Why Should I Visit the Maltese Islands?

Malta, Gozo and Comino are  the little islands,  south of Sicily and they are located at the most southern part of the EU.  With its central location in the Mediterranean, the islands have always been considered of great importance in terms of  their strategic location,  offering a stronghold in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Maltese Islands were conquered by all the most important civilizations and powers that ruled the Ancient World, namely  the Romans, the Carthaginians, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spanish, the Knights of St. John, the French and the English.

All these powers have left their influence on our culture and heritage and the fact that we were ruled by so many different nations, has made our people capable of  adjusting  themselves to new situations and conditions. Moreover, these cultural influences facilitated the ever increasing ability  to communicate and welcome any nationality.  Our hospitality was even noted by St. Paul who was shipwrecked on our island in the year 60 A.D. while our islands were under the control of the Romans.  In the Acts of the Apostles, written by the Evangelist St. Luke on his journey with St. Paul to Rome, wrote in detail about “the great hospitality shown by the people of the Islands”. This hospitality is still one of our people’s main traits and it is this value that makes all the visitors most welcome.

Each power has left its influence and heritage and one can see this in our language which has  basically Arabic and semetic origins. The first settlers were the Phoenicians who came from the Middle East. Later on the European Powers also influenced the development of the Maltese language. In fact, one can notice that many Italian , French and English words are found and heard in our language.

The Maltese Islands are like a big treasure chest, endowed with a rich history and culture. In spite of our very small size, they come second to none as they hold gems from all times and from all nations. Even  Homer himself  wrote about Ulysses being shipwrecked on Gozo, the Island of Calypso.  Many other great writers were enchanted by our beautiful and rich history.

The Maltese history, culture and hospitality are the three biggest gems in the  treasure chest that make the Maltese Islands unique and really worth a visit.

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Why Gozo?

Gozo is  the island where time stood still and where you can still enjoy the same views that the prehistoric people used to enjoy. Fortunately, most of the island is still unspoilt by modern development.  It is the second largest island in the Maltese Archipelago with a population of about 30,000 persons.  It shares the same history and culture like that of Malta, but its real small size and small population makes Gozo a more tranquil island where the villages still hold their identity and diversity.  Besides, all villages in Gozo are separated by farmland and this makes the island a healthier one to live in as the air is still very pure and unpolluted.  The large spaces between the villages create a sense of freedom and relaxation.  Some of the villages are like old hamlets dominated by the village church which is always the centre of attraction of every village.

Here hospitality is even more felt as if you ask someone to give you directions to your destination, a local person  might even offer to take you there!  This is one thing that makes living in Gozo worthwhile and one feels immediately at home when visiting this island.

One might think that Gozo is isolated as it can be reached by a pleasant 20 minute ferry crossing, but this is to the island’s advantage.  In fact, in spite of all, the Gozitans, as the people from Gozo are called, strongly oppose to the construction of a bridge to connect the two islands.  We are proud to be Gozitans and this is how we still want to remain to preserve our identity and peace that can only be found like in the days gone by.

Most of the inhabitants are farmers or part time farmers and this is what keeps the island in its original state and very close to nature.  Many are those who visit our islands in the winter (if you can call it winter, with  temperatures higher than those in northern European countries during their summer) to enjoy walking through our countryside, talking to the farmers and getting to know the island and its people in the true sense.

The Greek writer, Homer, relates the story of Ulysses who was shipwrecked on our island during his return from the wars. He was marooned on the sandy beach of Ramla,  where he met the queen of the island named Calypso.  She enchanted him for 7 years where he lived happily with her until the messenger of the gods forced him to return to his beloved wife Penelope.  So he left Calypso’s Cave, as it is still known, and went back to his wife after seven happy years on our island. 

No wonder why whoever visits our island falls in love with it and unlike Ulysses will keep coming back!

Close to and in the same village of Xaghra, lie the oldest free standing temples in the world which date up to 1000 years before the Pyramids.  The temples of Ggantija are world famous and considered as world heritage.  Surely a visit to our island is a must both for people who love culture, history and nature.

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Why Dive Gozo?

Though Gozo is so close to Malta, the underwater topography is completely different as the further north you move  the better is the diving.  Infact the best dive site on Malta is the closest to Gozo, that is,  Cirkewwa.

Diving in Gozo is a bit tough if you decide to go from the shore but it is suddenly forgotten once you get in the water as you will be welcomed by wonderful drop offs, tunnels, caverns and fish.  It is not as much abundant of fish as the Red Sea but it is nice in its own way, like many say.  No wonder why many keep coming back as the deep blue that one can enjoy in most of the dives is something more related to “The Big Blue” Film about Jacque Majol.

