Xlendi was our first stop after disembarking from our catamaran, boarding a bus and setting off to Gozo.
A small tourist resort located in the Southwest of Gozo in the Maltese Islands. Once a small fishing village, this bay, flanked by high cliffs attracts considerable crowds throughout the whole year. A 17th century tower rises on top of the high cliffs, adding to charm of the place. The town is surrounded by greenery that provides an opportunity for great walks. The pristine greenery hosts various flora and fauna, some of which are rare, such as seagulls, the Maltese Freshwater Crab and the national plant 'Widnet il-Bahar'.
The town probably gets its name from the word "xelandion" which was a kind of Byzantine boat that possibly used this port. Xlendi is surrounded by the villages of Munxar, Fontana and Kerċem, and just recently, Xlendi got its own mini-administrative council that is responsible for the main activities in the area.
The main church is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose feast is celebrated in the second half of August. As happens in all feasts in Malta, the event brings together band clubs, decorated streets and fireworks, under the religious devotion to Our Lady who watches the place and protects it. Particular to this feast is the traditional ‘ġostra’, where competitors fight for a trophy attached to a greasy pole which is set up as a plank at the water’s edge.
Although Xlendi is particularly known for its beach, in the area tombs dating to the Punic-Byzantine times were found, a few at St. Simon Point and others in the valley. Romans used the sheltering port of Xlendi since the cliffs protect the bay from high winds. There is a reef in the bay that caused many shipwrecks, leaving a number of Roman amphora on the seabed.
The topography of the area is panoramic, with rather high cliffs separated by a valley that carries rainwater from the surrounding villages into the bay. The valley is one of the few where the Maltese Freshwater Crab lives. Previously, Xlendi bay was a sandy beach, however, with natural processes and human interference, the bay is now pebbly. This does not reduce its popularity though; swimming, sunbathing and diving is prevalent.
The tower overlooking the port was built by Grandmaster Lascaris in 1650, with the intention of repelling pirate attacks. This tower was important also during British times since it is the only defence structure in the area. Din l-Art Helwa are now the guardians of this tower, and restoration work is imminent.
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