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Q1-2022 Itinerary

2020 and 2021 have been have been unlike no others. Covid-19 has taught us to adapt and move on. It has also taught us to focus on who and what is most important.

While respecting health directives, XirCammini continued with its local walks, providing an avenue for people to meet socially and to exercise in the outdoors. In 2021 it also resumed its overseas trekking activities, walking the 850 km Camino Portugues, followed by Matera e Sassi and the Cammino di San Giacomo in Sicila. In between we also enjoyed the Gozo weekend, the Comino perimeter and the Victoria Lines. All in all 2021 has been a busy year.

We are pleased to roll out the Jan – Mar 2022 calendar of local and overseas treks. Local treks (other than whole weekend events or ones requiring transport or logistics planning) do not require booking. They are only open for XirCammini registered and paid-up members and all are asked to respect prevailing Covid-19 rules so as not to jeopardise the health of others.

Thanks Marie Louise Muscat Azzopardi for working on this itinerary of walks and for offering to leads some, Thanks John Darmanin for offering to lead the Wednesday Walks and thanks Don Pace for offering to lead the Saturday Walks. Thanks also for those who stepped up to lead some of the overseas treks. This is our association and our collective involvement makes it richer, giving us all more value.

Regarding the overseas trekking activities, there are still a few places on the Sila trek (February) and Camino Ingles (April). Please write to us on information@XirCammini.org if you are interested in joining us.

DateCodeMeeting TimeNameLevel(*)Meeting Place
Saturday, 15th JanP11014:00Siggiewi / Tal Providenza Chapel / across valley towards Salib tal Gholja / across the ridge to Gebel Ciantar and the Brone Age Grain Silos / down to Fawwara / back to SiggiewiMod about 3 hrsSiggiewi Parish Church
Wednesday, 19th JanP11119:00Birzebbugia /  Dar ta’ Pultu trail / Ta’ Kaccatura water reserovoir/ on towards football ground in Ghaxaq /Triq Telleritu / and back to starting point.Easy about 2 hrsSt George’s Bay, Birzebbugia (small parking place where boats are kept on land)
Saturday, 22nd JanP11214:00Bahrija / Bingemma/ Dwejra / Wied il-Qleghja /BahrijaMod about 3 hrs fast walkingBahrija swings
Sunday, 23rd JanP11309:00Naxxar (at roundabout at the top of T’Alla u Ommu) / Sta. Katerina Chapel / down towards Ghallis tower/ back part of the trail and then turning towards Salini Hotel / crossing coast road to Salina salt pans and Salina Nature Reserve / towards Bird Park / back towards Naxxar.Mod. 3 to 4 hrsNaxxar  at roundabout a the top of T’Alla u Ommu)
Wed, 26th JanP11419:00Qrendi /Hagar Qim / towards Triq il-Wied / return to QrendiEasy about 2 hrsQrendi Parish church
Saturday 29th JanP11514:00L-Ahrax tal-Mellieha loopMod about 4 hrsGhadira parking place, near the public toilets
Wednesday 2nd FebP11619:00Telgha t’Alla u Ommu, Naxxar…Wied Anglu…Wied Faham…Wied id-DiesMod to hard 3 hrsRoundabout at top of it-Telgha t’Alla u Ommu, Naxxar
Saturday, 5th FebP11714:00Mgarr / Fomm ir-Rih / Round headland towards Gnejna / up to il-Lippija Tower / towards Golden Bay but before reaching Golden Bay taking path back to Mgarr.Mod about 3 hrsMgarr Parish Church
9th – 13th FebP118n/aSila (Calabria) Ghiaccio e Neve3n/a
Wednesday 16 FebP11919:00Rabat loop with a starting warm-up in the Mdina moatMod about 2 to 3 hrsDomus Romana, Rabat, just outside Mdina
Saturday, 19th FebP12014:00Manikata Church Carpark / Pwales /Pilgrim Trail / Mizieb Valley / Majjistral / ManikataMod about 3 hrsManikata Car Park
Sunday, 20th FebP12109:00Gnien l-Gharusa tal-Mosta / Dwejra / Chadwick lakes / MostaMod about 3 hrsGnien l-Gharusa tal-Mosta, Mosta
Wednesday 23rd FebP12219:00Siggiewi loopMod about 2 hrsLimestone Heritage on the Siggiewi By-Pass
Saturday, 26th FebP12314:00Roman Villa / Mdina Ditch / Stazzjoni / Mtarfa / Wied l-Qlejja / Qolla l-Bajda / Dwejra Lines / Binhemma Lines / Wied l-Qlejja / Nigret / Rabat.Mod about 3 hrsRoman Villa
Sunday, 27th FebP12409:00Marsaskala / Xrobb l-Ghagin / il=Hofriet / St Peter’s Pool / Tas-Silg /  St Thomas Bay / MarsaskalaMod about 3 hrsMarsaskala Parish Church
Wed, 2nd MarchP12519:00Rabat /Wied l-Isqof / Girgenti / Wied Hesri / Zebbug / RabatMod /hardDomus Romana, outside Mdina
Saturday, 5th MarchP12614:00Bidnija loop / Dwejra /Bingemma Fort / Vivtoria Lines / is-Santi / past British Brewery(Strickland Hse)Mod about 4 hrsIn front of San Anton / San Andrea School at l’Imselliet
Wed, 9th MarchP12719:00West Victoria LinesMod about 2 hrsil- Kuncizzjoni Chapel, limits of Bahrija
Saturday, 12th MarchP12808:30 – 16:00Universal Peace Walk 1543AD2Cathedral Square, Mdina
Wednesday, 16th MarP12919:00Bahrija / Bingemma/ Dwejra / Wied il-Qleghja /BahrijaMod about 3 hrs fast walkingBahrija swings
28th March – 4th AprilP130n/aCamino Ingles3n/a
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XirCammini Christmas Drinks 2021 – UPDATE 20th Nov 2021

Looking back we have a lot to be thankful for and looking ahead we have a lot to look forward to.

