September has been welcomed with open arms, bringing some much-needed relief from the high temperatures that gripped the island of Gozo at the end of August. While the month marks a change in season and generally brings the first spectacular thunderstorms of the new rainfall year, there is still plenty to look forward to if you’re visiting Gozo in the weeks ahead. October, in particular, can be something of a mixed bag: you are just as likely to experience a spell of rain as an early Indian summer, with daytime temperatures sometimes edging close to 30°C. It is therefore important to check the forecast and pack well, from light layers to an umbrella, so you can make the most of Gozo whatever the weather brings.
Extend The Swimming Season
Before you think twice about leaving your swimsuit behind, it’s good to know that the sea around Gozo remains pleasantly warm well into autumn, with an average surface temperature of around 24°C in October. Add more than 200 hours of sunshine throughout the month and you have the perfect conditions for enjoying truly invigorating swims while the rest of the island settles into a slower-paced autumn routine. October also offers divers some fantastic underwater conditions, including good visibility and comfortable sea temperatures together with less traffic to the island’s best dive sites.
Enjoy The Outdoors and Open-Air Events
With the heat of peak summer now beginning to ease, it is an ideal time to discover Gozo’s countryside, villages and coastal paths on foot. The first rains of the season bring welcome relief to the parched landscape after the intensity of summer, sprinkling the countryside with fresh patches of green and beginning to replenish the island’s valleys.
But the island’s outdoor appeal extends beyond hiking and nature walks. By 20th September, Gozo’s festa season has drawn to a close, with the island’s calendar shifting towards a varied line-up of open-air events, including the whimsical International Puppet Festival, the colourful International Kite Festival in Għarb and the Olive Oil and Honey Festival in Għasri, celebrating the freshness of local produce and tradition. Taking place in villages across the island, these events are an opportunity to meet locals, experience Gozitan community life and discover corners of the island you might otherwise overlook.
Taste Fresh Lampuki
The regulated lampuki, also known as dorado or dolphinfish, season is officially declared open in mid-August, with the fish appearing as the speciality of the day on many restaurant menus from September through October. If you are feeling adventurous and would like to have a go at cooking lampuki, do keep an ear out for hawkers who still drive through villages to announce their catch with cries of “Hawn tal-lampuki” (the lampuki man is here) for the freshest fish. Lampuki are wonderfully versatile: they can be fried or grilled and accompanied by a rich tomato sauce, their bones can be used to make aljotta (a traditional fish soup), and they also make a delicious pie filling when combined with olives, capers and fragrant Mediterranean herbs.
But it’s not just the lampuki’s culinary versatility that makes them a favourite with locals. The centuries-old technique used to catch them, which involves weaving palm leaves into rafts that draw the fish to the shade, is a prized skill passed down through generations of fishing families, keeping an important tradition alive. Watching fishermen return to shore in Mgarr or Marsalforn with their catch packed into crates is an experience in itself, offering the chance to buy freshly caught fish straight from the source.
Dress Up For Opera Night(s)
October has become synonymous with opera in Gozo. A month-long programme of recitals, concerts and performances culminates in two full-scale productions at the island’s Astra and Aurora opera houses in Victoria. This year, audiences can look forward to Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata and Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, which will bring together homegrown talent with international stars. As part of this year’s Opera is Gozo programme, people are also invited to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Astra Theatre, as well as discover some of the most intricate sets designed for the theatre’s operatic productions by scenography team throughout the years.
