戈佐岛上的盐田, 马耳他 Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta (© Marius Roman/Getty Images)

戈佐岛上的盐田, 马耳他 Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta (© Marius Roman/Getty Images)

困在网格里 Stuck in a grid

戈佐岛上的盐田, 马耳他

马耳他戈佐岛的什韦尼湾，总有一种魔力，能让海水、岩石与阳光呈现出一种宁静而有序的美感，令人不由得放慢脚步细看。几个世纪前，当地居民在石灰岩上开凿出层层盐池，形成数百个用来蓄海水的盆地。海水进入池中后，在阳光照射下逐渐蒸发，最终结晶成天然的地中海海盐。由于石灰岩海岸易于塑造，加上夏季温暖干燥，戈佐岛逐渐发展成重要的制盐地。每年五月左右，第一批盐晶生成，采盐季随即开始。工人们手工耙盐、清扫、堆放晾晒，最后装袋并储存在洞穴中。

游客可以顺着海岸一路走到盐池旁，不过要注意避开标有“禁止进入”的区域。如果你在夏天造访，说不定还能看到工人们正在耙盐、晒盐的场景，不妨停下来欣赏一下眼前的景色。返程之前，也可以去马耳他各地的美食商店，挑一份盐味十足的纪念品带走。

Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta

Xwejni Bay in Gozo, Malta, has a way of making everyday elements look like a quiet choreography between sea, stone, and sun. You can't help but pause and look closer, right? Centuries back, families began carving these limestone pans, shaping hundreds of basins that trap seawater with each wave. Once the water settles in, the sun's heat does the rest, slowly evaporating it into natural Mediterranean salt. Gozo became a salt-making hub because its limestone coast is easy to shape, and its warm, dry summers keep the crystallization process steady. The first crystals form around May, marking the beginning of the harvesting season. Workers rake the salt by hand, sweep it with brooms and brushes, gather it into small piles to dry for another day, then bag it and store it in the caves.

Visitors can walk right up to the pans along the shore but look out for 'no trespassing' signs. If you swing by in the summer, you might spot active raking and drying. Take a moment to enjoy the view, and before you head back, consider collecting a salty souvenir from one of the many gourmet shops around Malta.