This was published 6 years ago
Azure Window: Malta non-existent tourist attraction receives one-star TripAdvisor reviews
By Hugh Morris
Disappointed holidaymakers are leaving one-star reviews of Malta's Azure Window on TripAdvisor after being taken to the coastal site by tour guides only to discover that the famous rock formation has long been lost to the sea.
The arch on the west coast of Gozo, Malta's neighbouring isle, also known as Tieqa tad-Dwejra, collapsed into the Mediterranean in March after heavy storms, sparking widespread grief on the island. Malta's prime minister Joseph Muscat said its loss was "heartbreaking".
But its disappearance has not put off sightseeing buses from stopping at the site near Dwejra Bay on Gozo, an island in the Maltese archipelago, prompting dozens of negative reviews of a limestone arch that no longer exists.
What the world famous Azure Window in Gozo island, Malta looked like before it collapsed.Credit: iStock
"Went to where it was but there are few other attractions other than the sea. Nature wins," wrote one visitor on the travel review website TripAdvisor, giving the Azure Window, made famous in part by its role in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, a rating of one out of five. Another was equally unimpressed: "What a waste of time… There was a small church/chapel which was probably the worst on the island. Don't waste your time going here."
One reviewer said that despite the loss of the attraction "the touristy bits remain", before giving the attraction one star, a rating which TripAdvisor translates as "terrible".
A visitor from Australia added: "The only reason coaches still go there is basically there is a souvenir industry set up there. Don't waste your time."
Gone: Where the Azure Window had been. Credit: AP
Others put a more positive spin on their trip, however. "You need to use your imagination," wrote one reviewer from the UK, while another extolled the virtues of the surrounding area: "The Azure Window may have fallen earlier this year but the location is gorgeous and well worth a visit."
The reviews have all been left on the website, despite TripAdvisor warning that the Azure Window "has fallen into the sea. Please keep this in mind when visiting the area".
At the time of the collapse the Maltese tourist board said that there was much to the island than the Azure Window, including "the Ggantija Temples, the oldest in the world, its stunning medieval Citadel, an amazing coastline, which includes one of the world's most beautiful beaches, and its superb gastronomic culture".
An April 2014 image of the Azure Window.Credit: AP
A member of staff at the Azure Window Bar and Restaurant at Dwejra, which boasted views of the arch (and has not yet changed its name), said that there was still reason to visit the area. "There's plenty of other stuff down here," she said, giving her identity only as Milian. "There are boat rides, Dwejra Tower, diving in the Blue Hole."
One beneficiary of the Azure Window's collapse is Gozo's "other" arch, the Wied il-Mielah Window, which TripAdvisor reviewers say is "as impressive". However, its review count sits only at 12, next to the original window's 2805.
The Telegraph, London
See also: Don't go there: Five destinations you shouldn't bother visiting
See also: The world's best cities with the worst reputations
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