Cathedral Cave - Gozo

Cathedral Cave, just off Xwejni Bay, is a Gozo favourite, and we can see why. It’s a proper cavern, not a full cave, so you get all the drama of overhead environments without the squeeze. The main chamber is huge, opening up into a massive dome where the light plays beautifully through the entrance. Look up, and you’ll often spot salema schooling near the surface, their scales flashing. Deeper inside, it gets darker, but your torch will pick out ornate wrasse and dusky groupers tucked into crevices. We’ve even seen a slipper lobster or two if you look closely enough. It’s a relatively shallow dive, making it great for newer divers wanting to try a cavern, but there’s enough to explore to keep experienced divers happy too.

Location: Gozo, Malta, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates: 36.081085, 14.230078
Type: cave

Marine Protected Area: Żona fil-Baħar fl-inħawi tad-Dwerja (Għawdex)

Best Time to Dive in Gozo

The warmest water temperatures in Gozo occur in August, averaging 27.7°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 15.3°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

January: 16.4°C
February: 15.3°C
March: 15.3°C
April: 16.1°C
May: 18.5°C
June: 22.6°C
July: 26.3°C
August: 27.7°C
September: 27.1°C
October: 24.5°C
November: 22.0°C
December: 18.9°C

Nearest Dive Centres to Cathedral Cave

Marine Life in Gozo

Home to 24 recorded species including 12 reef fish, 3 hard corals, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays, 1 other.

Notable Species

Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense) - Reef Fish
Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) - Reef Fish
loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish
Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
Moonfish (Mola mola) - Reef Fish
mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) - Jellyfish
killer alga (Caulerpa taxifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals

Recommended Packing List for Cathedral Cave

Based on average water temperature of 20.9°C, currents 9 cm/s.

Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 21°C water
Mask - essential for every dive
Fins
BCD - buoyancy compensator
Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories