Gozo

The Citadella of Victoria, Gozo's fortified hilltop heart, with restored ramparts overlooking the whole island and its lanes of golden stone. Leashed dogs are allowed on the ramparts and in the open-air alleys, but not inside the cathedral or the indoor museums.

Gozo's finest beach, a broad sweep of reddish sand cradled between hills, with the remains of a Roman villa and Calypso's Cave above. Dogs are generally banned from this guarded beach in summer; off-season the rule is sometimes relaxed, so check locally.

A narrow, fjord-like inlet squeezed between high cliffs on the island's north coast, popular with swimmers and divers. The path down to the small pebble cove can be walked on a leash, away from the crowds, a haven beyond the guarded beaches.

The spectacular coastal site of the former Azure Window (collapsed in 2017), with the Inland Sea, a lagoon linked to the open sea by a natural tunnel, and Fungus Rock. The rocky shore can be walked on a leash; beware of hot rock in summer and the unfenced edges.

The Marsalforn salt pans, a chequerboard of basins carved into the coastal rock over centuries, where salt is still harvested by hand in summer. The flat walk along the shore is easily done on a leash, superb in the low evening light.

The national basilica of Ta' Pinu, a Marian shrine standing alone in open countryside near Gharb, a major pilgrimage site of the archipelago. Pets are not allowed inside the church, but the open surroundings and forecourt can be walked on a leash.