Ħondoq ir-Rummien

Beach

Beach · Xagħra, Malta 36.0278°N 14.3219°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Ħondoq ir-Rummien

Best time

Spring or autumnNot mid-August

Effort

Steep road downHard climb back up

Access

Car or bus 303Walk down from the stop

Parking

Is there parking at Ħondoq ir-Rummien and does it fill up?

Yes. One beach guide reports a free car park at the bottom of the road from Qala, and says it fills up in high summer, when the bay is packed.

Toilets and sunbeds

Are there toilets, showers and sunbeds at Ħondoq ir-Rummien?

Yes, all of them. The bay has toilets, showers, a snack bar, sun loungers and umbrellas. Kayaks and boat trips are also on offer from the bay.

Dogs

Is Ħondoq ir-Rummien dog-friendly?

One beach directory lists Ħondoq ir-Rummien as not dog-friendly. Dog owners heading to Gozo can check the rules for this bay before making the trip down the road from Qala.

A narrow channel is all that separates this bay on Gozo's east coast from Comino and the Blue Lagoon. Swim straight off the rocks into turquoise water.

What makes it special

Ħondoq ir-Rummien is a cove tucked below the village of Qala. If you are not swimming, benches give you a seat with a view across the water.

The beach is a strip of shingle that turns to sand at the water's edge, set between rocky shores.

Deep water and caves at sea level make it a bay for snorkelling and diving. It is also one of Gozo's main nautical launching points, so expect boats putting out from the shore.

Old salt pans line this stretch of coast, and some are still worked for salt through the summer months. The winding road down from Qala to the bay runs past them.

Visiting

Take bus 303 from Mġarr Harbour, where the ferry from Ċirkewwa lands, to the Kuncizzjoni stop just past Qala, a ride of about 15 minutes. Then walk 20 to 25 minutes down Triq il-Kunċizzjoni to the water. Drivers take the same road down.

Use the bathing ladders on the rocks to get into the sea.

Bring a mask for Ta' Bumbarin creek, a snorkelling spot at Ħondoq ir-Rummien sheltered from wind by the adjacent cliffs, with semi-submerged caves at the waterline.