Easter is one of the most important times of the year on Gozo and heralds not just the start of spring but the beginning of a diverse calendar of cultural events.
In 2020, the festivities are focused on Holy Week – between Sunday 5 April and Easter Sunday 12 April.
Average temperatures in March on Gozo range from 17°C during the day to a very mild 10°C at night, which makes Easter one of the nicest times to book a family holiday on Gozo.
Easter on Gozo
On Gozo Easter is celebrated in great style and for a whole month!
Being on Gozo at Easter time will give you and your family the opportunity to witness authentic Gozitan culture – both serious and joyous. Our previous blog post Parades, pageantry and pastries – it must be Easter on Gozo! provides more background on the various religious celebrations that can be expected on Gozo.
Processions and figolli
Children celebrate Easter Sunday in Xaghra, Gozo. Photo credit: Alain Slavery, Gozonews.com
Children will love the historical processions put on all over Gozo at this time of year – especially those on Palm Sunday (5 April 2020), Good Friday (10 April 2020) and Easter Sunday (12 April 2020).
Easter Sunday begins with church bells ringing all over Gozo to mark the resurrection. It also marks the official end of Lent and that means children can enjoy their Easter eggs!
There is a lovely tradition in the Maltese Islands for children to take highly decorated Easter biscuits (figolli) to their local church to be blessed by the parish priest. You'll see figolli for sale in local village bakeries.
And after Easter Mass there are noisy, colourful processions in Gozo's capital Victoria as well as in many of the island’s villages.
Easter Egg hunt at Rundle Gardens, Victoria
Family fun on Easter Sunday, Villa Rundle Gardens, Gozo. Photo credit: VisitGozo.com
If you are bringing little children with you to Gozo then the annual Easter party held on Easter Sunday at Villa Rundle Gardens in Victoria is a must.
Between 10am and 4pm there will be lots of activities for the family to enjoy including face-painting, bouncy castle, party games, crafts and rides. Rumour has it that the Easter Bunny himself will be handing out chocolate eggs and there will even be some real rabbits to pet.
Saddle up with a horse ride on Gozo
Kids can meet lots of farm animals at Gozo Stables. Photo credit: VisitGozo.com
Horse riding is a wonderful family activity on Gozo and Baron Holiday Homes is happy to help organise a fun day out at Gozo Stables, in Qala.
This friendly, family-run stables has been running horse riding and carriage tours for many years and offers an enjoyable and safe experience for all ages and abilities. You can book lessons, guided rides and more.
As well as exploring the lovely countryside around Qala, you might be lucky enough to see some new-born foals when you visit. Your children will also enjoy getting close to some of the many farm animals such as donkeys, geese, goats, sheep and pigs.
Here's a review from Trip Advisor:
“The kids really enjoyed the experience of riding the horses around the scenic area of Qala as well as seeing all the other animals.
“We had a great time and Charlie was a knowledgeable and gracious host. I would recommend trying it out while you are in Gozo.”
Hop on a bus to explore Gozo's attractions
Hop on, hop off buses are a great way to get around Gozo. Photo credit: www.sightseeinggozo.com
A great way for a family to explore Gozo is to ride in one of the open-topped sightseeing buses. As well as being a fun way to travel, these buses allow you get to hop on and off at attractions such as the amazing Ġgantija Temples, which are older than Stonehenge, and the ancient Citadel in Victoria with its spectacular 360° panoramic views of Gozo and interesting museums.
On Gozo you have a choice of the City Sightseeing bus, which operates two different routes visiting 20 major Gozo attractions, and the No 10 green sightseeing bus, which also visits most of the key sites in Gozo.
If you and your family prefer to organise your own route around Gozo, then you have 10 scheduled bus routes to choose from. Buses generally run every hour, all year round. Information on routes and timetables can be found on the Malta Public Transport website.
Discover Gozo ticket
To make sure you and your family make the most of your Easter break on Gozo, why not consider buying a Discover Gozo ticket from Heritage Malta. You get access to six sites in Gozo including: the Ġgantija Temples, Museum of Archaeology, Nature Museum, Folklore Museum, Old Prison, and the Ta’ Kola Windmill.
Baron Holiday Homes has teamed up with Heritage Malta and you can buy the ticket from our representative with special family tickets for Gozo! Make sure you talk to our representative about it.
Ask us for help
Baron Holiday Homes is happy to organise car hire, tours of Gozo, and many other things to do on Gozo for our guests. Just get in touch and we'll tell you all you need to know about walks near to your rental property, special events in villages nearby, and other local information.
Posted in Activity, Easter, Family, Fun, Museums, Spring, Things to do, Traditions
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