dahlet qorrot walk

Dahlet Qorrot Walk

C O U N T R Y S I D E W A L K S

GozoGozoTHE ISLAND OFTHE ISLAND OF

IntroductionThis circular walk starts and ends in Nadur. It takes youfrom Nadur to Dahlet Qorrot bay, skirting Mistra Rocks a boulder shore. Dahlet Qorrot is a typical bay withsome boathouses hewn out of the rock:an ideal spot forswimming and fishing.

Along the route you will pass by a number of cultivatedfields at TaGrejgel valley. Here,both modern andtraditional farming methods are put to use to reap thesucculent joys yielded by Mother Earth.

Proceeding onwards, the walk leads the hiker to theoutskirts of Qala village where breathtaking views ofthe sister islands can be enjoyed.All along you canclosely observe the characteristic garigue habitat. Onthe way back to Nadur via Qala, you can admire an 18thcentury windmill and a very old pigeon loft. Nadur is atypical Gozitan village,with houses nestled around thedominating Baroque or Romanesque place of worship.

A route map found in the centre pages of this booklet,together with several directional signs located alongthis route, will help you to follow the walk more easily.It is advisable to stick to the set route so that you canappreciate more fully the Gozitan landscape, rural wayof life and other curiosities.

Distance:9 kmsTime: 3 hours

Water windmills

San Filep Bay

The walkThis route starts from the villages q u a re of Nadur. The town nameo r i g i n ates from the Arabic n a d a r ,meaning a wat c h - o u t p o i nt , d e r i ve df rom the strategic position t h at t h i sv i l l a ge occupies on the island.I n d e e d , a large part of Gozo, M a l t aand Comino can be seen from t h evarious va nt a ge points t h at t h i sv i l l a ge affo rd s . This is one of t h em o s t p i ct u resque villages of Gozo,

with a population of around 4000.Nadur is situated on a plat e a u ,which is 512 fe e t , or around 170metres high above sea level.

A ctivity in the village square iscarried out under the shadow of theparish churc h , d e d i c ated to t h eapostles Peter and Pa u l . The churc his certainly worth a visit.T h e v i l l a ge s main square a l s o

GOZO C O U N T R Y S I D E W A L K S

Nadur Parish ChurchThe building of this churc h , designed by the Maltese arc h i t e ctGiuseppe Bonnici, s t a rted on the 7th December 176 0. In 1904the aisle, dome and fa c a d e ,designed by Prof. F. S. S c i o rt i n o,we readded to the existing struct u re.The church is open daily fro m5.00am to 10.00am and from 4.15pm to 7. 1 5 p m .

The most striking fe at u res of the church are the main altarpiece and the pulpit, b o t hsculpted out of ony x. Maltese-born Lazza ro Pisani painted the ceiling while t h efamous Roman Pio Cellini did the arc h i t e ct u ral deco rat i o n s . All 33 stained glassw i n d ows we re bro u g ht over from Fra n ce in 1951. The statue of St. Peter and St. Pa u lwas carved in wood in Marseilles in 1885.

Enjoying nature

The Swallowtailbutterfly

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Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul

h o s t s a police stat i o n ,t wo banks a n d ap h a r m a c y. I t is t h e

venue for manya ct i v i t i e s d u r i n gt h e y e a r b u te n j oys its busiestd ays on the 27 t h ,28th and the 29thof J u n e w h e nl - I m n a r j a , t h et raditional villagefe a s t i s

ce l e b rat e d .

The walk pro ceeds t h rough Tr i qD i cembru T l e t t a x , the stre e t to t h el e ft e m b racing the basilica on oneside. This normally busy street is thec e nt r e o f m a n y a ct i v i t i e st h ro u g h o u t the ye a r, such as t h em e r ry days of Ca r n i va l , which t a kep l a ce during Fe b r u a ry, and otherreligious pro ce s s i o n s . Fu rther alongthis stre e t one can

also find t wo clubs - the NadurYo u n g s t e r s Football club and t h eImnarja Band Club.

