Where in Gozo

[PeaCakes]

Also after research I have seen that a car isn't something you need in Gozo, so I will assume public Transport is sufficient.

Regards

I have to agree with Bryan regarding a car. Getting to a bus stop,
waiting in the heat or rain, and walking at the other end, perhaps
carrying shopping and water! Not ideal.
A car gives us flexibility and a much easier life, to be able to go anywhere whenever we wish.
Having said that many people I'm sure live quite happily without one.

[BryanONeil]

Also - something that you'll notice right away when you come over is that the vast majority of the people taking the bus are either a) tourists; or b) young people who look like they've only just moved to Malta.

You see very few locals taking the bus - which immediately implies that there's a reason behind that.

[gozomark]

You see very few locals taking the bus - which immediately implies that there's a reason behind that.

not true in Sannat - its nearly all locals on the buses

[BryanONeil]

You see very few locals taking the bus - which immediately implies that there's a reason behind that.

not true in Sannat - its nearly all locals on the buses

I see

In fairness, I've only taken the bus between Marsalforn and Victoria, Marsalforn and the ferry, Victoria and the ferry and a few random routes in Malta, so might not have the full picture.

[gozomark]

I think it also depends on the time of day - many locals uses the buses to go to work

[achim]

Yes, I think it's mostly the case because Bryan lives in a tourist resort.

Public transport is somewhat underused by locals in Gozo though. Primarily this is due to a historically terrible public transport system run by owner operated buses. Also explain the strong car culture on Gozo - unusual for such a small island.

[gozomark]

Pre Arriva, some parts of Gozo were reasonably well served by the buses, but other places like Sannat have gone from 2-3 buses as day to maybe 15. Also, now the buses run late into the night, whereas before stopped around 7pm from memory.

[gozomark]

I think another reason cars are so popular is the lack of pavements, making walking in many places quite hazardous eg the Sannat to Victoria road

[achim]

I think another reason cars are so popular is the lack of pavements, making walking in many places quite hazardous eg the Sannat to Victoria road

so: walking is hazardous because of the cars and people drive cars because walking is hazardous....

but you're right - I wouldn't want to walk that road either, full of boyracers

[gozomark]

I think another reason cars are so popular is the lack of pavements, making walking in many places quite hazardous eg the Sannat to Victoria road

so: walking is hazardous because of the cars and people drive cars because walking is hazardous....

but you're right - I wouldn't want to walk that road either, full of boyracers

its also locals normally walk in the direction of traffic, not so they face traffic as taught in the UK, which means at night you are driving towards peoples backs not their faces !

[bnet]

I've spent eight months in Gozo now (leaving in 2 weeks, might come back sometime in Autumn though!) so I'm by no means an "expert" on living here... but still.

Where to live:

1. Marsalforn: the town looks kind of boring. Very busy between (just a guess here) May and late October. There's a nice little bay to go for a swim between Marsalforn and the salt pans. Go early or it gets busy.

2. Xlendi: I love the cliffs around Xlendi. Found myself a nice empty hotel gym (during off season) haha! It's really small and touristy, so I wouldn't recommend renting there. One thing though - Xlendi is a great starting point for hikers. You can either climb up the giant cliff on the right side of the bay and hike all the way to Azore Window (superb views, no traffic/people!) or walk over to Xlendi tower and walk towards Sannat (there's a nice clifftop path all the way to Sannat). The Xlendi-Sannat walk is much easier.

3. Sannat: for some reason I just don't feel "cozy" there. It's nicer than Xlendi or Xewkija (for living), but...

4. Munxar: same as Sannat.

5. Victoria (Rabat): I like the central areas - park, cafes - and the fact that it's very easy to catch a bus to any other town on the island. I live on the outskirts of Victoria - beautiful view, 3 min walk to a large grocery store, 8-10 min walk to the center. Not sure I'd like living in the more central parts of the town though - street here are very narrow and it can often be loud during the busier months.

6. San Lawrenz: booring, no character. Meh.

7. Qala: a bit out of the way - nice little town though. Not well enough connected for me... and not much going on tbh.

8. Xewkija: looks a little run down and boring. Only been there maybe 4-5 times.

9. Ghajnsielem: small, somewhat far from Victoria/bus connections. Great place if you need to hop over to Malta often. Some nice apartments there and nice coastal walks as well.

10. Xaghra: I like the town - it's a decent size, a good mix of residential and "things to do". Good location as well. I'd probably choose a nice place on the outskirts of Victoria though.

11. Nadur: a nice big town. Somewhat similar to Xaghra, but located slightly further out.

The best thing to do is contact a couple lettings agents before you get here and set up appointments. Then spend 2-3 days being driven around the islands looking at different apartments.

In general though there are A LOT of empty apartments here. You can almost always negotiate the price down, especially for long term lets. My advice:

1. Look out for "half built" apartments blocks or nearby construction sites. These can be an absolute nightmare. The agents (almost) always lie about this, so have a good look around every apartment you visit.

2. Go for South/South East facing places ONLY. November through March can be very cold and damp here. You're going to need that daily dose of sunshine. Badly.

3. Make sure that there's at least a fan in the living room and either a fan or aircon in the bedroom. Having an aircon in the bedroom is really important...

4. A lot of the apartments here are ridiculously badly built. Crosswinds in winter even with all doors/windows shut. Damp (limestone) and mold (you have to ventilate the rooms well to avoid this. south facing also helps).

So... go for a small apartment. We're in a small 3-bedroom (ahem..) right now and I'm so happy that we didn't go for one of those huge apartments with 2-3 beds, a massive living room and a HUGE coridoor that goes on forever with super high ceilings... a place like that would be impossible to heat.

A lot of "apartments" here feel more like giant caves~warehouses. Find somewhere nice and cozy. We viewed 14+ properties and only 2 were nice, cozy and livable.

5. Buses - we take buses everywhere. It never takes me more than 15 mins to get anywhere. Waiting is also not an issue at all. I enjoy walking (we walk a lot - Xlendi to Victoria is a "nice short walk" after the gym for us...) and it's usually very easy to take a bus to anywhere you need to go and then walk for 1-15 mins to get there (say if you're going to a more secluded beach or something).

6. Most fruit vendors and other local sellers are going to rip you off big time (at first). If they don't start charging you "normal" prices after a while - shop somewhere else.

........ anyway. If any of you want to know more about Gozo - ask. It's a nice little place. Lots of pros and a lot of cons to living here...

[PeaCakes]

Well done bnet, a good post indeed.
Of course not all will agree! But fair comment.