The Wedding Atlas · Malta · Gozo
Getting Married in Gozo
Malta's quieter sister island, with limestone cliffs, a hilltop citadel and Neolithic temples. Gozo is Malta's sister island, small, green and far quieter than the main island, a short ferry crossing from the northern tip of Malta. The landscape is terraced fields, limestone cliffs, saltpans and hilltop citadels, not resort beaches. With the Ggantija Temples, a UNESCO site dating from around 3,600 BC and older than Stonehenge and the pyramids, and a distinctive food culture, it is an atmospheric wedding setting in the Maltese archipelago.
Part of the Gozo destination guide.
- Best months
- April-June and September-November
Where to marry
Where to Get Married in Gozo
Victoria (Rabat) and the Citadel
The island's capital, with a medieval walled Citadel on the hilltop visible across Gozo. Inside are the baroque Cathedral of the Assumption, whose painted dome looks like a real one from below, and the Gozo Museum of Archaeology.
Xlendi
A narrow inlet between limestone cliffs on the south coast, with turquoise water, a small beach and cliff walks. It is a base for swimming and diving.
Dwejra and the Azure Window site
On the west coast, where the Azure Window arch collapsed into the sea in March 2017. The Blue Hole, a shaft through the rock into the open sea, the Inland Sea lagoon and Fungus Rock remain.
Ramla Bay and north Gozo
Ramla is a wide beach with red sand coloured by iron oxides. The Calypso Cave above it is said to be Homer's Ogygia, and the Xwejni saltpans, still worked by the same families, lie along the coast.
Find your area
Gozo on the map
Gozo
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A Wedding in Gozo
Malta's quieter sister island, with limestone cliffs, a hilltop citadel and Neolithic temples
The Ggantija Temples are described as the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world. Heritage Malta manages the site and can arrange photography sessions for groups outside opening hours, and a dawn session before the ceremony is an unusual option for a wedding in Europe.
Private villa estates, the Victoria Citadel and the bays of Xlendi and Ramla add further settings.
Choosing a setting
Choosing a wedding setting in Gozo
Inland resort
A pastoral inland setting in extensive gardens at San Lawrenz, with several outdoor ceremony areas. It is the largest resort on the island.
Clifftop hotel
A hotel on the clifftop plateau above the south coast, with views across the open Mediterranean. The garden terrace sits high above the water and gives the island's most exposed ceremony position.
Citadel private evening event
The Victoria Citadel can be booked for private evening events through the Gozo cultural authority, with the painted cathedral dome and the limestone lanes of the hilltop town as the setting.
Neolithic site photography session
The Ggantija Temples can be arranged for private photography outside opening hours through Heritage Malta. A dawn session before the site opens gives images of real historical weight, and contact should start far ahead.
The season
When to get married
Gozo works throughout the year. Winter is quiet and excellent for photography, with clear light. Summer is the time for the sea, and the island is noticeably less crowded than Malta. From June to September each village holds a festa for its patron saint, and at Lent processions move through the villages, the most dramatic being on Good Friday at Victoria.
Recommended wedding months: April-June and September-November. Peak season is July-August (35-40C, sea at its best, island noticeably less crowded than Malta main island), and the shoulder months are December-March (Gozo is marginally warmer than Malta in winter, remarkable clarity of light).
Getting there
How guests arrive
Gozo is reached by the Gozo Channel Line ferry from Ċirkewwa in north Malta to Mġarr on Gozo, a short crossing that runs year-round. An air-taxi helicopter links Malta's airport to the Gozo heliport.
Malta International Airport (MLA) plus ferry. Guests fly to the island's only airport, then drive to the Ċirkewwa ferry terminal. All major UK carriers fly to MLA year-round.
Helicopter transfer (MLA to Gozo). A helicopter operator flies from the airport to the heliport near Xewkija. Charter is available for wedding parties and suits small groups.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
Gozo's stays rest on two larger resorts, with a growing number of boutique and farmhouse rentals.
Inland resort, San Lawrenz
The largest resort on the island, with extensive gardens.
Clifftop hotel, south coast
A hotel on the plateau above the south coast with a garden terrace for ceremonies.
Marsalforn
A smaller boutique hotel on the main beach resort of the north coast, useful as overflow for a large party.
Private farmhouse villas
Historic stone farmhouses converted to self-catering villas with private pools.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Gozo
Gozo is known as the food island of the archipelago, with distinctive produce, dairy, honey and fish.
Gozitan gbejniet
Small sheep's or goat's milk cheeses made only on Gozo. Fresh ones are eaten plain or in salads, and dried ones, aged in pepper or salt, taste intense. A platter with Maltese bread and olive oil is a fitting welcome.
Ftira Ghawdxija
The Gozo flatbread, thicker and chewier than pizza, stuffed with tuna, olives, capers, tomato, mint and gbejniet. It is specific to Gozo.
Lampuki
The seasonal fish of Malta and Gozo, caught in autumn, baked, fried or made into a pie with capers, olives and tomato. A September or October wedding can build its fish course around it.
Good to know
Before you book
Salt pans at Xwejni
Dozens of hand-cut pools in the limestone shelf above the sea, harvested in late summer. The white salt against rock and sea is striking in photographs, and the site is free and always open.
Diving at Dwejra Blue Hole
A vertical shaft through the limestone that opens into the sea at depth, among the best-known dive sites in the Mediterranean.
The village festas
Each village honours its patron saint from late June to September, with fireworks, band marches, decorated streets and a procession carrying the saint's statue. If the wedding weekend meets a festa, it makes a free addition to the programme.
Gozitan food tour as a wedding activity. A guided food tour on the morning of the wedding or the day before takes in the Xwejni saltpans, a cheese dairy, a honey producer and a market.
People who work in Malta
Planners, photographers and other wedding professionals based in Malta.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
How do guests get to Gozo?
They fly to Malta's airport, go by minibus or hire car to the ferry terminal at the northern tip, and take the Gozo Channel Line ferry to Mġarr. A helicopter charter from the airport to the Gozo heliport is the quicker option.
What is Ggantija, and can it be used for the wedding?
Ggantija means Giant's Tower in Maltese. It is a pair of Neolithic temples at Xagħra, run by Heritage Malta and open by day. Private access for photography outside opening hours can be arranged. A legal ceremony there is not possible, but a dawn session for the couple gives images of real depth.
What happened to the Azure Window?
It was a tall limestone arch at Dwejra, a filming location for the Game of Thrones pilot, and it collapsed in a storm in March 2017. The Blue Hole, the Inland Sea and Fungus Rock remain, and the area is still among the most dramatic stretches of coast on Gozo.
Is Gozo suitable for large wedding parties?
Yes, with planning. For the largest groups the inland resort is the only property with enough rooms. Ferry logistics for large groups, covering vehicles, luggage and timing, need planning with a Gozo-based coordinator.
When is the best time for a wedding in Gozo?
Gozo works throughout the year. April to June and September to November suit most couples. Winter is quiet and excellent for photography, with clear light. Summer is the time for the sea, and the island is noticeably less crowded than Malta.
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This guide draws on the venues' own published details, official sources and the knowledge of our editors. Entry and legal information can change, so confirm it with the authority that will marry you before you book.