The Maltese islands lie in the center of the Mediterranean, 93km south of Sicily and 300km north of Libya. The archipelago is made up of the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, plus the tiny uninhabited islets of Cominotto in the north and Filfla, about 5km off the southern coast. Together the islands make up a mere 316sq km. Malta, the largest, is only 27km at its longest point from northwest to southeast, and 14.5km at its widest point, from west to east.
Lying just 6 km off the coast of northern Malta, Gozo is often assumed to be a smaller version of its sister island. In some ways it is: the neat fields sheltered by stone walls, the flat-roofed houses and the dazzling blue waters surrounding the island are all reminiscent of Malta. At the same time it is noticeably more peaceful and rural, the pace of life is slower, the land is greener, the streets are cleaner and the coast is quieter. Looking over the wide valley and sweeping sands of Ir-Ramla (Ramla Bay), it is easy to see why the Gozitans (among other contenders) have always claimed theirs as the fabled Island of Calypso where the sea-nymph held the Greek hero, Odysseus, captive for seven years.