Nationalist Party candidate for Gozo Luke Said, has highlight the “myth of Government action” in the thirteen years that have passed since Calypso’s Cave was closed to the public over “safety concerns.”

He pointed out that in that time, three general elections have taken place. “Yet here, above the unique natural and historical landmark that is ir-Ramla l-Hamra, not a single stone has moved to open Calypso Cave back to the public.”

“Calypso’s Cave isn’t just a geological feature. It’s a place where Homeric myth meets Maltese identity, a cultural landmark tied to Gozo’s unique place in Mediterranean history. It’s long been part of Gozo’s story to the world, drawing in locals, tourists, scholars, and artists alike,” stated Said.

Luke Said went on to say that “in 2019, a government-funded technical study was launched. In 2020, formal plans were submitted. By March 2024, the Planning Authority approved the final permit for the site’s stabilisation and reopening. But today, in 2025, the gate remains locked. The site remains fenced off. And the hill remains untouched, the project is complex, but the longer the wait, the more difficult and expensive it will become.”“This is no longer a story of delay. It is a story of decay, decay not just of stone, but of accountability, execution, and care,” he said.

Said argued that “if a site with cultural, touristic, environmental, and symbolic importance like Calypso’s Cave cannot be prioritised even after every study is completed and every permit granted, then what hope do other sites have? What does it say when we protect heritage in legislation but ignore it in practice? When our Ministries stage announcements but never implement the outcomes? When “access to culture” is promised but physically fenced off?”

He insisted that “the Ministry for Gozo has everything it needs to act: the study, the plan and most importantly the permit. What it lacks is resolve. What it lacks is urgency. What it lacks is respect, not just for the stones and stories, but for the Gozitans who care about them.”

Luke Said concluded by saying that, “Calypso’s Cave doesn’t need another statement. It needs a crew, a path, a timeline. If the Ministry wants to play Homer, that’s fine. But then finish the epic. Stop rewriting the introduction and deliver the ending. Let the public back in. And give Gozo the respect it deserves.”

Photos and video: Luke Said

Permalink: Calypso’s Cave: Thirteen years closed and the “myth of Government action”