Should you’re looking for a Malta journey information that’s going to provide the finest issues to do in Malta, so to plan your unforgettable journey right here, you’ve arrived on the excellent submit.
Malta feels as if somebody dropped a fraction of southern Europe into the center of the Mediterranean with traces from each period of historical past. Phoenicians, Romans, Arab rulers, the Knights of St John and the British Empire have all left their mark, giving this small island in Southern Europe a heritage far past its diminutive dimension.
The result’s a sun-bleached archipelago the place baroque domes rise above fishing boats painted in brilliant main colors, and the place your morning espresso is served on a ferry passing beneath the partitions of a fortress constructed to repel Ottoman invaders.
Maybe unsurprisingly, one of many fundamental sights of travelling to Malta is how straightforward it’s to get round, with nowhere greater than a ninety-minute drive. The Mediterranean is never out of sight, and the principal websites of Malta are scattered throughout its island however inside straightforward attain.
Let’s dive into this whole Malta journey information…
The most effective time to go to Malta?
Malta is fulfilling year-round, however April by means of June and September – October are absolutely the candy spots. Café tables spill into the streets, with out the worry of burning to a crisp, and the ocean is heat and alluring. Whilst you received’t have the island to your self, crowds are noticeably thinner than peak summer time.
July and August are lovely – the ocean actually sparkles underneath fifteen hours of daylight, however it’s intensely scorching. Mix this with an inflow of European holidaymakers, and issues can get crowded. Plan accordingly: early begins, lengthy lunches (adopted by siestas) and leisurely evenings that stretch late, because the island cools.
Winter is quieter and surprisingly delicate, with some wonderful days potential. You received’t wish to take a dip within the med, however Valetta and different cities nonetheless hum with life and infrequently really feel way more relaxed with out the summer time crowds.
How lengthy to spend in Malta?
Malta works equally properly as an extended weekend vacation spot or an extended, lazy keep.
Three days is sufficient to discover Valletta, wander Mdina and spend time by the ocean. With an additional couple of days, you’ll be able to comfortably discover Gozo, discover a number of historic websites and permit Malta’s relaxed Mediterranean rhythm to take maintain. With even longer, you’ll slip right into a distinctly Mediterranean tempo of life, which you’ll discover onerous to drag away from.
The place to remain in Malta?
First-time guests normally select between Valletta, Sliema, or St Julian’s, which have the best lodge density.
Valletta is probably the most atmospheric selection. Malta’s capital is compact and chic, stuffed with sandstone streets that glow gold within the night gentle. Boutique accommodations occupy centuries-old buildings, and every part – from websites to eating places and bars – is walkable
Sliema, simply throughout the harbour from Valletta with ferry connections taking simply 10 minutes and costing €3 is extra trendy, with an extended seafront promenade and loads of eating places.
St Julian’s is the liveliest space, significantly round Paceville. Should you get pleasure from late dinners, busy bars and nightlife, that is the place most of it occurs. Frequent buses whisk you into Valletta.
For one thing altogether quieter, take into account staying on Gozo, Malta’s smaller and extra rural sister island.
The easiest way to get round Malta?
Transport on Malta takes a little bit of getting used to, however it’s cheap and comparatively dependable.
Plan journeys utilizing the island’s public transport web site. Single tickets begin from €2, with most guests discovering a 4-day or 7-day go (€21/€27) or 12 single tickets (€19) probably the most helpful. Particulars of passes might be discovered right here. Guests and locals alike use the Tallinja app, which you’ll wish to obtain.
The harbour ferries between Valletta, Sliema and the Three Cities on the opposite aspect of Valletta are helpful in their very own proper and likewise provide a few of the finest views within the nation. Most depart each 10-Quarter-hour.
If you need extra flexibility, renting a automobile makes exploring the island and the perfect issues to do in Malta a lot simpler, particularly for seashores, archaeological websites and villages. Discovering parking in Valletta or Sliema is never easy, so plan forward. Malta drives on the left.
1. Wander the golden streets of Valletta
Valletta is considered one of Europe’s smallest capitals, however its historical past packs one heck of a punch. Constructed by the Knights of St John after the Nice Siege of 1565, the town rises from the ocean in a grid of steep streets, balconies and cathedral domes.
The capital’s spotlight is St John’s Co-Cathedral, which from the surface seems surprisingly restrained. Inside, it’s unapologetically extravagant, assume gold leaf, marble tombs and Caravaggio work competing for consideration. Let’s simply say the Knights didn’t lack for wealth.
From right here, wander the 5 minutes to Higher Barrakka Gardens, the place cannons overlook the Grand Harbour, and ferries glide between fortified peninsulas. Stroll downhill and seize a ferry to Vittorio, Senglea or Cospicua, the three cities, which served as the bottom for the Knights who based Valletta. Regardless of their wealthy historical past, these are quieter, extra native and a pleasant spot for an aperitivo.
Among the finest methods to pattern Valletta and among the finest issues to do in Malta is to bounce on a meals tour, which supplies a crash course within the cultures which have formed it over the centuries. From native wines and beers to Italian-style pastizzi and equally candy imqaret to a few of the freshest fruit you’ll ever style, interspersed with historical past and gossipy anecdotes, you’ll depart with a far better understanding of the tradition…along with a really full abdomen. Don’t have a giant breakfast prior.
2. Step again in time in Mdina
Mdina sits on a hill within the centre of Malta and feels solely separate from the trendy world. Generally known as the Silent Metropolis, its historical past dates again 4,000 years, spanning Phoenician, Roman and Arab adventures. Fairly the Eras Tour! If diving into historical past is a little bit of you – this is among the finest issues to do in Malta.
