Malta
*All work including photos and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Expedia video, freely available on Youtube.
Malta is a small archipelago consisting of the main island of Malta, Gozo and tiny Camino.
Malta is a small archipelago consisting of the main island of Malta, Gozo and tiny Camino.
Malta is situated in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily and north of the North African coastal countries of Libya and Tunisia. It has a very North African feel to it and the language is a mix of Arabic and Italian. The capital is the medieval walled city of Valletta.
Malta has a mixed historical culture, which has resulted in a symphony of culinary experiences, art, culture and language. Although everyone speaks English, do try and learn some Maltese such as Grazzi for thank you.
It was colonised by Phoenicians in 700BC from the Levant who introduced the Arabic language. The Romans arrived around the 6th Century AD, Changing the alphabet to the Latin one, whilst some of the Arabic language remained. They brought the Roman catholic faith with them, which remains today. The Byzantines were also around for a while and The North African Arabs, who named the capital M'Dina and brought more Arabic words and the muslim faith.
Then people from Sicily settled here, bringing Christianity back and mixing the Sicilian Italian language with Arabic and influencing the food. The British colonised Malta in 1813, using it as a naval base. It finally became a republic in 1974. Today the capital is Valletta.
Malta is famous for it's spectacular rugged coastline, with a multitude of caves and bright blue water. The best way to see them is on a boat trip, which are very reasonably priced. There isn't a lot of countryside left, but where there is it tends to be very dry, with cacti as common as trees.
Where to stay
Well this will depend on your age and what you enjoy most in a holiday. These are the most popular places to stay.
-Rabat
We stayed in Rabat, the area just outside the walls of M'dina and for us it was the best location, just a 6 minute walk to M'dina walking past many lovely cafes and restaurants on the way. It wasn't busy with tourists in the evenings, compared to other towns/cities. There are a lot of cultural attractions here, so it suits adults that are looking for a cultural experience, but just around a 30 minute drive to anywhere else on the island. We stayed at a tiny family run boutique hotel called 100 Boutique Living, which was excellent value for money in the perfect location for us.
St Paul's Rabat below
-Rabat
We stayed in Rabat, the area just outside the walls of M'dina and for us it was the best location, just a 6 minute walk to M'dina walking past many lovely cafes and restaurants on the way. It wasn't busy with tourists in the evenings, compared to other towns/cities. There are a lot of cultural attractions here, so it suits adults that are looking for a cultural experience, but just around a 30 minute drive to anywhere else on the island. We stayed at a tiny family run boutique hotel called 100 Boutique Living, which was excellent value for money in the perfect location for us.
St Paul's Rabat below
100 Boutique Living hotel. ^
This is the most popular place to stay. It is a busy coastal city with lots of night life, shops, restaurants, fast food. It is most suited to the young and night life loving older adults as well as families with teenage children. You will find all the main chain hotels and other independent hotels here.
-Valletta UNESCO world heritage status
Valletta is the capital, a beautiful city and there is lots to see and do here. It is popular with business travellers as there are many conferences here, especially in early October. It is probably more suited to couples and older adults, looking for culture, but also lots of cafes and restaurants and very close to the cities of St Julian's and Sliema with all their variety of shops and restaurants nearby. It would suit someone not wishing to rent a car as parking is impossible in the city, you need to use the MCP car park by the bus station. If you wish to eat at a traditional cafe, make sure it says home made cakes or the rest are bought from major suppliers.
The first photo below is taken from Sliema.
The first photo below is taken from Sliema.
The port of Valletta ^
Sliema is a modern coastal city with great views of Valletta. It would suit young people and others looking for nightlife as well as families of all ages. There is a shopping centre, lots of restaurants, bars and cafes. It is a great place for bars, some are even on boats. The photo below is taken from Valletta.
Mellieha is further away from the main cities and is a nice beach location for families and anyone that would like to be based by a beach. It is not far from the ferry terminal to Gozo and to St Paul's Bay where the Blue Lagoon cruises depart. We drove past this beach, but didn't stop as it was too hot that day for us.
St Paul's Bay is suitable for everyone really, especially pilgrims wishing to visit the tiny island where the Bible states that St Paul was shipwrecked. It is where all the Blue Lagoon cruises depart from too. It is a small city, but does have, hotels cafes and restaurants. It is a quieter place than the main cities of St Julian's, Valletta and Sliema.
This is a pretty, small fishing village, very popular with tourists. It would suit people looking for a more authentic working fishing village, but with lots of cafes and restaurants. There ere not many hotels here, so Airbnb type accommodation might be best here. it isn't very close to anywhere else, so would suit someone wanting to get away from the more popular resorts, although it does attract a lot of tourist around lunch time.
Other places to visit on the island of Malta
M'Dina was my favourite place to visit and walking distance to my hotel. Full of history and culture and beautifully preserved, it's a must see town!
-The Blur Grotto
-Dingli Cliffs -Qwara point Beach -Riviera Beach -Fond Ghadir Beach -Pretty Bay -St George's Bay - Balluta Bay Beach -White Tower bay -Paradise Bay Beach -Little Armier Beach -Golden Bay -Bugibba Perched Beach -St Thoams Bay Sandy Beach -St Peter's Pool for cliff diving -Mosta Rotunda -Malta Aquarium -Fort Rinella -Hal Saffieni Hypogeum - St Paul's Catacombs, Rabat -St Agatha's Tower, The Red Tower. -San Anton Gardens -Fort St Angelo Malta is small, but traffic can be bad and public transport not reliable. We hired a car, just make sure it is a small one though! You can get from one end of the island to the other in under an hour, so you can visit one place in the morning and another in the afternoon very easily, then out to dinner somewhere else. |
The island of Gozo
This is a must do excursion whilst in Malta. There is a ferry from the north of the island or a longer trip from Valletta.
