GOZO is Malta’s tiny sister island in the southern Mediterranean. 90 km south of Sicily and 300 km from the Tunisian desert, it is the last outpost of Europe before Africa. Little-known, and often ignored by tourists, Gozo is a curious mixture of the enticingly exotic and the reassuringly familiar: palm trees, Arabic-style honey-coloured stone houses, lemon groves and the ubiquitous prickly pear all contrasting wonderfully with the red GPO ‘phone boxes and little Dixon of Dock Green police stations!

This is Calypso’s Isle of Ogygia from Homer’s Odyssey, where the beautiful nymph held Odysseus a prisoner of love for seven years (you can visit her cave overlooking Ramla Bay, from where this photograph was taken).  It is a place where legend blends with history. There are Neolithic cave dwellings, the oldest man-made temple in the world - pre-dating the Giza Pyramids by over 1,000 years - and an amazing array of monumental Baroque, neo-Gothic and neo- Romanesque churches and basilicas.

Gozo offers something for everyone (except lager-louts and committed nightclubbers), with beautiful sandy and rocky beaches, clear blue water (loved by scuba divers) and a remarkable history that has left behind fascinating sites, including the ancient citadel and prehistoric temples.

For foodies, there is a wide selection of excellent restaurants, offering both local cuisine and strong influences from Italy and elsewhere. Of course, fresh fish is plentiful, as is excellent local wine. Each village in turn holds its own ‘festa’ during summer weekends, with fireworks and traditional horse-racing up the main street.

Gozo is known for its beautiful countryside, which makes it ideal for walkers and cyclists - although possibly not in July and August because of the high temperatures.

And of course the island is perfect for families and children who enjoy its reliable sunshine, warm seas, golden sand and the ever-present smiles of its friendly people