The rocky beach was featured in the film ‘By the Sea’, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
Despite its isolated location, nestled in a gorge to the west of the Mgarr Harbour, Mgarr ix-Xini has become one of Gozo’s most sought-after beaches among locals and tourists alike. The beach’s popularity spiked particularly after the film ‘By the Sea’, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, was filmed there in 2014.
However, Mgarr ix-Xini has a long history that well precedes its role as a film set. Given that it is quite a secluded bay, it was selected as an occasional refuge for the galleys of the Knights of St. John and in 1551, was used by invading Turkish forces to load captive Gozitans onto their ships during the island's most devastating raid.
This led to the construction of a watchtower by the Knights in 1661, which still stands today, offering beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. It is now managed by volunteers from Wirt Ghawdex and is open to the public on Sunday afternoons, as indicated by a yellow flag that is raised on days the tower is open.
Have you ever visited the watchtower at Mgarr ix-Xini?