Why this ride
82 km from Victoria to Victoria, about 2 h 32 of riding. It goes by way of Ta' Hagrat, Ħaġar Qim and back through Ta' Hagrat.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Ġgantija Temples and Ħaġar Qim
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 82 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 32
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Ġgantija Temples
On the island of Gozo, the smaller sister of Malta, there stands a pair of temples that are older than the pyramids of Egypt and older than Stonehenge. The Ġgantija temples were built between about 3600 and 3200 BC, and the name comes from the Maltese word for giant, since islanders long believed that only a race of giants could have lifted such enormous stones. Local legend adds a giantess who carried the blocks on her head while nursing a baby, and who lived on a diet of broad beans. Some of the standing stones are over five metres tall, and the outer walls are made of massive pieces of coralline limestone, while the inner walls are finer-grained globigerina stone.
Read the complete Ġgantija Temples write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Ġgantija Temples is where the day begins. Next is Ta' Hagrat.
2. Ta' Hagrat
Ta' Hagrat stands on a low ridge near the village of Mgarr in the north of Malta, and it ranks among the oldest buildings anywhere. The temple was built in the Neolithic period, around 3600 to 3200 BC, centuries before Stonehenge and the pyramids, and its limestone walls and paved forecourt still show the shape of a small sanctuary. A short distance away lies the site of Skorba, another early settlement. Together they belong to the group of Megalithic Temples of Malta, which are among the oldest free-standing monuments on earth.
Read the complete Ta' Hagrat write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Ta' Hagrat comes up about 25 km into the recorded legs. Next is Ħaġar Qim.
3. Ħaġar Qim
Ħaġar Qim stands on a windswept ridge at the southern end of Malta, with the sea below and a small rocky island, Filfla, on the horizon. The temple was built around 3600 to 3200 BC, which makes it older than Stonehenge and the pyramids, and it is built of huge blocks of coralline limestone, some of them several metres high. The tallest single stone, in the facade, is about five metres, and the whole structure is laid out in a pattern of curving chambers, like a clover leaf. Inside are altars, carved holes and doorways that hint at ceremonies we can only guess at.
Read the complete Ħaġar Qim write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 41 km into the recorded legs you reach Ħaġar Qim. Next is back through Ta' Hagrat.
4. back through Ta' Hagrat
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Ta' Hagrat write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Ta' Hagrat, late in the day. Next is Ġgantija Temples.
5. Ġgantija Temples
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Ġgantija Temples write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Ġgantija Temples. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Ġgantija Temples to Ta' Hagrat
Ġgantija Temples → Ta' Hagrat is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Ta' Hagrat to Ħaġar Qim
Ta' Hagrat → Ħaġar Qim is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Ħaġar Qim to back through Ta' Hagrat
Ħaġar Qim → back through Ta' Hagrat is 15 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Ta' Hagrat to Ġgantija Temples
back through Ta' Hagrat → Ġgantija Temples is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.