Xwejni Salt pans

Stretching out along Gozo's northern coast, the Xwejni salt pans are a checkerboard of shallow limestone reservoirs carved right into the rocky shoreline. These salt pans are roughly 350 years old and still actively worked by local families who harvest sea salt by hand between May and September. Photographically, the geometric grid pattern is the main draw. Hundreds of rectangular pans tile the coastline and create strong repeating shapes that work well with a wide angle, especially when some are filled with water and others are dry or crusted with white salt crystals. During the early stages of crystallization, the salt takes on a reddish hue, which adds unexpected colour to an otherwise muted palette. Sunrise is the best time to be here. The low light spreads across the pans and picks up every texture in the rock, as a bonus if the pans are holding water you'll get reflections of the sky. If you visit during harvest season and get there early enough, you may catch the salt farmers working before dawn, sweeping and gathering salt by hand. The storage caves with their unique brightly painted doors along the roadside are worth a few frames too. Remember to stay off the pans themselves, most are privately owned and actively producing salt. The signs are there for a reason. Just a few minutes further west along the coast you'll find Wied il-Għasri, another strong location worth combining into the same trip. (Żebbuġ, Island of Gozo, Malta)