Today I took my new bike on a little trip to Gozo where we are staying for the next few months. I am planning to explore this little island with my bike as it obviously allows me to go to places where the car can’t go, and it’s always more fun going somewhere by bike than by car.
So the first step was to actually take the bike to Gozo. I cycled from Mosta to Cirkewwa to catch the 8.15am ferry. It took me around 55 minutes to get there, passing through Zebbieh and Mizieb rather than the usual road taken by most cars (Burmarrad and Xemxija). It was a pretty uneventful ride, couple of hills on the way but nothing too taxing.
On arrival at the Ferry terminal I asked an attendant what I should do with the bike, and he told me to just go to the front of the car queue and cycle onto the ferry when the gates opened. I did just that (motorcycles do the same) and on boarding the ferry I was led towards the front of the garage. There is a rail with a few ropes that can be used to secure your bike.
I took my own security cable and used one rope and the cable to keep everything in place. The sea was super calm today so they were barely needed. Again this was an uneventful part of the journey. I made sure I was ready to go as soon as the ship docked, then waited 5 minutes after exiting to let all the cars pass and leave the terminal. One of the biggest problems in Malta and Gozo is vehicle pollution from exhaust. While riding a bike and going uphill you are bound to swear more than a few times after inhaling the fumes from cars.
The sea was super calm today so they were barely needed. Again this was an uneventful part of the journey. I made sure I was ready to go as soon as the ship docked, then waited 5 minutes after exiting to let all the cars pass and leave the terminal. One of the biggest problems in Malta and Gozo is vehicle pollution from exhaust. While riding a bike and going uphill you are bound to swear more than a few times after inhaling the fumes from cars, vans and motorcycles belching black smoke. The uphills are the worst, and there’s one right as you exit the ferry terminal, so it’s best to wait for the roads to clear up before heading uphill yourself.
From the ferry terminal it’s pretty much a straight road to the capital Victoria (Rabat). You need to be careful as the driving in Gozo is even more careless than that in Malta as they are used to having little traffic and have an everything goes attitude. I assume they don’t see many cyclists on the road so they are not really expecting cyclists and hence you have to be extra careful to anticipate their moves. Overall though I would say cycling in Gozo is better than Malta since there is less traffic and less construction too. The roads are so and so, the main thoroughfare to Rabat has recently been resurfaced so you won’t have any problems, but other areas are not so good. Then again, if you’re riding a mountain bike like me, these roads will pose no problem at all.
Oh, if you’re wondering about the cost of taking the bike on board the Gozo Channel ferry, it’s currently €1.15. Note that you pay on your way back from Gozo to Malta, so don’t worry about paying anything when boarding the ferry from Cirkewwa. If you never take it back to Malta, you will have earned yourself a free passage. The total crossing time is officially 25 minutes, which I think depends a bit on the sea conditions too, but in general you can estimate around half an hour.
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