In Gozo, a Maltese island full of breathtaking landscapes, there is a place that mesmerizes, attracts like a magnet and does not let you forget about it. The Cathedral Cave is extraordinary, and its beauty can be discovered endlessly. Immersed in a play of light and sounds, it attracts divers looking for experiences close to magic. Entering this underwater temple is like being transported to another, unreal world, where you feel like you are in the center of an endless fairy tale.

How to Get to the Cathedral Cave

The Cathedral Cave is located in the northern part of the island of Gozo, near the picturesque Marsalforn. The journey to the cave is an unforgettable experience in itself. It begins with a drive along ancient salt pans, where salt has been harvested for centuries.

As travelers continue, they pass through stunning landscapes of rocky cliffs, marked with historical remnants and structures carved by both nature and human hands. The road to the Cathedral Cave becomes increasingly rugged, with the final stretch leading over rocks, further highlighting the character of this place – raw, wild, and almost untouched by modernity.

First Steps – Entering the Water

Many say that simply entering the Cathedral Cave is an experience that stays in memory for a long time. After putting on diving gear, one must first cover several dozen meters over rocks. Before submerging into the sea depths, divers descend a few carved stone steps to reach a small cliff. Here, a sturdy 4-meter steel ladder awaits, leading down into the water. Although it’s not the most comfortable entry, the thought of the underwater sights makes up for all the effort and sparks excitement. For many divers, this experience sets the unique atmosphere of the Cathedral Cave.

Discovering the Underwater World of the Cathedral Cave

The Cathedral Cave is one of those places where, after the first dive, there’s always a desire to return. Often, divers choose two dive routes here in a single day. The first route includes a cavern located close to the water entry point. During this part of the dive, one can admire unique rock formations created by natural processes, such as the effects of water and time. It’s fascinating how small stones, waves, and tides can shape the space and create small wonders of nature.

The second dive is best done around noon, when the sun is high, and its rays perfectly illuminate the entrance to the Cathedral Cave. The beginning of this route is the same, but this time, we head to the other side of the bay. Along the way, there’s an opportunity to explore a smaller cave, about 10 meters long, which can hold up to three people at once. This unique spot is home to shrimp and other fascinating marine creatures that highlight the beauty of Gozo’s underwater ecosystem.

Interior of the Cathedral Cave – a Temple of Nature

The entrance to the Cathedral Cave is a large opening that allows easy access inside, where massive boulders can be either swum around or navigated between. At the end of this extraordinary space, where the water becomes shallow, mysterious hollowed wells can be seen. These are historical shafts once used to draw water, which was later utilized in salt extraction. In these wells, one feels like a witness to past eras. This part of the cave is also an ideal spot for the first safety stop.

Later we swim into the central part of the Cathedral Cave and emerge into an air-filled space with a diameter of about 50 meters and a height of up to 15 meters. In this large chamber, which really resembles a natural cathedral, there is a mysterious atmosphere of semi-darkness, and the echoes bouncing off the walls make one feel as if in a majestic temple. It is the echo of the human voice, which spreads throughout the cave, that gave it the name Cathedral Cave. The sound is reflected in such a way that singing, laughter or conversation create the impression of participating in something almost spiritual. In such an atmosphere, it is impossible to resist the temptation to hum a melody, even in your thoughts.

But the most beautiful spectacle in Cathedral Cave is played out by the light that enters through the underwater entrance, giving the water an intense blue color. It is this phenomenon that the cave owes its second name – the Blue Dome. It is enough to move your hand to feel that the images around you change like in a science-fiction movie. In autumn, when the light is softer, the incoming rays create even more surreal effects, and dark and light shades blend as in an impressionist painting.

Return from the Cathedral Cave – Farewell to the Underwater Cathedral

When it is time to return, we submerge and slowly swim out of the Cathedral Cave at a depth of about 6 meters. The return journey allows us to enjoy the view of the variety of fish that we always meet on our route, swimming calmly among the rocks. The sight of these colorful creatures closes the Cathedral Cave experience and reminds us that every dive in this water temple is an opportunity to understand the beauty of nature more deeply.

Finally, we make the second safety stop and emerge at the steel ladder we came down. Now we still have a way up. But that’s not a problem, because although it’s a challenge at times, everyone knows it was worth it.