Triq Dicembru Tlettax leads to Tr i qC i m ce m , a side stre e t which leads onTriq San Gwa n n . O n ce you wa l kd own the remaining few metres ofTriq San Gwann you will ge t to oneof Nadurs main roads Triq it-Ti g r i j ao r Ra ce co u r s e S t re e t . At t h ei nt e r s e ctional point you will see an i c h e p ro u d l y d i s p l ay i n g are p ro d u ction of a painting of OurLady of Ta Pinu . To pro ce e d , you areadvised to cross over to the otherside of Triq it-Ti g r i j a . Walking only afew metres we s t wa rd s you will meeta sidestre e t d i s p l aying a one-ways i g n . O n ce you turn into this sidej u n ction you will be led towa rds Tr i qSan Blas, lined with 20th ce nt u ryre s i d e nt i a l h o u s e s . O n e of t h e s e h o u s e s is a bake ry t h at still employsthe t raditional way of bre ad m a k i n g.Walking further down Triq San Blas,

the stre e t fo r ks into

2 San Filep bay and Mistra Rocks

Carnival days

two. To proceed to Dahlet Qorrot bay, you should optfor the fork on the right.

At this point , the sce n e ry changes from an urbantype to one chara cterised by t e r ra ced fields andc a rob t rees t h at offer a we l come shade on hot s u n -drenched days.

The downhill turn offers spectacular views . If yo ulook to the left , you will observe the high plat e a uk n own as Qortin t a l - L a cc a . These imposing cliffs aremade out of one of the harder sediment a ry ro c ks ofthe Maltese Islands: the upper co ralline limesto n e.Other rock types include the equally hard lowe rco ralline limesto n e , as well as the softer clay, g re e nsand and globigerina limestone. The Qortin tal-Laccaalso hosts dense amounts of herbs such as t h eMediterranean thyme and low shrubs. In winter, a

A birds eye view of DahletQorrot

Enjoying the sea

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wat e rcourse develops to the left ofthis road and flows down to Ta Grejgel Valley.

P ro ceeding dow n h i l l , you will arriveat a point w h e re the hidden charmsof Mistra ro c ks, San Filep and DahletQ o r ro t a re disclosed. M i s t ra ro c ks isa typical boulder screen whereas SanFilep and Dahlet Q o r ro t a re smallinlets mostly enjoyed for sw i m m i n gand fishing by the locals.

A lane on your left b ranches off t h emain road to Dahlet Q o r ro t. T h i sleads to a fo o t p ath t h at ove r l o o ksM i s t ra Ro c ks - a mass of ro c ks of allshapes and size s .

The cliff t h at rests above Mistra Ro c ksis also formed from upper co ra l l i n el i m e s to n e.This stone layer lies on softl ayers of green sand and clay.We athering causes erosion to t h e s es oft and unpro t e cted laye r s . A stage

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The Maltese Pyramidal orchid

A typical boulder at Mistra rocks

5is then eve ntually reached wheret h e re is no physical support for t h eh e avy upper co ralline limesto n e ;b o u l d e r s t h u s co l l a p s e towa rd st h e s e a , forming the typical boulders c re e n .

Being virtually inaccessible exce p t fo rthe most daring of hikers, theseboulders are sites where ra re endemicf l o ra and fauna of the Maltese islandscan be located. The Maltese spurgeand the Maltese py ramidal orchid canbe found here. The rare branchedhorsetail is also quite abundant n e a rthe fresh watercourse that flows

The Frejgatina

A lizard basking in the sun

The Prickly pear in flower


Ta Sopu watchtowerThe U n i ve r s i t a di Gozo funded the building of this tower in 1667 but i t was unarmed unt i l1 670 when Grandmaster Nicholas Co t toner visited Gozo and stressed the need to equip t h i stower with the nece s s a ry ammunition. I t was fully functional a year lat e r.

On the 10th June 1798 the French Revolutionary troops led by Napoleon Bonaparteinvaded the island of Gozo. The French landed within gunshot distance of Torri DahletQorrot,also written as La Torre di Dahlet Korrot,or Torre Nuova (now renamed Torri taSopu) and the tower, which was still armed, opened fire on them in a desperateattempt to stop the unwelcomed guests from disembarking. General Reynier, whocommanded the Gozo invasion, gave an account of this to his Commander-in-chief. Thefollowing is an extract from this report.

"A point for landing was selected between the new tower and the bat t e ry of Ramla called Ird u mi l - K b i r.The whole morning of the 10th June had been occupied in pre l i m i n a ry arra n ge m e nt.Calms and co nt ra ry bre ezes had still further delayed operat i o n s ;b u t by 1pm the shore wa sa p p roached by the 3rd Co m p a ny of Grenadiers and the 95th Demi-Briga d e.The height sm e a nwhile had become crowned with the enemy,who re ce i ved the French with showers ofb u l l e t s ;S e rge a nt-Major Bert rand of the Grenadiers in the Genera l s b o at ,being killed.

