10 Of The Most Perfect Freediving Spots In Gozo.
Danny Barton shares the best places in Gozo to Freedive, ranging from beginners to advanced.
Freediving is the art of descending into the sea on a single breath and it’s fair to say Gozo has become a hotbed for this fast-growing sport.
I distinctly remember the first time I witnessed French freediver Guillaume Nery descend into the depths of a blue hole on a single breath. This eerie, aquatic and seemingly impossible feat changed my life and before you could say ‘Apnea’ I found myself attempting similar feats on a lesser scale. Gozo soon became my home and home to many others who partake in this unique sport because of the outstanding freediving it offers. Below you’ll find 10 reasons why Gozo is quickly becoming Europe’s premier freediving destination.
WARNING: Before you head to any of the spots below, I recommend getting professional training at one of the superb freediving centres in Gozo, freediving is a safe sport when practised with a buddy and with professional training.
Top Ten Sites For Freediving In Gozo
1. Mgarr Ix Xini
Difficulty: Beginner to Advanced
Mgarr Ix Xini was the first place I went freediving in Gozo and I saw an Octopus up close whilst holding my breath. For that reason, it’s always held a special place in my heart. With its calm sheltered bay and with an average depth of 5 to 8 metres it’s the perfect spot to try out your Aquaman abilities. If you’re really lucky you may even spot a Seahorse clinging to the seagrass towards the end of the bay.
For the slightly more advanced freediver, there’s Dragon’s breath cave which allows you to really test your nerve and requires a 20-metre swim without the ability to break the surface, naturally, this should only be attempted by those who are experienced and with a local guide.
2. Ras Il Hobz
Difficulty: Beginner to advanced
Ras Il Hobz is a favourite among scuba divers and freedivers alike. With a huge shallow reef that contains a unique canyon suitable for the less experienced and, a more advanced pinnacle teeming with marine life that descends down beyond 40 metres, it’s a great Gozo spot to put your freediving skills to the test.
3. Xlendi Cave
Difficulty – Moderate to advanced
For those wannabe freediving fanatics who are less advanced coming to Gozo, simply head out of Xlendi Bay and turn right beyond the headland. Continue around the corner and you’ll see a cave on the right-hand side. This cave contains a spectacular underwater arch and has an average depth of between 5 and 8 metres. If you swim to the end of the cave you’ll notice the water glowing a stunning blue colour and if you’re a more advanced and slightly daring freediver it’s possible to dive down and swim through to Xlendi bay, but keep in mind that you cannot surface until you make it to the other side.
The cave can also be accessed from Xlendi bay itself but again should only be attempted by the more experienced freediver as the entrance is submerged and taking a wrong turn will require you to swim for around 60 metres before you can surface, sadly a number of people have failed and lost their lives so treat this cave with extreme caution and ensure you dive with a local instructor.
4. Coral Gardens – Dwejra
Difficulty – Beginner
For this one, you’ll need to head towards the Blue Hole on foot. Just before you reach the Blue Hole you pass between two cliffs (You can often find people queuing to pass each other here) and instead of continuing to the Blue Hole simply turn left and swim out a few metres.
Despite its name, this place, unfortunately, doesn’t contain masses of coral but it does contain a lot of fish, a swim through and great light for those dreamy GoPro snaps. Whatsmore it’s relatively shallow at between 3-6m so is a great place in Gozo to start your freediving journey.
5. The Collapsed Window – Dwejra
Difficulty – Moderate to advanced
Those who are familiar with Gozo and its past will remember the infamous Azure Window which unfortunately collapsed in 2017. Whilst its collapse was very sad, a positive arose from it, a unique and amazing dive site!
Head to the blue hole in Dwejra and you’ll see a narrow rock formation that separates the open sea from the blue hole. Enter the water on the side of the open sea and follow the cliff. Around 2-300M along you’ll see a pinnacle under the water, this is the collapsed window. This is a great place to spot a variety of sea life including groupers. Depth varies tremendously here so it’s the perfect place to test your skills, it’s also an incredibly photogenic area.
6. P31 – Comino
Difficulty – Moderate to advanced
Whilst not officially Gozo, this one has to get a mention on our freediving hotlist. P31 is a shipwreck that sits just off of Comino and is a favourite amongst divers. The shipwreck is 51 metres long, 7 metres wide and offers a very eerie but satisfying dive experience, I mean what says ‘I’m a mermaid’ more than finning your way around a shipwreck? To get there simply head to Hondoq and ask one of the tourist boats to drop you at P31. It’s wise to take a surface marker buoy for this dive as boat traffic can be heavy in summer. Depth varies between 14m and 18m.
7. Inland Sea Tunnel – Dwejra
Difficulty – Moderate to advanced
Gozo is known for its spectacular scenery and this freediving site is definitely otherworldly! If you go down to the Inland Sea at Dwejra it’s possible to swim into the tunnel that separates the area from the open sea. Here the depth goes from 3m and towards the open sea reaches a maximum depth of 26m. The light that pours in from the end of the tunnel and the sheer size of the walls gives the impression that you’ve somehow found the entrance to Atlantis.
A word of caution, tourist boats pass through the tunnel every few minutes and it’s vital that when you surface, you do it against the left-hand wall (Left hand when heading out to open sea, right hand when heading towards the Inland Sea) and take extreme caution, propellers are not your friend!
8. Xatt L’Ahmar
Difficulty – Beginner to extremely advanced
Xatt L’Ahmar is well known for its three shipwrecks, MV Karwela, MV Xlendi and Cominoland. All three wrecks were scuttled specifically for diving activities, that said they all sit very deep at between 30m and 40m so this one should be left to those who are fully trained and extremely experienced. If you’re not a pro then the reef at Xatt L’Ahmar is also a delight to dive with an average depth of between 5-8m. Of an evening the sunset provides some really interesting underwater sunbeams on the reef which will help you bag that viral Instagram snap!
9. Cathedral Cave – Between Xwejni and Wied Il Ghasri.
Difficulty – Moderate to advanced
This site has heard more national anthems than an international football stadium! If you enter the water at Wied Il Ghasri, swim out through the channel, turn right at the end and follow the cliffs you’ll notice a submerged entrance to a cave (Have your torch at the ready, it’s dark).
If you dive down to around 5m and swim around 20 metres through the entrance you’ll surface in a unique cavern that’s loved by divers worldwide. A small hole in the rock provides the cavern with fresh air and the light coming through the underwater entrance creates that magical blue glow. The acoustics in the cavern are truly something else so be sure to sing your lungs out! This is a freediving site that should only be attempted with a Gozo guide.
10. The Blue Hole – Dwejra
Difficulty – Beginner to moderate
This has to be the number one favourite spot amongst freedivers in Gozo. Situated in Dwejra, the Blue Hole is a unique formation that captures the imagination the moment you put your head under the water. Encircled by rock and separated from the open sea by a large underwater archway it is by far the most unique dive spot in Malta and maybe even Europe!
The Blue Hole is around 15 metres deep and pushing off the edge whilst peering down into its depths feels akin to flying. The underwater light beams create a scene reminiscent of an alien abduction and the archway beckons you to swim underneath it where puddles of air form small mirrors on the ceiling. To say this dive is otherworldly is an understatement. It was even a favourite of Jacques Cousteau, the godfather of scuba diving! If you can’t capture a viral underwater snap here then you may as well throw your camera away!
Diving Gozo’s Blue Hole is something everyone should experience once in their life, so what are you waiting for?
