Nadur

Nadur stands on a ridge in eastern Gozo and its name means lookout, which is the point: the village commands views over the channel to Malta and across much of Gozo. The parish church of St Peter and St Paul is one of the largest on the island. Nadur is best known for its carnival, an unofficial and deliberately anarchic affair in which people wear whatever grotesque or unsettling costume they like and roam the streets in near silence.

Background

Nadur is built on a plateau along a high ridge east of Victoria and is one of the largest localities on Gozo, often called its second city. In July 2024 it had 4,625 residents on 7.2 square kilometres. The name comes from the Arabic nadara, lookout, which matches the motto Vigilant on its coat of arms, showing the sun rising from a blue sea. The town is famous for its bakeries, and nearby lie San Blas and Dahlet Qorrot, two small rocky bays on the northeast coast for swimming, snorkelling and walks.

Source: Wikipedia, "Nadur"

What to look for

• The ridge views - the channel to Malta and much of Gozo from the village.
• The parish church - the large church of St Peter and St Paul on the square.
• The carnival - the unofficial and deliberately strange Nadur carnival.
• The Kenuna Tower - a nineteenth-century semaphore tower on the ridge.

When to go

Year round; carnival falls in February or March. The village is quiet the rest of the time. Summer evenings on the square are pleasant.

Good to know

The carnival is genuinely strange and not to everyone's taste; it is not a tourist parade. Outside it and the festa there is little to do. Parking near the square is limited.

Nearby

San Blas is north, and Victoria is west.

Key facts