First time charters head to Comino. Repeat guests quietly add Gozo. A practical guide to running a day on the slower island by sea, with anchorage stops, lunch picks, and the right yacht size for the crossing.
Gozo is the second of the Maltese islands and the quieter one. The pace is slower, the coastline is steeper, the villages sit further apart. By yacht, Gozo opens up in a way the public ferry never quite manages. You arrive on the seaward side of the island, anchor under the cliffs of Dwejra and Wied il-Mielaħ, and step into the water at coves that have no road behind them.
First time charters head to Comino. Repeat guests quietly add Gozo. This guide explains how to run the day, where to drop anchor, where to eat, and the right yacht size for the crossing.
How long does it take to reach Gozo by yacht?
From Sliema or Buġibba the run to Mġarr in Gozo takes around forty five minutes by motor yacht. Sport boats like the Axopar 45 or the Brabus Shadow 900 do it in thirty. The Tansu Caladan and the larger Sunseekers cruise it at a steadier pace and add some extra time. We usually leave at ten in the morning, run past Comino without stopping, and turn into the western coast of Gozo by half past eleven.
First anchor: Dwejra and the Inland Sea
Dwejra sits on the western coast of Gozo, under the cliff that once carried the Azure Window. The Inland Sea is the shallow lagoon behind the cliff, fed by a narrow tunnel. By yacht you anchor outside the cliff, send the tender into the tunnel for the inside view, then swim along the cliff base where the water turns a deep blue. There is no beach. The point of Dwejra is the swim and the size of the rock.
Second anchor: Wied il-Mielaħ
Twenty minutes north of Dwejra sits Wied il-Mielaħ, a smaller arch on a quieter stretch of cliff. The water under the arch is calm enough for a slow swim and the rock formation is clean for a photo. Most yacht charters skip this stop. The ones that do not, talk about it for the rest of the trip.
Lunch: on board at Mġarr ix-Xini or in Xlendi
Lunch is the choice that shapes the day. The cleanest option is a tender into Mġarr ix-Xini, the small fjord like cove on the south coast, and a long table at Rew Rew or Tmun. The fish is local and the water sits a metre away from the table. The other option is to hold the boat at anchor in Xlendi Bay and let the chef on board set up. Both work. Both feel different. Tell us your group size when you book and we recommend the right one.
Gozo is not for the first day of a Malta yacht charter. It is the day you book when you have done Comino once and want a slower one. Most guests who do Gozo on day three or four say it was the day they came back for.
Afternoon: a slow swim at Mġarr ix-Xini or San Blas
After lunch the captain runs the boat to a final swim spot. Mġarr ix-Xini has a sheltered cove with clear water and a stone beach. San Blas Bay sits on the north coast and has a sandy beach with one beach bar. Both work as a one hour swim stop. The captain reads the wind and picks the calmer one.
The run home along the coast at golden hour
By half past five we head back. The run from Gozo to Malta past Comino in golden hour is one of the best photo windows on the Mediterranean. The light sits on your back, the water stays calm, and the three islands all line up in the same frame. By six the boat is at the marina and the day is, quietly, the one you came for.
Which yacht works best for a Gozo day?
For a Gozo day from Malta we recommend a motor yacht in the 50 to 90 foot range. The Sunseeker Manhattan 66 Aquanaut at 6,500 euros, the Sunseeker Predator 72 Beyond Sea at 5,500 euros, and the Sunseeker 86 Jupju at 10,900 euros all handle the crossing easily and have the deck space for a long lunch. Sport boats and Axopars work for tight groups who want speed. The Tansu Caladan only goes to Gozo on weekly charters.
- Can we sleep on the boat in Gozo?
- Yes, on yachts of fifty feet and up. Popular overnight anchorages are Mġarr ix-Xini in calm weather and Xlendi Bay in the summer. The captain decides on the night based on wind and swell.
- Are there beach clubs in Gozo for a yacht charter day?
- Gozo is quieter than Malta on this front. The waterfront restaurants in Xlendi and Marsalforn handle most lunches. There is a small beach bar at San Blas. We pre book the table and confirm the dock pickup.
- Can we add a Comino stop to a Gozo day?
- Yes on a long day, no on a short one. A combined Comino plus Gozo day works on yachts that can leave at eight in the morning and return at seven in the evening. We split the time between the lagoon, lunch on board, and a Gozo cliff swim.
Why repeat charter guests pick Gozo on day two
The first day on a Malta yacht charter usually goes to Comino because the photos call out for it. The second day is where the trip earns its place. Gozo is slower, quieter, and easier on the captain's planning. The day looks less like a postcard and more like a memory you keep. Tell us when you sail and we plan both days as one trip.
Send your dates on WhatsApp. We come back with the boat, the route, and the price.
Pick a yacht for Gozo day
