From the top of this hill above Marsalforn, you stand beneath the Risen Christ that much of Gozo sees on its skyline.
Viewpoint, Marsalforn. Meridian Dispatch.
Yes. Visitors report no entrance fee or ticket for the hill and its statue, and no staffed gate or entrance is advertised for the open-air site.
Parts of the climb up the hill are steep and uneven, and walking boots are recommended. The path is also rough and exposed, with little or no shade on the way up.
Plan the whole climb, up and down, for daylight hours. Leave enough light for the descent, and do not rely on the hilltop lighting to show the path.
The statue of the Risen Christ on the summit stands 6 metres tall, its arms spread across a span of another 6 metres. From below, the open arms seem to embrace the island, and the figure breaks the skyline above Marsalforn.
This is the best known of the small hills that ring the Marsalforn valley, once called the haven of hillocks. Its older name, Tal-Merżuq, means ray of light and comes from a local tale of three days of darkness over Gozo.
A statue of Christ was put here in 1904, when Gozo was consecrated to Jesus the Redeemer, which is how the hill got its everyday name. The statue on top now dates from the 1970s.
Coming into Marsalforn on the road from Victoria, you see the statue on its hilltop ahead. Park in Marsalforn and walk to the hill from the town.
Once up, the hilltop is calm, and you can stand right below the figure and its outstretched arms. Then walk round it for the view, which runs a full 360 degrees across the island.
Nothing is laid on at the top: toilets, drinking water, railings, first aid and staff are not guaranteed on the hill.
Wear proper, supportive shoes, and carry water, a hat and high-factor sun protection. Outside summer, pack a light windproof layer as well.
Before you leave Marsalforn, save the map on a charged phone and bring any essential medication. Give yourself time at the top to take in the views.
Gozo's salt pans start a walk west of Marsalforn, and the coast path runs on past them to a gorge with a pebble cove at its foot. Back in the bay, you climb down steel ladders off the rocks into deep water.
Read the Marsalforn guideExplore the rest of Marsalforn
A small sandy beach at the head of the bay sits among cafés, fish restaurants and a fishing harbour, the busiest seaside spot on Gozo's…
Just off the shore at Marsalforn, about 8 m out, a 3 m limestone pillar is all that remains of a natural arch that collapsed during the…
Hundreds of square pans cut into the flat rock along the shore fill with seawater in summer and dry to salt in the sun. Families who have…
West of Marsalforn, a shallow inlet with a sliver of sand and wide flat rocks for sunbathing faces the pale cliff of Qolla l-Bajda. The…
On high ground in north Gozo, Xagħra holds the Ġgantija temples, two Neolithic stone structures, and a village square with cafes. Ramla…
Sails, millstones and the miller's living rooms survive in this windmill a short walk from Ġgantija, and the Ġgantija ticket covers it.…
Two megalithic temples older than the pyramids stand at the edge of the Xagħra plateau, their outer wall built of blocks taller than a…
Walls ring the top of a hill in the middle of Gozo, and the walk along the ramparts looks over almost the whole island. Entry to the walled…
Save Tas-Salvatur Hill to your Malta trip in the Meridian Dispatch app and build the day around it, with the best of Marsalforn pinned on one map.
Download on the App StoreLast updated