San Blas Bay
San Blas Bay is a steeply sloping bay with a small sandy beach in the northeast of the island of Gozo in the Maltese archipelago. The sandy beach is approx. 100 m wide and can be reached from the village of Nadur .
Importance for tourism
Due to the secluded location and the fact that the bay cannot be reached directly by car, the bay's level of awareness is relatively low. Thus, San Blas Bay is an insignificant sandy beach for tourism. Nevertheless, the small beach can be described as one of the most beautiful in Malta and Gozo.
Agriculture
San Blas Bay is used extensively for agriculture. In the upper slopes of the bay there are terraced gardens and fields where mainly tropical fruits such as lemons and oranges are grown. The gardens and fields are protected against the wind by special high fences and thus the threat of soil erosion.
environment
San Blas Bay used to be an important breeding site for aquatic turtles. For many years, however, no turtles have come to lay their eggs in the bay. The Malta Environment and Planning Authority is now considering designating the area from Ghan Barranji to San Blas Bay as a protected area. As part of the Poseidon project , San Blas Bay is to be declared a marine protected area.
vegetation
On the steep slopes above the bay you can find Mediterranean-typical plants such as the tamarisk ( Tamarix africana and Tamarix gallica ), figs ( Ficus carica ), prickly pear cacti ( opuntia ) and capers ( Capparis spinosa ).
history
During the French conquest of Malta in June 1798, General Reynier's troops landed in San Blas Bay on June 10, 1798. The Johanniter and the Maltese auxiliaries did not offer any resistance. Thus, most of the island was occupied by French troops on June 10th. Napoleon Bonaparte conquered the Maltese Islands on his way to Egypt . A total of 15,000 French soldiers were landed in Gozo.
Surroundings
Coming from Nadur , there is a typical Maltese hut on the way to San Blas Bay, a so-called Girna . These huts serve as protection for shepherds and as a storage place. A little further away is the Ta 'Sopu Tower . It was built under Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner and was part of the Maltese fortifications that were built under the Hospitallers.
literature
- Hans Christian Weber, Bernd Kendzior: Flora of the Maltese Islands , Markgraf Publisher, 2006
- Klaus Bötig: Marco Polo Travel Guide Malta - Gozo , Mairdumont, 2012, ISBN 978-3-8297-2539-2
Web links
- http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110818/environment/G-ajn-Barrani-lo-Xag-ra-.380678
- http://www.mepa.org.mt/barrani
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/11/17/shore-beauty-the-worlds-10-most-amazing-beaches/
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from June 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Hans Christian Weber, Bernd Kendzior: Flora of the Maltese Islands , Markgraf Publisher, 2006
Coordinates: 36 ° 3 ′ 25 ″ N , 14 ° 18 ′ 9 ″ E