Calypso's
Cave
Portuguese / French / Spanish / German / Italian
This cave, known worldwide as Calypso's Cave, is situated close to Xaghra.
Tradition has it that Gozo is the island of Ogygia, described in Homer's famous poem "The Odysseus", on which the beautiful nymph Calypso kept Odysseus as a 'prisoner of love' for seven lony years. Calypso promised immortality to Odysseus if he would stay with her, but Odysseus rejected her and escaped to his faithful wife Penelope. Although the cave's interior and exterior are not too impressive, there is nevertheless a feeling of excitement for any visitor to stand on one of the most famous historic spots in the world. In addition one has a magnificent view of the sea and the sandy beach of "Ramla l-Hamra", which is the Gozo's finest bathing beach.
From the
cave the careful watcher glimpse the remains of an underwater
fortification built by the Knights in the mid-18th century.
It was built to stop the invading boats on a line in the range of
two huge fugasses. These fugasses were nothing other than
stones. However they were carefully constructed in a way
that their deadly load, in case of ignition would fall on boats
which approached the underwater wall.