Wied il-Ghasri

Wied il-Għasri is a narrow inlet on Gozo's northern coast where a valley reaches the sea between rock walls only a few metres apart, ending in a small pebble beach at the bottom of a stepped path. The water is deep and clear and the enclosed channel is a well-known snorkelling and diving spot, with a cave system and an underwater arch offshore. Rock-cut salt pans line the coast on either side of the inlet.

The landscape

• The narrow channel - a sea inlet only a few metres wide between rock walls.
• The pebble beach - the small shore at the bottom of the stepped path.
• The dive sites - caves and an underwater arch off the mouth of the gorge.
• The salt pans - rock-cut pans along the coast on either side.

When to go

May to October for swimming. Any swell makes the narrow channel dangerous and it should be avoided then. Mornings are quietest.

Practical notes

The beach is tiny and a handful of people fill it. Swell funnels into the channel and makes it hazardous even when the open sea looks calm. The steps down are steep and there are no facilities.

Nearby

Xwejni salt pans are east, and Marsalforn is beyond them.