Look towards the mouth of Xlendi Bay and the tower gives the coastline a different meaning. What makes a sheltered inlet inviting today also made it a place that needed watching centuries ago.
Built to guard a landing place
The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage’s national inventory dates Xlendi Tower to 1650, during the rule of Grand Master Lascaris. It records a two-storey building with thick, sloping walls and an entrance originally reached using steps and a lifting wooden drawbridge. Its role was to prevent pirates and people evading quarantine from using the bay.
The inventory identifies it as Gozo’s oldest surviving coastal watchtower. That distinction concerns the towers still standing: it does not mean Xlendi was the island’s first coastal defence.
Read the building from the shore
Before heading towards the tower, take a moment to look out from the waterfront. The relationship between the narrow inlet and the open sea helps explain why a lookout belonged here. On approaching the building, notice the solid walls and the raised entrance rather than treating it only as a backdrop for a photograph.
The tower’s preservation is also part of its story. The national inventory records a restoration partnership between Din l-Art Ħelwa and Munxar Local Council. Consult the council for current visitor access before planning an interior visit; this story does not promise opening hours. Wear shoes suitable for uneven ground, keep back from cliff edges and turn back if conditions make the approach uncomfortable. The view of the tower across the bay is itself a rewarding way to understand its position.