Gozo a-go-go for Isabella, Jake and Dad

A small-group adventure holiday on the island off Malta worked perfectly for single father Ben Westwood and his children

Holidays are a fraught experience for any parent, but when you have only one pair of eyes, it’s far trickier. I became a single father when my wife Carolina died in June 2013. On our first holiday as a family of three, I played it safe and took Jake and Isabella, then eight and six, on an all-inclusive trip to Mallorca. We hardly left the hotel complex; its pool and unlimited food and drink made life easy for me. However, by the end of the week, Jake was bored. My challenge the following year was to find something more adventurous. I settled on a small group family activity holiday, which promised climbing, snorkelling, kayaking and diving – all new experiences for my children. The tour operator, Activities Abroad, bills the trip as a week with a fixed schedule, where parents get time to relax and let the guides take responsibility – no need to stress about booking excursions or getting lost in a hire car.

And yet, I was feeling the pressure almost immediately: a 6am flight from Gatwick meant a 3am start. A two-anda-half-hour flight, taxi ride across Malta and ferry to Gozo brought us to the Hotel Cornucopia by 1pm. Gozo – which is farther south than Tunis – gets hot in the summer: it was over 35 degrees, so I was relieved to find an air-conditioned room; the children headed straight for the pool.

The view from our bungalow in Xaghra, in the centre of the island, was spectacular, taking in the citadel and a hilltop statue of Christ, erected a century ago by locals grateful for the island’s lack of active volcano. Amid this beauty, Jake observed: “Gozo sounds like an island of mystery.”

His assessment was fair: this small island north of Malta, which takes its name from the Castilian word for “joy”, is joyfully off the mass tourist track. While it is popular with daytrippers, of the 1.6million visitors to Malta every year, fewer than 150,000 stay on Gozo. Still, while it’s relatively Sea kayaking was one of the many activities enjoyed by Ben Westwood and his children on Gozo, above; Ben’s son Jake, below left, rises to the challenge of climbing unknown to British tourists, there’s plenty that is familiar. Malta and Gozo have kept close links with the UK since independence in 1964; people drive on the left, use three-pin plugs and the Gozitan capital is called Victoria.

The island is only eight miles long, but amid its green agricultural folds and craggy limestone rocks, it packs an adventurous punch. Gozo has perfect terrain for climbing, abseiling and hiking, and ideal marine visibility for snorkelling and diving. And with a small rural population and refreshing lack of development, there are many unspoilt corners. No time is wasted travelling, either, because nowhere is more than a half-hour drive away.

There were nine of us in our group, with children outnumbering parents two to one. The tour operator had suggested this particular departure because of the compatible ages of the children: our group included fellow single parent Rachel, her two sons (ages 13 and 10) and seven-year-old daughter; and Anne, with her 13-yearold grandson. The children paired off immediately; it worked a treat.

The first day was relaxed after the previous dawn patrol. Billed as a lazy boat day, we explored the tiny island of Comino, between Gozo and Malta, and my children had their first experience of snorkelling.

The next day our guide Cornil, a transplanted Frenchman, took us on a land-based eco tour, during which we visited the impressive salt pans and a goat farm – I tried milking a goat and it sprayed all over my legs. Cue general hilarity. The farmer, Rikardu, also showed us how he makes cheese, which we ate for lunch in delicious ravioli at his restaurant. It was a glimpse of a way of life in decline: Rikardu said that young islanders don’t have the discipline for the long hours that farming demands. My young islanders didn’t, either, so we took the kids to cool off in the pool. They were getting on famously by now, and I took turns with Rachel to watch them – my sneaky siesta was a luxury I had not expected.

The next day we went sea kayaking in Hondoq Bay. Jake enjoyed directing from the front, but the children tired quickly; thankfully it was a short trip to the next bay, where we did more snorkelling and swimming. Back at the port, the boys discovered a different adventure: jumping 10 feet from a jetty into the bay.

After a free day spent lazing at the pool, it was time to experience Gozo’s

The Westwoods travelled as guests of Visit Malta (visitmalta. com) and Activities Abroad (activitiesabroad. com), which offers a sevennight Malta – Gozo Island Explorer family tour from £1,295 per adult/ £1,195 per child. This includes hotel or bungalow accommodation, a boat trip, eco day, sea kayaking, climbing, abseiling, visit to Ramla Bay Beach and Mini B diving; plus breakfasts/ four lunches/four dinners; return flights from London, transfers, all equipment and tuition from instructors and guides. Eight departures in July and August 2016. famous scuba diving. There was a minimum age of eight, so while Isabella stuck with snorkelling, Jake descended two metres and said it was the highlight of his holiday. He enjoyed seeing more fish and observed that, by breathing underwater, he felt more like a fish himself. This was also a chance for me to enjoy an activity myself, completely free of parental responsibility: while Jake went diving with one guide, and the girls stayed snorkelling with another, I enjoyed diving six metres down to the seabed with the other adults.

Climbing was the final challenge of the week. Jake was a natural: he climbed four different routes up the nine-metre cliff. Isabella was more tentative, but scaled two-thirds of the cliff face before being helped down; not half bad for a child of seven.

Gozo, Island of Mystery, was a great choice for a family activity holiday away from the Mediterranean crowds. As a single parent, the guided itinerary was crucial – there is no way I would have attempted to organise it all independently.

Best of all, the joy of exploring new things together meant the children formed strong friendships; the pestering to visit their new friends in Cornwall has not yet abated, so that could be this summer sorted.