The batteries of Ramla and New Tower then opened fire.The boats of Alceste co nveye dG e n e ral Reynier and Fu g i e r i , captains Geoff rey and Sabat i e r, and the 3rd Co m p a ny of t h eG renadiers who we re the first to land. After a rapid asce nt of the heights not w i t h s t a n d i n g

the heavy fire , the enemy at l a s t d e c a m p e d . And t h eB at t e ry of Ramla was t a ke n . The bombards Etoile andP l u v i e r, by their successful fire aga i n s t the enemy s bat t e r i e swe re of gre at a s s i s t a n ce " (Source :G RE NFELL Malta,1 7 9 8 , pg 19).

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t h ro u g h t h e s e b o u l d e r s . I n t h i shabitat, soil is limited to confinedspaces between the boulders. Theseboulders provide a welcome shelterfrom violent winds to the flora andfauna t h at flourish here. N eve rt h e l e s ssome plants have managed to adaptto living in other unsheltered are a s .

The boulders also offer shelter fo rmany different species of birds. TheMaltese national bird , the Blue Ro c kT h r u s h , is one of the bird speciest h at n e s t in the cliffs and on t h ehigh boulders.

Le aving Mistra Ro c ks behind, t h e

TaSopu watchtower on theformidable Mistra rocks

7route co ntinues dow n h i l l . D a h l e tQ o r ro t b ay is now in full view. O nt h e l e ft s i d e of t h e ro a d , a nu n c u l t i vated clay slope rises fro mthe sea, forming an inlet. This isk n own as San Filep Bay: a shallowbay strewn with boulders.

T h i s i s a p o p u l a r f i s h i n g a n dswimming site enjoyed by locals andtourists alike. This clay slope can stills u p p o rt l i fe although it is re s t r i ct e dto only one particular type ofve ge t at i o n . The we at h e red rubblewalls and the pre s e n ce of vine t re e si n d i c ate t h at this area was once aterraced slope.

San Filep is rich in flora and fa u n a .Prickly pear t re e s, fig t rees andAfrican t a m a r i s ks grow by the edgeof this slope. The Maltese pyramidalo rc h i d , an endemic plant , is amongthe most co l o u rful flowers whicht h r i ve on this site during spring.Fa u n a i s a l s o a b u n d a nt a n dd i ffe re nt i n s t a nts of the life cycle ofthe Gourd ladybird t h at can befound living on a bush of squirt i n gcucumber may be observed here.

Le av i n g S a n Fi l e p b e h i n d , yo up ro ceed to Dahlet Q o r ro t b ay. H e reyou can see boathouses hewn in thero c k s u r fa ce . T h e s e b o at o r

Fertile fields


fishermens houses still offer shelterto fishing boats during sto r m s . As l i p way is used to lower the boat sinto the sea.

From Dahlet Q o r ro t one can catch aglimpse of Ta Sopu wat c htowe r.This wat c htower stands nearly 400fe e t or 130 metres above sea leve l ,overlooking the formidable MistraRo c ks with San Blas Bay to the we s tand Dahlet Q o r ro t B ay and its inletsto the east.

I t s s t rat e g i c l o c at i o n c l e a r l yi n d i c at e s t h at t h e towe r wa s

co n s t r u cted at t h at p a rticular pointto watch for approaches on Gozo snortheastern coast and the entranceto the Comino channel. I t a l s oenabled visual signalling betwe e nother towers in Malta and Gozo.

During World War II the tower wa sused as a wireless telegraph station,which was dire ctly linked with itsco u nt e r p a rt in the U. K . , to t ra n s m i tm e s s a ges to and from other MiddleEast stations.

From Dahlet Q o r ro t , the route isdirected up the road towards Nadur.When the road levels out you cannotice a side street that branches offthe main road to your left. This road

Prickly pears provide shelter to tomato plants

A farmer busily toiling in his field

Il-Buskett

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leads you to the cultivated fields at Ta G re j ge lva l l ey. The fe rtile area surrounding Ta G re j gel is avast stretch of land,which has long since been usedfor agricultural purposes. Windmills dotting t h elandscape give ample proof of the regular supply ofwat e r. The land is used all year round and cro pro t ation is pra ct i s e d . D i ffe re nt types of ve ge t a b l e sand animal fodder are grown here.

