Discover the watchtowers that once guarded Gozo’s coastline, raised the alarm when danger approached and watched the surrounding Mediterranean from their isolated positions.
Gozo’s coastline is marked by a remarkable group of historic watchtowers built during the time of the Knights of St John. Their purpose was practical: to watch the surrounding sea, detect approaching vessels and communicate warnings when the island was threatened.
Four of the historic coastal watchtowers still survive at Dwejra, Xlendi, Mġarr ix-Xini and Ta’ Isopu. Together they form an important part of Gozo’s military and maritime heritage.
Completed in 1652, Dwejra Tower guarded the exposed western coast and the approaches around Fungus Rock. It later served as an observation post during the two World Wars and has since been restored.
Explore Dwejra Tower →Built in 1650, Xlendi Tower stands above Xlendi Bay and was designed to guard the bay and watch the approaches along Gozo’s south-western coast.
Explore Xlendi Tower →Completed in 1661, this tower stands at the mouth of the secluded Mġarr ix-Xini inlet. It helped watch the Gozo-Comino channel and served as an early warning post.
Explore Mġarr ix-Xini Tower →Also known as Sopu or San Blas Tower, this watchtower was built in 1667 between San Blas and Daħlet Qorrot. In 1798 its guns were fired at the approaching French fleet.
Explore Ta’ Isopu Tower →The towers were part of a wider system of coastal surveillance. Their elevated positions allowed watchmen to observe the sea and communicate warnings to other defensive positions. The towers were particularly important at a time when corsair raids and maritime attacks were a serious threat to island communities.
The towers also had practical roles against smuggling and attempts to evade quarantine. At Dwejra, for example, the tower was used for coastal observation well beyond its original period of construction.
Dwejra Tower was completed in 1652 during the rule of Grand Master Giovanni Paolo Lascaris. It was built to strengthen the previously exposed Dwejra coastline and was equipped by the Order with artillery and ammunition.
The tower later continued to have an observation role. During the First and Second World Wars it was again used as a coastal observation post. Today the restored tower forms part of the historic landscape of Dwejra.
Xlendi Tower was built in 1650 during the reign of Grand Master Lascaris. Its position above Xlendi Bay gave it a commanding view of the bay and the approaches along the south-western coast.
The tower was originally armed and manned, with its position making it an important part of Gozo’s coastal defence. It remained a prominent guardian of Xlendi until the nineteenth century.
Mġarr ix-Xini Tower was completed in 1661 at the mouth of the fjord-like inlet. It was built at the expense of the Università of Gozo and formed part of the defensive system watching the channel between Gozo and Comino.
The tower was equipped with artillery and was manned by a castellan and bombardier. Its elevated position gave the defenders an important view over the inlet and surrounding waters.
Ta’ Isopu Tower, also called Sopu Tower or San Blas Tower, was built in 1667 by the Università of Gozo during the rule of Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner. It stands between San Blas Bay and Daħlet Qorrot and was the last of Gozo’s historic coastal watchtowers to be constructed.
The tower has a particularly interesting later history. In 1798 its guns were fired at the approaching French fleet, making it the only known Gozo watchtower to have taken such action. It was restored in the early twenty-first century.
The four surviving towers were not the only coastal towers to defend Gozo. Earlier structures included Garzes Tower at Mġarr Harbour and the tower at Marsalforn. These were later lost, but their existence forms part of the wider story of Gozo’s coastal defence.
Garzes Tower was constructed at Mġarr in 1605, while a later tower at Marsalforn was built in the eighteenth century. Their loss means that the surviving towers are especially important reminders of this earlier defensive network.
The towers are interesting not only for their architecture but also for their locations. Dwejra, Xlendi, Mġarr ix-Xini and Ta’ Isopu each occupy a different part of Gozo’s coastline and provide a strong connection between the island’s military history and its landscape.
Opening arrangements vary by site. Where a tower is open to visitors, check current access arrangements before travelling. Some locations also involve uneven paths, steps or exposed coastal ground.
Four of the main historic coastal watchtowers survive: Dwejra Tower, Xlendi Tower, Mġarr ix-Xini Tower and Ta’ Isopu Tower.
They were used to watch the sea, detect approaching vessels, raise alarms and help protect the island against threats such as corsair raids. They also had roles in combating smuggling and quarantine evasion.
Xlendi Tower, completed in 1650, is generally regarded as the oldest surviving free-standing coastal watchtower in Gozo. Dwejra Tower followed in 1652.
Ta’ Isopu Tower fired its guns at the approaching French fleet in 1798. It is noted as the only known Gozo watchtower to have taken such action.
Some towers are open to visitors on selected days or have managed access. Check the current arrangements for the individual tower before visiting.
Continue exploring Gozo's history, landscapes and places of interest.