Ħondoq ir-Rummien

Why practise here

Visit Gozo says the bay's east-facing position makes it one of Gozo's best sunrise spots, and from map data the open sea lines up best around the equinoxes. The official walk sheet says locals can swim here when the prevailing north-westerly blows. A local guide reports high crowding from July to September, and the rock headland is small, so this is an off-season spot and space well back from the edge needs checking first.

Getting there

Start: Bus 303 stop Kunċizzjoni, Il-Qala, down to the bay.

The walk: about 15 minutes.

Surface: Road descent, reported steep, then an earth footway on map data.

Transport: Bus 303 to Kunċizzjoni. Map data shows a free car park near the bay.

Directions

What to watch for

• Cliff and low rocky edge close by: the coastline is about 18 metres from this point on map data.
• Clay paths can be muddy after rain.
• Keep off the shoreline in very strong winds or wild seas.
• Do not use the nearby sea caves for shade. Transport Malta warns that rockfall can happen near overhangs.
• Visit Gozo lists cliff jumping and jet skiing here.
• The rough coastal path from L-Imġarr is narrow and eroding in stretches.
• Hunting may take place here in season: usually 1 September to 31 January on land, plus any spring season declared for the year.
• Rabbit shooting can add gun use from June to December.
• In the autumn season, hunting hours start two hours before sunrise. They end two hours after sunset from Monday to Saturday (7pm from 15 September to 7 October), and at 1pm on Sundays and public holidays.
• GOV.UK says hunting areas are rarely marked and may overlap with public walkways.

Hunting may be legal around here in season, so mid-morning can be a better choice than dawn from September to January. More on staying safe.

Rules

• Keep to the paths, leave no litter, light no fires, and keep away from the cliff edge.
• Set any mat well back from the cliff edge.
• ERA's 2022 rules name this part of the Gozo coast among places outside protected sites where organised events need notification. Those rules appear to be superseded but are still online, so contact ERA ([email protected]) before running a class.

Map data shows no land Natura 2000 site at this point. The nearby sea is in a Natura 2000 site.

Sunrise and sunset through the year

Calculated for this location, in Malta time. Cliffs and hills can hide the sun for a little longer.

What we haven't confirmed

• We haven't confirmed flat ground for a mat here, or enough space back from the edge.
• We haven't confirmed who owns this point or whether it is scheduled.
• We found no fees, and no source on shade on the headland.
• We don't know how busy it is outside summer.
• We haven't confirmed the boat schedule to Comino, so boat noise is possible in season.
• We haven't confirmed phone signal here.

Sources

• OpenStreetMap map data
• Visit Gozo: Ħondoq Bay
• Visit Gozo: Ħondoq ir-Rummien Walk sheet
• Yippee Malta: Ħondoq ir-Rummien
• EEA Natura 2000 map service
• ERA: general rules for activities, 2022 version
• BirdLife Malta: hunting seasons
• S.L. 549.42, hunting seasons, hours and distance rules
• S.L. 549.90, wild rabbit season
• GOV.UK: Malta travel advice, safety and security
• Transport Malta: Local Notice to Mariners 205 of 2026