Traditional agricultural techniques are gra d u a l l ybeing re p l a ced by modern ones. Drip irrigat i o nmethods are taking over co nve ntional t e c h n i q u e s .Some t raditional cane windbre a kers have beenre p l a ced by rows of cypress t rees t h at still offe rp ro t e ction from the wind. An added adva nt a ge tothis is the fa ct t h at the roots of such t rees preve ntsoil from ero d i n g. Prickly pears are also giving wayto more modern plastic t e nts t h at shelter t h ematuring tomato plants.

Savouring the surrounding countryside another way to unwind

Mediterranean blue:the crystal-clear waters, a source of life andenjoyment

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In 1695 this area became the privateshooting re s e rve of the Gra n d m a s t erA l of d e Wi g n a co u rt. Multiple andd i verse bird species and hare si n d u ced the Grandmaster to securethe are a . Penalties for those caughtp o a c h i n g i n c l u d e d t h re e ye a r srowing on a galley if the culprit wasof common standing, a fine of 40eww i e q i if he was of high standingor a period of exile in the case of aminor.

H e re you will notice t h at the ro u t el e a d s y o u u p h i l l , o f f e r i n gspectacular views.

P ro ceeding stra i g ht o n , you willa r r i ve closer to the village of Qala.After walking a few metres alongthis ro a d , you will soon reach a fewco nve rted farmhouses which aremostly re nted out to upmarke ttourists who opt for a self-c at e r i n gholiday.

The Mediterranean thyme in flower

A traditional donkey-drawn cart12

The mysterious flower of the Friars Cowl

13Breathtaking views of Malta and Comino


H e re , the deep blue Mediterra n e a nSea can once again be seen. H e rea gain the rock surfa ce co n s i s t s ofu p p e r co ra l l i n e l i m e s to n e w i t hn u m e ro u s d e e p f i s s u re s a n dd e p ressions t h at re s u l t in deep soilp o c ke t s . The typical habitat h e re ist h at of a garigue with occ a s i o n a lcarob and olive trees.

Arriving once again at a Y- j u n ct i o n ,the uphill road is to be taken. Alongthis co a s t , one can find the re m a i n sof an old redoubt that was raised bythe Knights of St . John in 1732.

H e re to o, one can find a few oldcorbelled huts. Triq is-S i m a r, n ow inthe village of Qala, eve ntually fo r ks

i nto t wo. The road on the rightshould be t a ken to pro ceed alongthe route.

T h i s p a rt of t h e ro u t e offe r sb re at htaking views of Comino with

i t s B l u e L a go o n . D u r i n g t h eA ra gonese period, as well as t h at ofthe Order of St. J o h n , Comino wa soften at t a c ked by corsairs as it wa sco n s i d e red to be the best h i d i n gp l a ce for the Tu r ks . The Co m i n o

wat c htowe r, designed by Vi t to r i oCa s s a r, was built in 1618 underG randmaster Wi g n a co u rt and isp re s e nt l y b e i n g r e s to re d .N owa d ays, only one family re s i d e son the island. In the to u r i s t s e a s o n ,the number of people staying onComino is co n s i d e rably higher dueto the many Maltese and fo re i g n e r swho flock to this enchanting island,which also co ntains a to u r i s tcomplex.

P ro ceeding along Triq is-S i m a r, w i t hunobstructed views of Qala, you willa r r i ve at the outskirts of the villageand enter Triq il-Wi l e g, which aga i nb ranches off into t wo fo r ks . Ta k i n gthe left turning you will pro ceed toTriq il-Mithna where you can admirea re s to re d e i g ht e e nt h ce nt u rywindmill t h at was still being usedfor the grinding of grain and maizeuntil up to thirty years ago.

Triq il-Qala in its turn,leads to PjazzaRepubblika, a square that is quaintlyprotected by a raised statue of SaintJoseph, the patron saint of Qala. Triqil-Qala takes you back to Nadur.

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A pigeon loft

An 18th century windmill

A Girna (corbelled hut)

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The Field Marigold

Waves at Mistra Rocks

Statue of St. Joseph

As you walk back to Nadur, you could chance uponan elderly local farmer grazing his herd of sheepand goats.

