What it is like
About 800 people live in San Lawrenz, and the village is organised around a square and a church rather than around visitors. The traffic comes from what is below it: the road down to Dwejra starts here, so the village fills up on calm days in season and empties again when the wind turns. A five-star hotel sits on the outskirts, which has not changed the character of the centre much.
The area was called Ta’ Ċangura before it took its saint’s name. It is one of only two Gozitan localities named after a patron, the other being Santa Luċija in Kerċem.
What is actually here
The church was built between 21 September 1886 and 28 April 1889 and consecrated on that second date by Bishop Gwann Maria Camilleri, with a relic of the saint placed beneath the foundation stone. The parish itself came later, by pastoral letter of Pope Leo XIII on 15 March 1893, effective on 7 May. The titular statue is the work of Louis Ramat, who had just taken over the Gallard et Fils company in Marseilles; it reached Gozo on 4 August 1895 and was first carried a week later, in procession from the Collegiate of Għarb.
Behind the village, Ta’ Dbieġi rises to 195 metres, the highest point on the island.
Dwejra, below the village
The Inland Sea has a pebbly beach and a quayside. Dwejra Bay next to it is deep swimming rather than paddling. Fungus Rock stands offshore, there are salt pans along the coastline, the rocks are full of marine fossils, and a small watchman’s cave has rock-cut steps down to an old slipway.
No facilities are listed at Dwejra. Treat that as accurate and bring water.
Getting there
By car from Victoria the drive takes about fifteen minutes. Buses run, but the western routes are thinner than those to the larger villages, so check the timetable before counting on a return.
When to come
Spring and autumn, when Dwejra is calm and not full. In July and August the road down is congested by mid-morning. In a westerly, Dwejra is closed out and there is little reason to make the trip.
Staying near San Lawrenz
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 San Lawrenz
Is San Lawrenz the village for Dwejra?
Yes. Dwejra lies below the village and is reached by the road down from it. That is why San Lawrenz is busy whenever the sea is calm and quiet the rest of the time. No facilities are listed at Dwejra itself, so buy what you need before you go down.
Can you still see the Azure Window?
No. It collapsed in 2017. The rubble now sits on the seabed and has become a dive site in its own right. The Blue Hole alongside it is unaffected: a vertical chimney about 25 metres deep that connects with the open sea eight metres down through a submerged arch.
When is the San Lawrenz festa?
The festa falls on the first full weekend of August, close to St Lawrence's own feast day of 10 August. The titular statue carried in the procession was made by Louis Ramat of the Gallard et Fils company in Marseilles, arrived on Gozo on 4 August 1895 and was first carried on 10 August that year.
What can you dive at Dwejra?
The Inland Sea tunnel runs about 80 metres out to the open sea and is an advanced dive at 18 to 40 metres and more. Fungus Rock is also advanced, at 30 to 60 metres and beyond. Neither is a site for a first dive of a trip.