It has been 54 days since the sudden collapse of the Azure Window. But while some mourn the landmark that once was, others hope that Dwejra remains a favourite with visitors.

Boat trip service providers are calling on the authorities and travel agents to promote Dwejra’s unique features in the same way as they used to market the Azure Window.

Paul Caruana, one such boatman, told this newspaper that nearly two months since the collapse of the window, people were still frequenting the area. However, he is unsure if interest in the area will last long.

“We’ve heard some say that there is nothing left to see in the area, and this is what worries us,” the 45-year-old says, as he guides the boat out of a tunnel and into the open sea.

The vivid colours of the sea and the rocks in the tunnel linking Il-Qawra to the open waters. Photo: Marlon GeorgeThe vivid colours of the sea and the rocks in the tunnel linking Il-Qawra to the open waters. Photo: Marlon George

Behind him, to the right, there is a window carved out of the cliff-face that is known by the locals as Ta’ Tejtu.

Others have already started referring to this arch as ‘Dwejra’s second window’. 

To the left of the tunnel, a light patch of sea marks the area where the majestic Azure Window once stood.

“We all knew that it was going to fall, but not so soon,” Mr Caruana, who has been rowing boats for 25 years, said.

In between the new and the collapsed windows, there is a series of grottos whose walls are lined with coral which Mr Caruana refers to as qroll tad-dell (star coral).

We all knew that it was going to fall, but not so soon

The water in these caves is of a distinctive azure hue, resulting from the rays of sunlight that bounce off the underwater rocks.

On the other side of these cliffs is a pool of inland sea, known as Il-Qawra, which rests at the lowest part of Gozo. A narrow 60 metre-long tunnel in the cliffs connects it to the open seas. Mr Caruana noted that just how the Azure Window used to be mentioned in every Gozo advert, the authorities and travel agents should now focus on other features, such as this tunnel and joining inland sea, the Fungus Rock and the cliff formations.

The pair of cart ruts found at the bay climb all the way up from behind the St Anne chapel to the cliffs north of the inland sea. The purpose of these ruts, which lead out towards the sea, remains unclear. Photo: Daniel CiliaThe pair of cart ruts found at the bay climb all the way up from behind the St Anne chapel to the cliffs north of the inland sea. The purpose of these ruts, which lead out towards the sea, remains unclear. Photo: Daniel Cilia

‘Dwejra is not just about the Azure Window’

Dwejra Bay needs better management such as not allowing off-roading on the rocks, according to San Lawrenz mayor Noel Formosa.

“It’s no use crying over the Azure Window. We need to move on and take the necessary measures to protect the rest of the area before it becomes too late,” he told this newspaper from his office in San Lawrenz.

To start off, there should be better traffic management.

“We cannot continue to allow off-roading on the rocks, and we need better management of parking in the area,” he said.

The local council, he noted, has been in touch with the Dwejra steering committee about its concerns.

Access to the bay by several buses and private vehicles often leads to chaos, the mayor said, adding that an existing area, situated along the road leading down to the bay, could be turned into a parking area.

 “The local council has the will to manage the area, but it doesn’t have the tools… the council lacks the finances. The government should invest more in better management of the area.

“The management committee is doing a good job, but I think decisions should be taken as soon as possible,” he said.

Mr Formosa told this newspaper that Dwejra was not just about the Azure Window: “Dwejra is like a treasure with several gems. We lost one of them, but we have several others.”

Apart from the Fungus Rock, the inland sea, the underwater and overground geology, and the cart ruts leading off the cliffs, the area also hosts il-Qattara – one of the only two natural freshwater ponds in Gozo.

Dwejra is home to several indigenous species of flora and fauna, including the Maltese Everlasting, the Maltese Sea Chamomile and the Maltese Cliff Oracle. The mayor said that as expected, the collapse of the window remained fresh in people’s minds, and some were still mourning it.

News of the window’s demise made international headlines, and kicked off several debates about its origins.

Its age has been put into question, with some believing it runs into the thousands of years, and others thinking it is only a couple of hundred years old.

Photographer Daniel Cilia had told Times of Malta that the window could be around 140 years old. He spoke of several land and seascape paintings, drawings and etchings and a journal entry indicating that the window probably formed between 1866 and 1879.

But Mr Formosa believes that the window dates back hundreds of years and it had been omitted from such references as there was no touristic interest in the area yet.

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