On 1st December we will be meeting for early Christmas Drinks before some of us leave for Matera & Sassi and others for the Cammino di San Giacomo in Sicilia.

We will be meeting at Kazin tal-Banda Santa Katerina, Zurrieq, at 07:30 p.m. for drinks and nibbles. Everyone pays for their own drinks at the bar.

We have removed the registration form because expression of interests exceeded capacity. We look forward to seeing you on that evening.

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1st October Information Meeting

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Local Walks Oct – Dec 2021 | Registration UPDATED 25th October 2021

As promised, we’ve put together the itinerary of local walks between now and the end of the year.

The table is included below.

We will have fortnightly weekend walks (alternating between Sunday morning and Saturday afternoon) and we will continue with our Wed Walks in the evening. These help us break the weekly work routine with a mid-week evening walk. We have also included some full-day walks (these are in bold in the table below):

With the gradual opening up of Covid measures we will not be maintaining a prior, online registration system.

The ones that require registration due to say transport accommodation etc. (Comino, Victoria Lines, Gozo or December overseas) are now closed.

Please check with the list above and turn up at the appointed place for a departure at the indicated time.

Please wear masks while waiting or stationery and also observe a 6-group cluster. Thanks.

We look forward to meeting all of you in some or all of the walks. Life’s a journey | keep smiling | keep walking | Keep safe | God bless.

December 2021 Overseas Trekking Experiences

We are pleased to invte XirCammini members to join us on the either of the following overseas trekkign experiences in December 2021.

It is important to stress that over events are open only to XirCammini members and that XirCammini is not a tour or travel operator or agency. We are a members’ association registered in Malta as a voluntary organisation (VO1646) dedicated to hiking in Malta and overseas.

Matera Hiking Experience, December 2021

When: 3rd to the 8th December 2021

Where: Matera (Basilicata, Southern Italy) trekking to the Lucanian Dolomites and Apennines.

How long: 5 nights/6 days

Accommodation: Double/Twin or Triple sharing depending on configurations on half-board basis.

Camino de San Giancomo, Sicilia, December 2021

When: 9th to the 17th December 2021

Where: The Cammino De San Giacomo starts in Caltagirone and has seven stages (139km) of medium to hard difficulty and terrain.

How long: 9 days (7 days on the Camino)

Accommodation: Accommodation is mixed, with some agri-turismo and some basic albergue (dorm-type) accommodation.

What is covered in the price:

  1. Airport transfers by private coach (Catania Airport to Caltagirone and from Capizzi to Catania Airport)
  2. Coach transfer from Aidone to Piazza Armerina
  3. Accommodation on B&B basis (x 8) I mixed accommodation (B&B, agriturismo and albergues)
  4. Packed lunch for the trekking days (consisting of water sandwich and fruit)
  5. Italian trekking guide with us daily.
  6. Daily baggage transfer from one accommodation to another (max 15kg per bag)
  7. Credencial del Cammino
  8. Patch ‘Cammino di San Giacomo, Sicilia.

Please click this link to register your interest:

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Caminho Português Done and Dusted! What Next?

Now that the Caminho Português is done and dusted, we can concentrate on

1. the calendar of local walks; and

2. the overseas travel itinerary for Oct 2021 – Sept 2022.

Regarding local walks, we continue to watch the Covid-19 situation more closely as restrictions ease and in the coming days we will announce the Oct – Dec walks. In September we still have the following walks (which are already over-subscribed):

P85 21st Sept Mellieha | Ramla tat-Torri | Armier Loop (19:00 – 22:00)

P86 23rd Sept Manikata | Pwales | Mizieb Loop (19:00 – 22:00)

P87 28th Sept Selmun – Mellieha Loop (19:00 – 22:00)

Regarding the overseas walks, this is what is provisionally planned for next year (please note that dates are tentative and may change):

  1. 5th – 13th Dec, 2021: Cammino Di San Giacomo in Sicilia from Caltagirone to Capizzi. 130km
  2. 6th – 10th Feb, 2022: Trekking in Sicily, details to be announced.
  3. 26th March to 2nd April, 2022: Camino Ingles (from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela)
  4. 4th – 11th June, 2022: Costiera Amalfitana and Matera
  5. 18th June – 2nd July 2022: Camino Primitivo 340km from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela
  6. 11th – 18th September, 2022: Isole Eiolie Trekking and/or Swimming on 6 of the 7 Volcano Islands.

Most local and and all overseas activities are open only for XirCammini members. To become a member please follow this link: https://xircammini.org/get-involved/membership/

A poll will be issued shortly and circulated to members to register their interest for the above overseas trekking activities