Get your bearings
A tiny dot on the map between Italy and North Africa,
Malta’s craggy coastline is washed by azure waters that flow into capital
Valletta’s natural harbour
. The historic Three Cities of
Vittoriosa, Senglea and
Cospicua guard the harbour to the south, with fun-loving
Sliema and
St Julians to the north. The ochre buildings turn inland towards a limestone landscape of pine trees, villages and hilltop
Mdina. To the north-west lie
Golden Bay and
Melieha Bay’s sandy beaches
, and ferries to car-free, diving island
Comino and laidback
Gozo.
Ancient history
After settling in to your Malta hotel book tickets for the
Hal Saflieni Hypogeum ancient
underground necropolis, near Valletta. You’ll find megalithic temples across Malta, including the
Ġgantija temples of Gozo.
Audiovisual shows tell of the Knights of St John who built baroque
Valletta and fought at
Vittoriosa’s
Fort St Angelo during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. At Vittoriosa’s
Maritime Museum delve into the island’s seafaring past and Roman and British influences.
Maltese meals
Malta’s Sicilian and British-influenced cuisine combines pasta and meat with local produce. Try savoury
pastizzi flaky
pastry snacks and
ftira bread stuffed with olives and
capers, and dinners of
braġioli beef olives or
lampuki fish pie. The fishing village of Marsaxlokk is a Sunday lunch favourite for
fresh fish, and traditional Maltese restaurants serve herb-marinated
fenek rabbit, accompanied by local wines from the
Camilleri and Emmanuel Delicata wineries. Outdoor adventure
Wrecks at
HMS Maori in Valletta, barracudas around Gozo’s
Fungus Rock and snorkelling at Comino’s
Blue Lagoon – there’s no shortage of activities on the water.
St Paul’s Bay offers watersports and boat cruises, while sunbathers prefer
Golden Bay’s sands
. Enjoy safe swimming at
Melieħa Bay and fun at
Sweethaven Village, the 1980
Popeye film set where kids can meet cartoon characters. Further south, boat trips explore the sparkling
Blue Grotto sea cave, near Zurrieq, and inland Malta and Gozo’s
quiet country lanes are just the spot for gentle cycling.
Cultural displays
At Valletta’s
Museum of Fine Arts, Italian baroque rubs shoulders with modern art. Malta’s most prized piece is Caravaggio’s
Beheading of John the Baptist at
St John’s Co-Cathedral. The
Folklore Museum in Għarb reveals rural life on Gozo, and culture comes to life on the lively narrow streets of
Vittoriosa and in
Mdina where the age-old Mnarja festival is celebrated with a traditional feast for St Peter and St Paul.
Arts and crafts
For an insight into local crafts visit the
Ta’Qali Craft Village in a former Second World War airfield near Mdina, where shops sell delicate
filigree jewellery and
glassblowers create ornaments in vibrant hues. You’ll find fine silver and gold
Maltese crosses in Valletta, and gift shops throughout Malta selling the protective
Eye of Osiris, bizilla lace doilies,
carved limestone candle holders, and hand-crafted
ganutell flowers made from wire and embroidery.
