It came as quite a surprise to me what a great little island Gozo is. Mainly, because to my shame, I didn’t realise it was an island – I thought it was a place IN Malta not near it – before I went there and discovered otherwise. Geography has never been a strong point.

In fact it’s the second largest of the three inhabited islands in the Maltese archipelago. At 67 square kilometres, it’s about a third of the size of Malta, more rural and less developed than its big sister, with a relaxed feel. But a positively buzzing metropolis compared to tiny Comino (2.7square km, population two).

Unsurprisingly, it’s a popular destination for day trips from the larger island, thanks to an excellent ferry service which is both regular – about every 45-minutes – and reasonable 4.65 euros for a round-trip, taking about 25-minutes each way.

But it’s worth a stay in its own right.

Especially if you enjoy diving, history, good food . . . oh, just about anything, including good weather.

Located in the centre of the Mediterranean, the Maltese islands are 62 miles south of Sicily and you can expect to enjoy sunshine even in winter. Temperature averages from 15C (November to April) rising to 33C (May to October). The sea is relatively warm by May and stays pleasant for swimming until October/November.

It was certainly lovely when I visited in mid-October as a guest on a press visit aimed at showing off the island’s culture and “wellness” which included spa treatments and a trip to the opera.

That offered another surprise or two. Firstly, that with a total population of around 30,000 for the whole island, the main town of Victoria (or Rabat as it is also known) boasts two opera houses within a couple of hundred metres of each other.

Secondly, as a rather reluctant opera-goer, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience at the Aurora Opera House, which doubles up on the ground floor as a snooker/sports club. Everyone dressed to the nines and many seemed to treat it as a chance to socialise rather than being seriously interested in the music. They fanned themselves furiously – it really was baking hot – and chatted to friends. The woman behind me complained bitterly that it wasn’t in English (which most Gozitans speak perfectly) before talking throughout the performance of Verdi’s Falstaff.

But I had a lovely time people-watching and evesdropping and as for the music itself, an opera buff in our party deemed it a great success. It was probably a bit wasted on me but I did particularly like the bit where the male lead’s wig got tangled up with his cloak and fell off in the final act.

Away from the theatre we enjoyed excellent food and drink and while people may have been picking blackberries and sloes back in Oxfordshire, we could find pomegranates, capers and prickly pears growing wild.

As well as our spa treatments (see panel) we managed to do a whistlestop tour of most of the island too. It all became a bit of a lovely blur of historic chapels (there are 46 on the island) and towns and villages (17 including the capital), not to mention the stunning scenery.

We were well looked after by guide Maria Buckle but if you’re finding your own way about, all roads lead to Victoria and it’s simply not big enough to get too lost.

For those who don’t fancy driving, the public transport is said to be very good and there are also hop-on, hop-off sightseeing buses (15 euros adult, nine euros child) which you can use to visit the main attractions.

It may have taken me a long time to find Gozo . . . but I’m glad I got there in the end.

WHERE TO EAT, VISIT AND ENJOY

* We stayed at the five star Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz (kempinski-gozo.com). The hotel, in 30,000 square metres of grounds, boasted two outdoor pools and two indoor, along with a gym, spa and hamman. Traditional local elements, such as wood and honey-coloured limestone, are used in the generously-sized guest rooms. Take a look on the website for winter special offers.

* We ate at the Boat House Restaurant in Xlendi Bay where you could feed the fishes (in a good way, with bread rolls!) while dining at tables right on the water’s edge.

Ta’Rikkardu wine bar in the old Citadel in Victoria. Sat on the roof, we enjoyed great views with our vegetable soup, ravioli and salad platters, made with fresh ingredients from the owner Ricardo’s, farm and washed down with his home-grown wines.

Porto Vecchio Restaurant on the seafront at the yacht marina in Mgarr, was another place to eat excellent Mediterranean cuisine, right by the sea.

* We visited Victoria, known by locals as Rabat, Gozo’s capital, which includes a fortress town known as the Citadel, and is the site of the island’s Baroque Cathedral and numerous museums. Victoria’s citadel served as a sanctuary from attack for years and is one of the best places for sweeping views of Gozo. Il-Hagar Heart of Gozo Museum and Culture Centre covers three floors with numerous historical and religious exhibits and features a towering sculpture runs through all the three storeys representing the successive communities on the island.

Dwejra boasts one of the island’s most beautiful coastlines and celebrated landmarks including the Fungus Rock – a 60m monolith – and the Azure Window, an impressive natural arch standing 20m high. The Inland Sea is a secluded bathing pool with crystal clear waters and surrounded by sheer cliffs. A small tunnel connects it to the open sea. The area is perfect for snorkelling and diving, and the cliffs have walking paths offering breathtaking panoramic views.

The Ggantija Temples are the oldest freestanding structure in the world predating the Pyramids of Egypt by 1,000 years. The UNESCO World Heritage temple site offers a glimpse of a very complex and organised civilisation that lived on the islands 3,600 years ago.

Foodies would love Ta’ Mena Estate (tamena-gozo.com) and its enthusiatic owner Joseph Spiteri. The estate, situated in the picturesque Marsalforn Valley between Victoria and Marsalforn Bay, includes a fruit garden, an olive grove with about 1,500 trees, an orange grove, and over ten hectares of vineyards. You can go there to stay, buy produce, take a look around or have a cookery lesson. Take a look at the website for all the options.

* We were indulged at the Kempinski’s award winning Spa and Ayurveda Centre. I had a hammam treatment which was both relaxing and left my skin silky smooth.

A facial at Ta’ Cenc Hotel, built on Gozo’s highest point, was great but just as good was swimming in the spa’s indoor/outdoor pool and strolling round the grounds with their views across to Malta and Comino.

For more information including how to get there go to visitmalta.com