Natural Arch, Wied il-Miela, Gozo, Malta
Posted by: 
arby101ca
N 36° 04.769 E 014° 12.788
33S E 429152 N 3993050
Azure Window (WMCRC)at Dwerja Bay is a famous natural arch but it is not the only natural arch on Gozo. Around the corner on the north shore there is a very similar natural arch. This is located at a rocky inlet, a cleft in the cliffs, Wied il-Miela.
Waymark Code: WM8FVZ
Location: Malta
Date Posted: 03/27/2010
Views: 31
The Wied il-Miela is a cleft in the limestone cliffs of the wild north shore of Gozo. At the mouth of the inlet, wave action has formed a natural arch, very similar in size and structure to the Azure Window. We came across the feature while hiking from Dwerja around the coast to Malsalforn. This is a great hike, like many on Gozo, a walk on the wild side.
The first clue to the arch is the concrete steps leading down the cleft towards the mouth of an inlet. When we came around on the top of the cliff we saw where the concrete steps were leading, to a viewpoint for the natural arch. The view we had from the top of the cliff was just as spectacular. The only difficulty was getting a good picture. My camera was barely wide angle enough to get it all in. Stepping back didn’t help due the rim of the cliff.
We hiked to this point but it is accessible by road with just a short walk to see the “attraction”. Our reference is “Walking in Malta: 33 routes on Malta, Gozo and Comino” a Cicerone Guide by Paddy Dillon. This was published in 2004 and is now out of print but available on the internet, ABE books, Amazon etc. This guide was invaluable for our three week visit to Malta and Gozo.
Photo of the Arch by itself?: yes
Type of Arch: Coastline
Type of Material:
On Malta and Gozo there are two significant strata of limestone, typically called hardstone and softstone. the erodable softstone is overlain by the hardstone so spectacular cliffs are formed around the coastline. Sometimes only the hardstone is exposed to the waves. Even there caves, tunnels and windows can be formed by wave action eroding even the hardstone and leaving a hardstone cap. This is what has created all these features. It is interesting to see familiar sea shells, sand dollars and urchins embeded in the rock. The cycle of erosion and deposition continues. Here it is all displayed in a spectacular manner.
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Visit Instructions:
You must post a picture of you with a GPSr or Geocaching/Waymarking attire/equipment and the subject arch in the background.