The tunnel arch
A narrow passage to the Mediterranean.
Apatzi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Cosmonaut — CC BY-SA 2.5 ca · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · TeWeBs — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Inland Sea is a lagoon of seawater on the west coast of Gozo, joined to the Mediterranean by a narrow opening beneath a natural rock arch. Called Il-Qawra in Maltese and also known as Dwejra, it is ringed by high cliffs that make it feel like a square enclosed in stone. It probably formed where a fault in the limestone created a sea cave whose roof later collapsed. It lies close to Fungus Rock and the site of the Azure Window, the 28 m natural arch that was one of the island's top attractions until it collapsed in a storm on 8 March 2017. Jacques Cousteau is reported to have ranked this among his top ten dives. On one side is a shelving stony beach with fishermen's huts and boats pulled up on it, and the lagoon floor is pebbly and fairly shallow. Going out through the tunnel, the bottom falls away in shelves to as much as 35 m. On calm days colourful fishing boats, called luzzijiet, pass through and take visitors to the nearby cliffs and Fungus Rock. The site lies about 4.5 km from Victoria and 3.5 km from Xlendi Bay in a straight line. Boat trips stop when the sea is rough, so check on arrival. The pebbles are hard on bare feet, so bring water shoes, and do not swim through the tunnel when boats are about. Stay off the eroding cliffs, as this area has seen collapses.
A narrow passage to the Mediterranean.
Colourful boats passing through the arch.
Stone surrounding the water on all sides.
Dwejra, San Lawrenz, Gozo, Malta
No, it collapsed in a storm on 8 March 2017. Its site lies close by.
Usually on calm days, and they stop when the sea is rough.