What it is like
Around 500 people live here, which makes Għasri the least populated village on the island. There is a church, a square, some houses and then fields. If you want a village with cafes and something to do in the evening, this is not it, and nothing about the place pretends otherwise.
The name is probably Arabic in origin and may derive from a verb meaning to press, which would fit olive pressing. That is a plausible reading rather than a proven one.
What is actually here
The parish church of Corpus Christi, dedicated to Christ the Saviour, was built between 1903 and 1916 to a design by Dun Ġużepp Diacono, with the foundation stone laid in 1903. Għasri only became an independent parish on 16 December 1921, under Bishop Giovanni Marija Camilleri, which makes it one of the youngest parishes on Gozo. The chapel of Our Lady of Patronage keeps its own feast on the second Sunday of October.
Wied il-Għasri
The gorge is the reason most people come. It cuts inland from the north coast and ends in a pebble beach a few metres wide, reached by steps cut into the cliff face. The rock is Lower Coralline Limestone under Globigerina Limestone. Prickly pears and capers grow out of the dry stone walls on the way down, and there are red poppies in late spring.
A cave at the mouth of the inlet has a shaft running up to the clifftop. It once held ropes and buckets for hauling seawater up to the salt pans.
There are no facilities of any kind at the gorge.
Getting there
From Victoria, take the Għarb road and bear right at the fork just after the aqueduct. The village sits between the hills of Żebbuġ and Għammar. The turning is easy to miss.
When to come
Late spring, for the poppies and for water still running in the valley. In high summer the gorge takes the full sun and the inlet closes out in any northerly swell.
Staying near Għasri
Prices and availability come from the booking sites, not from us, and we have not stayed in any of these. How this site is paid for.
Questions about Għasri
How do you get to Għasri?
Take the Victoria to Għarb road and bear right at the fork just after the aqueduct. The village sits in the dip between the hills of Żebbuġ and Għammar. It is easy to drive past the turning without noticing it.
Is Wied il-Għasri worth the walk down?
The gorge is the most dramatic piece of coast in this part of Gozo, but the beach at the bottom is a few metres of pebbles reached by steps cut into the cliff. There is no kiosk, no toilet and no shade, and the steps are not for anyone unsteady on their feet. In any northerly swell the inlet is unsafe.
What does the name Għasri mean?
The origin is probably Arabic and may come from a verb meaning to press, which would point to olive pressing. This is given as a likely derivation rather than a settled one.
Can you dive at Wied il-Għasri?
Cathedral Cave at the Għasri valley is a well-known site, but it is rated for advanced divers at 6 to 14 metres. It is a domed vault with an air pocket at the top, and afternoon light is what makes it worth doing.