Gozo fully booked ahead of Santa Marija

Gozo is bracing itself for its annual invasion of domestic tourists as the Maltese cross the channel in droves for the Santa Marija weekend – all hotels are already fully booked, over a week in advance.

Apartments, farmhouses and hostels are also choc-a-bloc, as thousands of Maltese are expected to stick to tradition and cross the channel at the weekend.

Last-minute bookers browsing Booking.com may feel as though they have encountered an expensive stroke of luck, with the website claiming that two twin rooms at the three-star Il-Plajja hotel are available for the weekend at a sharp €1,620.

However, a receptionist at the Marsalforn hotel confirmed with MaltaToday that their rooms too are fully booked for Gozo’s busiest weekend.

“It’s a glitch on the website’s part, but we might have to see what we can do if you offer €1,620 for two nights,” he joked.

Over 90,000 people and 20,000 vehicles took to the Gozo ferry between August 13 and August 17 last year – the feast day, a public holiday, marks the Ascension of Our Lady and is celebrated in seven parishes, six in Malta and Victoria in Gozo. The six in Malta are Attard, Mosta, Mqabba, Qrendi, Ghaxaq and Gudja.