RAMLA L-HAMRA (also referred to Ramla Bay) is Gozo’s largest sandy beach on the North coast of the island located at the bottom of a rich and fertile valley. The village of Xagħra, located on one of the hills of Gozo, overlooks this valley. It is about a forty minute walk from Xagħra to the bay. The bay can also be reached from the village of Nadur.
As with most beaches in Gozo, most are largely unspoilt by man, and RAMLA L-HAMRA is no exception. Although a few snack bars have been erected at the edge of the beach in recent years, this beach offers a true glimpse of what all of Malta was once like – undisturbed, peaceful and full of natural beauty.
RAMLA L-HAMRA means “red beach” in Maltese: the sand has a reddish hue (similar to that of Golden Bay) and the beach is set on a curving bay surrounded by rocky cliffs. Swimming is safe at this long and wide beach and it is popular with families, locals, and snorkelers. The water is pretty shallow, getting deeper gradually, making it a good location to swim safely with kids.
There’s some history to the location as well, with the Romans having built a villa overlooking the bay, richly decorated with marble and stucco and boasting its own hot bath supplied with fresh water from a nearby natural spring. During the time of the Knights of St. John, the beach was fortified to defend Gozo from foreign threats, constructing the Vendome battery in 1715 and a submerged wall to deter invaders from landing on the beach.
On the cliffs at the western end of the beach is the mythical Calypso’s Cave (said to have belonged to Calypso, the mythological nymph as described in Homer’s Odyssey). A testament to the strong religious faith of the Gozitans (and Maltese), a white statue of the Holy Mary stands firm in the middle of the bay, having been erected back in 1881 and still weathers the elements until today.
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Published – Saturday 26th June, 2021.