Keep walking stra i g ht back up the road until yo ureach the niche of Our Lady of Ta Pinu once aga i nin Triq it-Tigrija. Retracing your steps you will walkback to the Nadur village centre.


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Facts about the route

The route is suitable for hikes, horse rides and pedal bikes. Most of the route is accessible to small vehicles. If travelling by bus to the route starting point, you should check the local

bus timetable to ensure that this fits your own schedule. The local we ather fo re c a s t should be checked befo re setting off as t h e re

is hardly any shelter from adverse weather conditions along the route. Araincoat can come in very handy in rainy conditions.

As most of the walk is over open co u nt rys i d e , i t is advisable to carry apacked lunch. It is possible to buy food at Nadur and Qala.

A dire ction sign at Nadur village square indicates the route starting point.This route is colour coded in re d . A number of smaller dire ction signs, m a d eof wood and numerically marked in ascending ord e r, a re found along t h eroute to show the right d i re ct i o n , in the absence of clear landmarks .

Public conveniences are available at Triq it-Tramuntana,Nadur. The walk may be bro ken down into smaller laps. O n ce Dahlet Q o r ro t i s

reached you may either walk back towa rds Nadur village square orproceed as per full route.

Some fields are marked with white blotches of paint and the letters RTOi n d i c ate t h at the area is out of bounds for the visitor since it is privately ow n e d .

B i rd t rapping and bird shooting are pra ctised in the co u nt rys i d e. T h e rea re , h owever strict re g u l ations determining areas where such act i v i t i e sa re permitted and times of year where no such activities are allowe d .Note also t h at b i rd shooting is prohibited from 1.00pm onwa rds onSundays and public holidays throughout the year.

The outskirts of Qala village

Tips for the road

Hikers are advised to follow the set route.S h o rt cuts are to be avoided since manyfields are privately owned.

Hikers should not climb over rubble wallsto avoid damaging them.

H i kers should avoid co l l e cting wildlifespecimen including flowers or plants.

H i kers are advised to t read care f u l l yalong the trails to avoid trampling on thesparse vegetation.

The t h rowing of any stones or othero b j e cts into va l l eys or other fre s hwat e rsites is strictly prohibited.

Walking or cycling close to the cliff edgesis to be avoided.

I t is advisable to fo l l ow this route in bro a dd ay l i g ht , giving due allowa n ces for t i m eallotted to inevitable sto p s, re s t i n g, t a k i n gof photo g raphs and observing nat u re.

Useful telephone numbersEmergency and rescue:112Ambulance: 196Police Station: 191Telephone Enquiries:1182Ministry for Gozo: 21 56 14 82website: http://www.gozo.gov.mtMalta Tourism Authority: 22 91 50 00website: http://www.visitmalta.comGozo Tourism Association: 21 56 51 71Nadur local council:21 55 80 80website: http://www.gozo.com/nadurQala local council:21 55 25 55website: http://www.qala.com.mt

Local farmers having a break

Other useful information

All rights re s e rve d . No part of t h i sp u b l i c ation may be re p ro d u ce d ,s o rted in a re t r i eval sys t e m , o rt ra n s m i t t e d , in any form or by anym e a n s, e l e ct ro n i c , m e c h a n i c a l ,p h o to co py i n g , re co rd i n g o ro t h e rw i s e , w i t h o u t t h e p r i o rwritten co n s e nt of the co py r i g hth o l d e r. D i re ct enquiries may befo rwa rded to the Ministry of Gozoor the Malta Tourism Authority.

Date of Publication:May 2002

Text Prepared by:Etienne Micallef, Marita Sultana.

Photos and Map by:Etienne Micallef

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Other walks in the series

Ramla Bay WalkPassing through: Nadur - Wied Bingemma

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Price Lm1.00

Gozo Countryside Walks is a partnership project of the:Ministry for Gozo, Ministry of Tourism,The Malta Tourism Authority and the Gozo Tourism AssociationThe project is being launched in 2002, the World TourismOrganisations International Year of Ecotourism.

Dahlet Qorrot WalkThrough this route, one will get a taste of the islands rich history, traditions, nature andfolklore. Discover the boathouses hewn in the rock at Dahlet Qorrot Bay, observeagricultural methods at Grejgel valley and enjoy the breathtaking views of the sisterislands of Comino and Malta.

dahlet qorrot walk

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