Golden Gozo: Malta’s little sister is a holiday in itself

The smaller, quieter – and often-overlooked – island has much to offer, from sandy coves to slow roasts and honey-coloured houses

Warm water rushed up the sand and fizzed over our feet like soda. Screaming with a combination of joy and nerves, my two-year-old scrambled on to my back as the next wave washed around my waist, draping ribbons of seaweed over us both. Just nine months old when the first lockdown struck, she had never seen the sea and didn’t quite know what to do. Soaked, she threw herself on to the hot, camel-coloured sand and was soon camouflaged. Amid snorkelling teenagers bobbing on the water like buoys, my four-year-old rode an inflatable pink flamingo, watching older swimmers cut through the Mediterranean’s green swirl and head towards its navy depths.

Measuring barely nine miles by five, the island of Gozo is Malta’s little sister, the quiet one with secret coves, ancient churches and family-run restaurants serving rabbit stew. Most visitors come on the ferry from Malta for a day trip, but we were here for a week, enjoying the calm and slowness as we drove around vineyards and pumpkin patches, the smell of citrus trees strong on the evening air.