For most of us, travel is about escape - an escape from the pressures of day to day existence in the rat race, and the chance to have a peek into a life far removed from our own. Often, the more pressure you feel at home and at work, the more you'll want your holiday to be about dialling down, and taking it easy. Gozo's predominantly rural landscape is perfect for this.

The island is dotted with tiny villages where time seems to have stood still, and many locals still live a very traditional lifestyle revolving around their farm work. The islanders know the tourism value of the rural appeal, and so work hard not only to protect it, but to cater for visitors' needs as best they can.

Typical rural holidays in Gozo include a stay at a converted farmhouse. Often, this type of accommodation will be anywhere from 100 to 400 years old, with bare stone walls, wooden beams and other authentic architectural elements. Being converted, most of these farmhouses will also include creature comforts, such as a fully equipped kitchen, air conditioning, and the obligatory swimming pool.

What sets this type of a holiday apart most is the pace of life. You'll soon find yourself waking up to the sound of the neighbour's rooster crowing, or the gentle hum of a tractor rolling through the fields. Your breakfast will often include fresh eggs and artisanal cheeselets, together with Gozo's famous wood-oven baked bread, and the rest of the day will be spent either exploring the surrounding countryside, or lounging by the pool, depending on the weather.

But if there's one thing that will stand out on a rural farmhouse holiday like this, it will be the friendly welcome you'll receive from the locals themselves. For most Gozitans, the chance to stop and chat with a tourist is a welcome break from the daily routine, and you'll find that the people that inhabit this island are amongst the most generous you'll come across.

The Island of Gozo can boast of a largely authentic natural, richly structured cultural landscape. Today, contact with the land is still important for most Gozitans with many tending tiny gardens and allotments or small farms close to villages and towns where they grow vegetables and fruit, or to keep goats, chickens and bees. Visitors to the island can now stay in luxuriously restored farm houses in small villages or in the countryside itself to gain a real experience of the Gozitan rural lifestyle, or actually engage in hands-on agro tourism by visiting a working farm and small estate in the centre of the island. Here traditional foods, from fruit and cereals to goats' cheese and wine are still harvested and processed in a traditional way.

Ta Mena Estate

Ta Mena Estate is the first agro-tourism complex in the Maltese Islands. This estate offers an experience with a difference where our guests will be in touch with nature and tradition, enjoying typical foods, wines and liqueurs with a touch of the Mediterranean sunshine.

Tel: +356 21564939/ +356 21555699, Mob: +356 99493842/ +356 79555699

Massar Winery

A family-owned boutique winery offering a tour around its private estate and winery. The owners themselves take care of the visitors and a 90-minute tour can showcase the passion of the work in the owner's vineyard and offer the experience of a true taste of Gozo's finest wines. Mouthwatering Gozitan finger foods are also offered and visitors can enjoy the all round spectacular and unspoiled landscape of the medieval village of Gharb. Don't miss this experience next time you visit Gozo . Booking is required.

Mob: +356 99288730/ +356 99863529