Camino Island
Camino is the smallest island and only one person currently lives there. It is most famous for the stunning Blue Lagoon. I highly recommend that you take a boat trip there. There are catering vans on arrival, so you don't need to take food with you. We went on the Hornblower which was very nice, we had deck chairs on the top deck which were so comfortable. You need to get on board two hours before the sailing time to get one though as they are first come, first serve!
There are lots of day cruises to the Blue Lagoon. Take a look on Tripadvisor for one that suits you. |
M'Dina ^
Food
Food in Malta is an eclectic mix of Arabic, Sicilian and other Southern Italian food, as well as a Turkish and British influence, with local delicacies such as rabbit, Lampuki Pie (Fish Pie), Bragioli (Beef with olives), Lots of fish and seafood, kebabs as well as their own version of Ratatouille called Kapunata.
Malta has it's own soft drink, which I loved as I wasn't able to drink alcohol on this trip and it tastes like a non alcoholic Aperol. Most restaurants were able to make non alcoholic cocktails on request too. Cisk lager is also a popular local drink and they do produce their own wine. Bajtra is a local liqueur made from prickly pears. It isn't easy to get decaf coffee though in Malta.
Malta has it's own soft drink, which I loved as I wasn't able to drink alcohol on this trip and it tastes like a non alcoholic Aperol. Most restaurants were able to make non alcoholic cocktails on request too. Cisk lager is also a popular local drink and they do produce their own wine. Bajtra is a local liqueur made from prickly pears. It isn't easy to get decaf coffee though in Malta.
The sweets in Malta are delicious. Many are similar to Sicilian treats such as Cannoli. Lots contain pistachios. I enjoyed all the ones I tried!!
^ Traditional Maltese treats above and below traditional Maltese lunch food, Pastitsio below. These contain Ricotta cheese or pea. I preferred the pea one.
Popular places to eat
De Mondion, Rabat
Crystal Palace snack bar, Rabat, open 24hours for snacks and next door is a cake and gelato shop.
Castelletti, Rabat
Root 81, Mediterranean, Rabat
Townhouse No3, Mediterranean, Rabat
Grotto Tavern, Mediterranean, Rabat
L'enoteca, Mediterranian, Rabat
Il-Bitha ta'Doni, Italian, Rabat (We liked this one.)
Yana's, French/Mediterranean, Rabat
Meraki, Italian/French, Rabat
Trattoria AD,M'dina
Bacchus, M'Dina
Ta'Frenc, Marsalforn, Gozo
Kartell, Marsalfom, Gozo
Country Terrace, Qala, Gozo
Muza, Valletta
Rampila, Valletta
Giannini, Valletta
59 Republic, Valletta
Adesso, Valletta
Akimalta, Valletta
Gambit Bar & Bistro, Seafood, Valletta
Azar Malta, Sliema
Tora, Chinese, Sliema
Fratelli la Bufala, Italian, Sliema (we liked this one.)
Wigi's Kitchen, St Julian's
The Game & Ale Pub, St Julian's
Quadro, Mediterranean, St Julian's
The Aft Galley, Lebanese, St Julian's
Amami, Japanese, Mellieha
Porterhouse, Steakhouse, Mellieha
Byblos, Lebanese, Mellieha
Venus, Seafood, Bugibba
Prosciutteria, Italian, Il Gzira
Gourmet Fish and Grill, Il Gzira
Aalto, Mediterranean, Qrendi
Loa, Fusion South American/Japanese, St Paul's Bay
Sotto Pinsa Romana, Italian, Marsaskala
Crystal Palace snack bar, Rabat, open 24hours for snacks and next door is a cake and gelato shop.
Castelletti, Rabat
Root 81, Mediterranean, Rabat
Townhouse No3, Mediterranean, Rabat
Grotto Tavern, Mediterranean, Rabat
L'enoteca, Mediterranian, Rabat
Il-Bitha ta'Doni, Italian, Rabat (We liked this one.)
Yana's, French/Mediterranean, Rabat
Meraki, Italian/French, Rabat
Trattoria AD,M'dina
Bacchus, M'Dina
Ta'Frenc, Marsalforn, Gozo
Kartell, Marsalfom, Gozo
Country Terrace, Qala, Gozo
Muza, Valletta
Rampila, Valletta
Giannini, Valletta
59 Republic, Valletta
Adesso, Valletta
Akimalta, Valletta
Gambit Bar & Bistro, Seafood, Valletta
Azar Malta, Sliema
Tora, Chinese, Sliema
Fratelli la Bufala, Italian, Sliema (we liked this one.)
Wigi's Kitchen, St Julian's
The Game & Ale Pub, St Julian's
Quadro, Mediterranean, St Julian's
The Aft Galley, Lebanese, St Julian's
Amami, Japanese, Mellieha
Porterhouse, Steakhouse, Mellieha
Byblos, Lebanese, Mellieha
Venus, Seafood, Bugibba
Prosciutteria, Italian, Il Gzira
Gourmet Fish and Grill, Il Gzira
Aalto, Mediterranean, Qrendi
Loa, Fusion South American/Japanese, St Paul's Bay
Sotto Pinsa Romana, Italian, Marsaskala
Weather
Malta is known for it's sunshine and the main attraction for tourists is the 3,000+ hours of sunshine a year. It rarely drops below 13c in January and is in the 30's in July and August. We went in early October and it was 27-31c!! It can rain though, with November usually the wettest month, but November still manages more than 161 hours of sunshine.
Crime
Malta is a safe country for tourists and one of the safest places to live. It has one of the lowest murder rates in the whole world!! Most crime is pick pockets or other forms of theft. Violent crime is very rare.