lizards and bees.

The cliffs are the most spectacular natural monuments on the Maltese Islands and rank among the more impressive landmarks in the Mediterranean. They rise up a staggering 250 meters above the sea in places. Coastal footpaths provide the easiest view points and a boat trip around the island gives a really impressive view. There are magnificent natural sculptures such as the Azure Window at Dwerja, Fungus Rock and the Inland sea nearby.

Besides their natural beauty, cliffs are home to a variety of wildlife and birds. They have also provided a home to the Bronze Age islanders. On the more accessible, and inland escarpments, natural caves were enlarged and used even until well into the 20th century as homes to a few families. The cliffs and promontories also gave the Knights excellent vantage points on which to build their watch towers and forts.

The island is home to a variety of small mammals such as hedgehogs and rabbits, reptiles like lizards and snakes (not poisonous) as well as many insects including cicadas, moths, butterflies and bees (Gozo honey is not to be missed - bring it home for your friends), and of course birds and underwater wildlife.