Discover San Blas Bay and Ta’ Sopu Tower
by Dr Mario Saliba
Gozo
still offers opportunities to enjoy a beautiful, unspoilt natural
environment, away from everyday routine, tensions and pressures. The aim of
this article is to help discover parts of Nadur which are not that familiar
to foreigners and locals alike. Two such spots are Ta’ Sopu Tower and San
Blas Bay.
Ta’ Sopu Tower started being built in 1667 but most of the work was carried out in 1669 and 1670 during the reign of Grand Master Nicholas Cotoner (1663 – 1680).
This tower is perched 120 metres above sea
level, and cannot be reached from the sea because of a labyrinth of rocks
and the high cliffs. Although set on a high level above the sea, it cannot
be seen from any place in Nadur except San Blas Bay and Dahlet
Qorrot Bay. This is because the cliffs on which the tower is built
continue to rise to form a higher ridge called il-Qortin or Mistra
Rocks. On the rocky land one can find a diversity of flora that needs to be
protected from man’s destruction. One comes across pennyroyal, Mediterranean
thyme, cape sorrel, rosemary, borage, squirting cucumber, Maltese savory,
various types of thistle, daffodils, and fennel. Many natural holes in the
rocks catch the rain water and thus attract migratory birds, which
unfortunately fall victim to the numerous nets set up near this tower by
bird trappers.
On the façade of the tower facing the land there are four escutcheons which are affixed to the wall above the entrance and drawbridge. These coats of arms have been excellently restored. The two most important of the four on Sopu Tower are that of the Grand Master Nicholas Cotoner and the other of the Governor of Gozo, Ludovic Xedler y Gomez.
After 1st April 1873, no more soldiers were stationed for guard duties in the tower. Since then, it has been abandoned. Although during World War Two the tower was not utilized for defense, some bombs were still dropped in its vicinity. Fortunately none hit the tower.
Ta’ Sopu
Tower can be reached from SS Peter Paul Square by proceeding to Triq
Dicembru Tlettax. When you reach the band club go down Triq Cimcem, which is
a short street at the end of which you encounter a niche with a statue of
Our Lady of Safe Haven with the inscription ‘Porto Salvo’ underneath. Here
you come into Triq San Gwann. Walk down till you find a more ornate niche
with a painting of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu. You will find a bifurcation, one
leading to Triq it-Tigrija and another to a short street, called Triq
il-Kavallier Guze Camilleri.
Take this street and walk down the sidewalk, which leads you to Triq San
Blas. Walk down this street to its very end, where you come to a small
charming grove and a playing field. Here one finds a masterfully
constructed ‘girna’ with its intricate style of masonry. From this
vantage point one will long remember the exquisite view of the valley with
its terraced orchards.
From here you can walk down to San Blas Bay, which has been voted one of the world’s ten best secret beaches by the Sunday Times of London. This 90 metre red-sand paradise is devoid of bars and cafés, and nearly always free of people because it is not so easy to get here.
Once you’ve got your breath back after the steep track from the beach, retrace your steps and walk to the playing field and grove. Continue your walk towards the Military Station and a number of glass houses; follow a path, to your right, to a hard stone quarry, which is now being rehabilitated.
If
you follow the man made path on the plateau down towards the sea, you will
come to a gentle drop, where you will instantly see a strikingly preserved
tower in front of you, perched on the high, rocky cliffs' edge.
Until a couple of years ago the tower had been in total abandonment, the elements of nature having left their mark. But, in spite of the fact that 332 years have passed, the tower is still standing. Today, thanks to the collaboration of the NGO, Din L-Art Helwa, together with the Nadur Local Council, the proper repairs and restorations were carried out and the tower has been restored to its former glory, and thus saved from total destruction forever.
For more detailed reading about this and other walks, see ‘Guide to Country Walks in Nadur’ by Mario Saliba & Serge Natoli (Photos Serge Natoli); published by the Nadur Local Council.
The author can be contacted on mariodsaliba@hotmail.com