What it is like
Xagħra sits on a plateau, which is why it feels airier than most of Gozo and why the walk down to Ramla is a walk down rather than along. The square is the centre of village life, with the basilica on one side and a handful of cafes that stay open later than you would expect outside August. It is the largest village on the island by population and behaves like one: something is open most of the year.
Why people come
Ġgantija is here, on the edge of the village: two megalithic temples that predate the pyramids and are among the oldest free-standing structures anywhere. The interpretation centre is worth the entry on its own.
Ninu’s Cave and Xerri’s Grotto are both private houses with caves of stalagmites and stalactites underneath, open to visitors. They are small, odd and entirely genuine, and nothing about them is signposted well.
Ta’ Kola windmill is here too; its miller signalled good milling weather by blowing a triton shell called a bronja.
Calypso’s Cave, above Ramla, is the one to manage expectations about: a viewpoint more than a cave, and the official tourism site does not list it at all. Mixta Cave, off Triq l-Għassa tal-Maħraġ, looks over the same bay to better effect.
Ramla itself is below the village: red sand, a Natura 2000 dune habitat and Roman remains under the beach. A few cafes and one stall set back from the sand are the lot.
The church
Parish status came in 1688, granted by Bishop David Cocco-Palmieri. The medieval chapel of St Anthony Abbot was the parish church from 1688 to 1692 and still stands; it has blessed animals every 17 January since 1948. The present church’s foundation stone was laid in 1815, it was consecrated in 1878, became Gozo’s fourth Collegiate in 1900 and a Basilica in 1967.
Getting there
Buses from Victoria run regularly and take about ten minutes. Parking around the square is tight in summer and straightforward the rest of the year.
When to come
The festa falls on 8 September and is the biggest date in the village year. Ramla below is busiest in July and August, and in winter the beach is often empty on a weekday. The Xagħra Heritage Trail is an easy stroll in any season.
Questions about Xagħra
Is Ġgantija really older than the pyramids?
Yes. The two temples at Ġgantija are among the oldest free-standing structures anywhere and predate the Egyptian pyramids. They sit on the edge of Xagħra with an interpretation centre at the entrance, which is worth the ticket on its own.
What is Calypso's Cave like now?
It is on the edge of the village overlooking Ramla and is marked as accessible for people with a disability, but expect a viewpoint rather than a cave. The official tourism site has no page for it at all, which tells you something. Mixta Cave, reached by turning onto Triq l-Għassa tal-Maħraġ, gives a better view over the same bay.
When is the Xagħra festa?
8 September, the Nativity of Our Lady, locally Il-Bambina. It doubles as Il-Festa tal-Vittorja, commemorating the lifting of the Great Siege in 1565, so it is a national date as well as a village one. The marble statue carried in procession was brought from Marseilles in 1878.
What happens at the animal blessing in January?
The chapel of St Anthony Abbot has blessed pets and working animals every 17 January since 1948. The bishop blesses rusks, known as the Bread of St Anthony, and oats, and owners go home with a picture, a bag of oats and a rusk. The chapel itself was the parish church from 1688 to 1692 and still stands.