What it is like
Kerċem sits on the western edge of Victoria and feels like an extension of it until the houses stop and the fields start. About 1,900 people live here. It is green by Gozitan standards, because the valleys below it are fed by springs, and it is quiet in a way that is pleasant to stay in and thin on things to do.
What is actually here
It is the only village on the island with two patron saints. St Gregory the Great is kept on 12 March, when the procession still walks out from Victoria to the chapel; Our Lady of Perpetual Help falls on the second Sunday of July and is now the bigger of the two celebrations. The chapel of Pope St Gregory the Great dates from around 1581.
This is also one of the earliest inhabited places on Gozo, with settlement going back some 7,000 years. The Roman baths and early Christian cemetery at Għar Gerduf are part of that record, but the site is closed to visitors and there is nothing to see from outside.
Less expected: Kerċem has one of only three full-size football pitches on Gozo.
Il-Lunzjata valley
The valley below the village, with the chapel of the Annunciation at its entrance, was a hunting ground for the Knights and is now worked agricultural land fed by springs. It is marked as accessible for people with a disability, which almost no other stretch of Gozitan countryside is.
Getting there
A few minutes from Victoria by bus or car, and walkable from the Victoria bus terminus if you do not mind the climb back. Parking in the village is straightforward outside festa weekends.
When to come
March for the St Gregory procession, July for the larger festa, and spring for the valley. In summer Kerċem is a base rather than a destination: the coast is a drive away and there is no beach within its boundary.
Staying near Kerċem
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 Kerċem
Why does Kerċem have two patron saints?
It is the only village on Gozo that does. St Gregory the Great is kept on 12 March, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help on the second Sunday of July. The July feast is now the larger of the two, though the March procession is the older tradition.
Can you visit the Roman baths at Għar Gerduf?
No. There are Roman baths and an early Christian cemetery at Għar Gerduf, but the site is explicitly not open to visitors. There is nothing to see from the road.
What is Il-Lunzjata valley?
A spring-fed valley below the village with the chapel of the Annunciation at its entrance. The Knights used it for hunting; it is now important agricultural land. It is marked as accessible for people with a disability, which is rare for countryside on Gozo.
What is the Għadira Fair?
An old-style family fair held around San Rafflu, with music, food, pony rides and competitions. It is a village event rather than a tourist one, and the programme is published locally rather than in advance on any tourism site.