GozoLife
The cliffs and pebble shore at the head of Mġarr ix-Xini, the narrow inlet on Gozo’s south coast, in late afternoon light

bay beach

Mġarr ix-Xini

A long narrow inlet with a shingle beach at the end, one restaurant, and almost nothing else.

  • Sannat, Gozo
  • Shingle underfoot
  • Quiet

Our own photograph

What it is like

A deep cut in the south coast, with a small shingle beach at the head and high sides that keep the water calm. There is one restaurant and no other development, which is the appeal. Snorkelling along the walls on either side is the best on this coast.

The wind

Because the inlet is narrow and runs inland, it is sheltered from almost everything. Only a southerly or a xlokk reaches down it. This is the bay to head for when the north coast is written off.

A note on the road

The approach is single track with passing places and it gets blocked in summer. If a car is coming the other way, one of you is reversing.

Map of Mġarr ix-Xini. Open in Google Maps for directions, or on OpenStreetMap.

Bays close by

Check the wind before you drive

Every bay on the island with its declared exposure and a live verdict, sorted by what actually works today.