The swim throughs are wonderful as is the enchanting blue colour that you see when exiting the Inland Sea tunnel!!!

To make diving more comfortable, we have a specially built hard boat measuring  40 feet with a big diving platform at the stern which offers the divers easy access to the water as well comfortable exit via a special diving ladder.  Groups can charter the boat for the whole holiday if they wish and can  have the comfort of a liveaboard,  with the facility of dining and sleeping in the comfort of the island.

Why Frankie's?

Frankie’s Gozo Diving Centre has been established for the last 20 years and it was the love for the sea and the underwater world that made me,  Frankie,  start up the diving centre to be able to offer this new service to the ever increasing tourists.  At that time, diving equipment was still in its early days and during these years we have seen a lot of development in the diving equipment.

At that time I had the chance to open up  in  any bay or beach since for our island, diving was still a new sport.  As it is in my policy to do things professionally, I chose not to go by the seafront, where space was limited, but to open up my dive centre in a village where space and property was not a problem.  It was true that I would miss the passing trade but this would be to the advantage of my prebooked clients.  I did not want to open up a dive shop just to rent diving equipment  but to build a diving centre that could offer all the services to the divers including accommodation, restaurants, special deep training pool, lecture rooms,  and all other facilities that one can think of for divers…. a divers’ complex with all the facilities in the same place.

My decision was a tough one but I never regretted it as I have been proved right by many reports in the International Press and by the many Trophies that only my dive centre has won, not only in the Maltese Islands but in the whole region of the Mediterranean.

Since we are not just a dive shop that closes down after the diving hours, but a divers’ complex, one will feel like a week member of a dive club where he can enjoy himself and relax after the dive, having a drink or a nice dinner at the centre itself, talking about the day’s diving.   For the single travellers there is no better than such a place where you are on your own only till your first dive as then you “join the club”.

Infact, for 3 years in a row,  in 1998, 1999 and 2000, the prestigious diving magazine the TAUCHEN, honoured me with the TAUCHEN TROPHY for THE BEST DIVE CENTRE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.  Again, PADI honoured us with the award for good diving courses with the PADI EDUCATON AWARD.

Recently we also were chosen by a prestigious Spanish  Filming Company for the Underwater Documentaries of the Mediterranean Dive Destinations and ours was considered as the BEST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN!

On the 18th of June, 2006, the most popular SUNDAY TIMES OF LONDON, in its Travel Suppliment, recommended  FRANKIE’S as the best diving destination in the Mediterranean.

I am sure that you deserve to dive with the best dive centre in the Mediterranean if you are thinking of a diving holiday where the flight is just 2.30 hrs away from home and where the diving is the best in the Med!  Jacque Costeau had declared that the Blue Hole in Gozo is one of the best dive sites in the Med and he could not be wrong!

We will make your diving holiday an easy one to plan, both if you come through your favourite travel agent or if you book directly via internet.

We can offer to book your accommodation of your choice,  airport transfers to our  accommodation in the diving centre itself or to other places such as old farmhouses, apartments or villas,  diving courses, guided dives both from the shore and from our own boats,  hire of cylinders and air for the experienced who have dived Gozo before and any other holiday related services.

We are the only dive centre in the Maltese Islands to offer Liveaboard Holidays on our 75 foot Motor Sailing Yacht the “Barbarossa”.  We also offer private boat charters, sailing trips, cruises and jeep safaris around the islands as well.  So there is something for everyone whether being a diver and even if a non diver.

If you choose to come to us, you will surely feel at home  and we can guarantee that you will arrive as a customer and leave as a friend!

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HOW  DO  I  GET  THERE?

 Malta is just about 2.30 hrs away by flights from most airports in Europe.

The Local Airline, Airmalta, flies on daily basis from the major airports.  Besides, other International Airlines also have daily connection to Malta International Airport.

Very soon low cost airlines such as RYAN AIR as well as EASY JET will start operating to Malta as from October of this year!!!!!!!! Other Low Cost Airlines such as GERMAN WINGS and MERIDIANA are next on the list.

So look out for the very low cost flight tickets from these airlines which will make it more easy and  much cheaper for you   to get to Malta.

Here are the links to the respective airlines operating to Malta:

www.airmalta.com www.ryanair.com www.britishjet.com www.ba.com and many others.

Early bookings are necessary to avoid disappointment.

Once you get your tickets and our confirmation, we will take care of all the rest including meeting you at the Malta International Airport and providing the taxi service to bring you to the accommodation of your choice.

If you have any problems contact us on our e-mails info@gozodiving.com or  frankie@gozodiving.com or frankie@digigate.net

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