The present metropolis (which feels a beneficiant title given its dimension) is a maze of slim lanes, heavy wood doorways and aristocratic palaces carved from the island’s honey-coloured limestone. Enter by means of the monumental Mdina gate and the ambiance adjustments instantly, with vehicles a uncommon sight and slim lanes twisting in all instructions.
The bastion partitions provide sweeping views throughout the island, significantly lovely within the late afternoon when the encompassing countryside glows in heat gentle. St Paul’s Cathedral is a masterpiece of Baroque structure and the Mdina dungeons signify a darker aspect to the town’s historical past. All three might be visited inside a few hours.
If potential, keep till night. As soon as the day-trippers depart, Mdina turns into splendidly atmospheric, as lanterns glow in opposition to the stone and the town returns to the calm that earned it its nickname.
3. Swim within the sensible Blue Lagoon
Between Malta and Gozo sits the tiny island of Comino, house to the famously luminous Blue Lagoon. It’s removed from being a secret, and in summer time, tour teams descend en masse, however it stays a exceptional web site.
Pictures barely exaggerate it. The water actually is that shade of turquoise – significantly within the early morning – shifting from pale aqua close to the shore to deep cobalt additional out.
Boats arrive all through the day, bringing swimmers, snorkellers and sunseekers who unfold throughout the rocky shoreline. However slip into the water, and the noise fades shortly. Visibility is great (put on goggles or snorkelling gear for the perfect impact), fish dart by means of the shallows and the entire place feels as picture-perfect as is feasible to think about.
Since Could 2025, the Maltese authorities has launched obligatory pre-booking to manage customer numbers – if you happen to can, seize an early slot (from 8am) when temperatures are nice and there are fewer guests.
Throughout summer time, catamaran cruises ply their commerce in more durable to succeed in areas of the lagoon (with stops at close-by seashores), providing you with relative house. In any other case, ebook your ferry from the Maltese mainland right here.
4. Discover the slower island of Gozo
Gozo appears like Malta’s quieter sibling. The ferry journey from Ċirkewwa on Malta takes about 25 minutes, however upon arrival, the tempo drops nearly instantly. E book a spot on a ferry prematurely if visiting in summer time.
Begin in Victoria, the island’s fundamental city, the place the Citadella (citadel) rises above the encompassing streets. From the ramparts, you’ll be able to see a lot of Gozo without delay, farmland, villages and the ocean on almost each horizon. The roads you see stretching to the coast will probably be used closely throughout your time right here.
On the Northern coast, Ramla Bay is among the island’s finest seashores, identified for its distinctive reddish sand (that appears like somebody has turned the ‘saturation’ filter up a bit too far) and vast, open views. On the opposite aspect of the island, the chance to stroll the Ta’Cenc is a magnet for hikers, with steep drops, bountiful vegetation, and a near-constant sea breeze, making issues extra nice.
Whereas the tempo of Gozo is certainly slower, it’s undoubtedly value dedicating a day or two to exploring.
5. Go to the traditional temples older than the pyramids
Transfer over Stonehenge – Malta’s prehistoric temples are among the many oldest free-standing buildings on Earth, relationship again greater than 5,000 years.
Websites resembling Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, each a brief drive or bus journey from Valletta, are perched above the Mediterranean on the island’s southern coast, and have been already historic when the pyramids of Egypt have been being constructed. Archaeologists are nonetheless debating precisely how these temples have been constructed and what rituals as soon as befell inside them, which solely provides to their thriller.
Enormous limestone blocks type curved chambers and doorways aligned with the solar. Standing among the many stones, with the ocean stretching out beneath the cliffs, you get a robust sense of simply how lengthy people have been drawn to this island, earlier than even the Empires that we learn about at present.
6. Expertise the colors of Marsaxlokk Fishing Market
As you would possibly count on for a small island, Malta excels in all issues fish-related and nowhere epitomises this higher than the village of Marsaxlokk. On a brilliant day, it appears like a retro seaside postcard dropped at life.
The harbour is stuffed with conventional luzzu boats, painted in brilliant blues, reds and yellows, every with the distinctive pair of eyes on the bow – an historic image believed to guard fishermen at sea. The waterfront eating places serve a few of the freshest fish on the island, and a leisurely lunch overlooking the harbour, grilled sea bream, a carafe of native wine and the mild clatter of fishing boats, is assured to be considered one of your Maltese highlights
When you’ve got the selection, come on Sunday. The well-known fish market fills the waterfront with stalls promoting recent seafood, olives, native honey and handmade souvenirs. Even if you happen to’re not available in the market for a few crimson mullet, it’s value perusing only for the cries of the sellers and the sheer vary of produce on provide. For early birds, arising with dawn lets you see the luzzu arriving again into port.
The whole lot Below The Solar
Malta isn’t a vacation spot constructed round one iconic sight, which has the impact of dispersing guests all around the island (or islands, if we rely Gozo and Comino) and is all the higher for it.
It’s sufficiently small to discover simply, however nonetheless has greater than sufficient to attraction to all 5 senses, with hundreds of years of historical past, a vibrant eating delicacies and ocean views in just about each course.
No matter your plans, it received’t take lengthy so that you can fall underneath Malta’s spell. Given the variety of empires that fought over this small island, you’ll be in good firm.
Have you ever been to Malta?
Thanks a lot for studying! I hope it’s given you all of the inspiration to plan and ebook your personal journey to Malta!
When you’ve got any questions, depart a remark for me!
See all of Phil’s adventures on the weblog right here.