Ta’ Kenuna Tower, Gozo

As you probably know Gozo is Malta’s sister island. A smaller, greener and more relaxed version of the main island. When visiting the Maltese archipelago, Gozo is definitely a must. Your visit wouldn’t be complete without spending at least a day or two on this beautiful island. Are you planning a trip to Gozo and thinking of what to do here? Well, I’ve got a tip for you.

When I’m travelling, being it just a quick visit to Gozo or going abroad, I like to be organised, do my research and plan my itinerary as much as I can, as I don’t like any unpleasant surprises, and don’t want to miss any main attractions only because I didn’t look them up.

Which is good, but then sometimes you come across great places just by chance! This happened to me the other day, when I was exploring Gozo and suddenly I saw this pretty modern-looking structure on top of a hill. I had no idea what it was, but I had time to spare so I decided to do a little detour and check this place out.

When I arrived, the very first thing I noticed was the gorgeous view of Comino and Malta. I spotted number of benches where you could just sit down and and enjoy the moment for a while. And where am I? Well, I found myself on hill known as ‘Ta’ Kenuna’.

The name ‘Kenuna’ originates from a semantic word meaning ‘a place where fires are lit’. This hill is 130 metres above sea level and is well visible from Malta and Comino. During the occupation of the Maltese Islands by the Order of St. John, and probably even before, fires were lit to serve as a warning each time an enemy fleet was sighted on the horizon.

This tower was built on the hill of ‘Ta Kenuna’ in 1848 when Richard d More O’Ferrall was governor of the Maltese Islands. When the telegraph service was introduced in Malta, this and two other similar towers built on Malta, were used as telegraph stations.

Ta’ Kenuna Tower is surrounded by a lovely park with pathways, a little pond and wooden bridge right over it. Great relaxing feature. As it’s situated on a hill, wherever you look, you get some great views of the surrounding areas and plenty of benches to choose from.

Ta’ Kenuna Tower was restored in 2005 and is now being used as a telecommunications tower. Apparently, you can ask permission from the tower’s watchman to go up to the covered roof for a panoramic view of Gozo, Comino and Malta, but when I visited no one was around, so cannot really say if this is true or not. Can anyone confirm?

The Ta’ Kenuna Tower is situated in the Gozitan village of Nadur with a population of about 4000. I’m sure when you hear the name ‘Nadur’ you will remember straight away what is this village famous for. Well, couple of things actually. This is the village where thousands of people come for the annual Carnival celebrations, either the traditional one or the spontaneous, rumbustious version of it. Nadur is also famous for its traditional Ftira Ghawdxija – a Gozitan style of pizza with potatoes, which you can buy in the Maxokk and Mekren bakery, right here in Nadur.

So here is a little suggestion for your next trip to Gozo. Get your Gozitan ftira from one of nearby bakeries and bring it here (as they are super hot when you get them) and enjoy them while enjoying these stunning views. Bon appetit! 🙂