Island of Gozo Vacation Rental farmhouse: Xaghra

This villa met and then exceeded our expectations. It's a delightful property, tastefully furnished with lots of comfortable seating and a well equipped kitchen. There are loads of books and DVDs to keep you entertained as well as the TV. The pool area is fantastic, getting sun for a large part of the day, but with shade near the house for those who want to escape the heat. Much fun can be had lizard spotting!
The house is accessed by a narrow alley which means your car has to be parked in the adjoining street, but this doesn't pose any problem. The village is delightful, with several good restaurants and mini-markets.
The wonderful church can be seen from the main bedroom window and presents quite a stunning view and the Ggantija temple ruins are just a few minutes walk away. It's also very close to the best beach on Gozo and only a short drive to Victoria if you feel the need for shops and action!
We had a wonderful time and plan to return next year.

On our first visit to Gozo we stayed with Sue, but we brought our daughter on our next visit which would have been a bit of a squeeze, so Sue recommended 'Sharon's place'.

We had been supplied with maps and instructions, which we did not need as Sue was with us, but were accurate and comprehensive. Streets are well marked in Gozo, as long as you know where to look!

The property is centrally situated in Gozo, which is more convenient if you intend to explore.

We arrived in the rain, but that did not reduce the initial wow factor.
The property is traditionally built in the local stone and is spacious with high ceilings. We felt as if we were entering a castle!
The property was clean and that includes the swimming pool.
The pool is well lit and is not overlooked.
There is a wonderful view of the local church from the balcony in the main bedroom.
There was everything we needed ( in the past we have had to buy things like proper kitchen knives).
One bedroom is on the ground floor, which might suit someone with a disability.

A minor problem was dealt with, to our satisfaction, first thing the following day.

Our visit, which was cobbled together at short notice, was far too short to give our daughter more than a brief appreciation of Gozo and we could only show her some of the island in the week we had. Yes, I know you could drive around the island x times in a day, but if you are that sort of person, please holiday elsewhere!

There are some beaches, if you have young children. Out of season when we visited they were deserted, but I understand they are busy in mid-summer.

In the interests of total honesty, I have to admit that there was one negative incident. We were unfortunate enough to encounter a group of bird trappers while walking along the cliffs at Ta' Cenc. The authorities are clamping down on this activity, so they did not want us to see what they were up to. Even paradise has its snakes!

We would certainly recommend this property to our friends, as indeed it was recommended to us.

You don't have to try too hard to fall into the Gozoan way of life. As I write this (freezing temperatures, and a streaming cold) I am mentally transported back to a far more pleasant land.

Gozo is a beautiful island and our stay at Villa Poppy was perfect. Tucked away in a quiet side alley but close enough to the main square to walk in a few minutes, the villa is memorable for its character, while being beautifully furnished and equipped. The substantial walls keep it cool in the height of summer, helped by ceiling fans. The roof terrace at the back and balcony at the front made the bedrooms airy, and the view over the village church from the back of the villa was especially pretty at night when it was lit up. The pool - an essential for us - was well looked after and provided a great place to cool down and have fun.
Locally, Xaghra retains a real feeling of history and community, with local people being friendly and welcoming. Shopping is good with fresh local produce in the market place and a good and reasonably priced store nearby, while a good supermarket is ten minutes' drive in Victoria. The church festival when we stayed brought lots of events to see, and spectacular fireworks. Several small harbours nearby offer boat trips and hire boats from kayaks and pedalos to speedboats, and we recommend the water taxi for visiting Comino to swim in the beautiful warm clear water - earlier in the day is best as this becomes crowded later. Local fishing boats are colourful - there are unmissable photos to be taken. We found many visitors to Gozo come for the day, but a longer stay enables travellers to appreciate the full atmosphere of the island.
Nightlife focuses on restaurants and families, with plenty of choice for eating out.
We would especially add that we felt completely safe whilst on Gozo, crime seems to be extremely low and people were polite and helpful, but also welcoming in a genuine way. It is easy to forget that the 21st century has arrived, the way of life seems to be much the same as for generations.