Ċirkewwa is a harbour situated on a point at the northernmost part of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It is the site of the Ċirkewwa Ferry Terminal, where regular car ferries operate to the port of

Mġarr Mġarr ( mt, L-Imġarr), formerly known as ''Mgiarro'', is a village in the Northern Region of Malta. Mġarr is a typical rural village situated in an isolated region, west of Mosta. It is surrounded with rich farmland and vineyards. Many of it ...

in Gozo. In the summer, boat trips to

Comino Comino ( mt, Kemmuna) is a small island of the Maltese archipelago between the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring in area. Named after the cumin seed, the island has a permanent population of only two residents and ...

also operate, as well as organised diving excursions. As Ċirkewwa is a point on the northernmost end of the island, and not a town, there is no infrastructure besides the terminal. Visitors travelling to Gozo can reach Ċirkewwa by car by following road signs to Gozo, and by bus from

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

Sliema Sliema ( mt, Tas-Sliema ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely po ...

Buġibba Buġibba (English pronunciation: ) is a zone within St. Paul's Bay in the Northern Region, Malta. It is situated adjacent to Qawra, and it is a popular tourist resort, containing numerous hotels, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and a casino. History D ...

and St. Paul's Bay. Near the harbour there is a hotel and a sandy beach, Paradise Bay.

Diving in Ċirkewwa

Ċirkewwa is one of the most visited

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...

sites on the Maltese Islands. It has underwater cliffs, caves, tunnels and an arch down to the seabed at 27m. Ċirkewwa also includes the wrecks of the tugboat MV ''Rozi'' and the

P29 patrol boat ''Boltenhagen'' (GS09) was a Kondor I-class minesweeper built in East Germany. After the Volksmarine was disbanded just before the reunification of Germany, she was sold to Malta in 1997 and renamed ''P29'' and was used as a patrol boat. After ...

, which were intentionally sunk in 1992 and 2007 respectively. Out towards Marfa Point is a statue of the Madonna which was placed in a natural cavern by the Amphibians Diving Club. From the middle of 2010 divers have been cooperating to designate Ċirkewwa as a Voluntary Marine Reserve. The site now has the support of the diving community which is working to gain the support of the fishing, angling and boating communities to implement a code of conduct to preserve and protect the site.

References

External links

Gozo Channel Company Limited

Malta Amphibians Dive club

Cirkewwa Voluntary Marine Reserve
Coordinates: Geography of Malta Underwater diving sites in Malta Mellieħa Ports and harbours of Malta {{Malta-geo-stub