Malta: One Island, a Thousand Stories
Valletta, Mdina, Gozo, Comino, blue waters and flavors carrying centuries of history. Everything you need to know before traveling to Malta.
🇬🇷 Διαβάστε αυτό το άρθρο στα ελληνικά: Μάλτα: Ταξιδιωτικός Οδηγός
Malta is one of those destinations that makes you wonder how so much history fits onto such a small island. Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, the Knights of St John and the British all passed through here, leaving behind a mosaic of cities, fortresses, churches and streets that end at the sea.
And then there's the light. The Mediterranean light on the limestone constantly changes the island's appearance. The facades of Valletta, the walls of Mdina, the small harbors and the cliffs of Gozo take on different colors as the day goes by.
The best part? The distances are small. You can walk through Valletta in the morning, be by the sea in the afternoon, and catch a boat to Gozo the very next day.
How to get to Malta
Arriving in Malta is fairly straightforward. Malta International Airport is located near Luqa, and from there you can head to Valletta and the rest of the island by bus, taxi or rental car.
✈️ By air
We flew with Ryanair and paid around €100 per person for a round trip. Prices, of course, vary depending on the season and how far in advance you book.
🚌 By bus
The bus network covers a large part of the island and was enough for most of the routes we needed.
🚗 By car
Offers more freedom if you want to visit remote spots or make several stops within the same day.
🚶 On foot
In Valletta and Mdina, walking is part of the experience. Put the map aside for a while and get lost in the alleys.
Where to stay in Malta
We chose St Paul's Bay, a seaside area in the north of Malta. We traveled in May and paid around €60 a night for our hotel.
For us it was a practical base, with plenty of dining options and good access to bus routes.
Valletta — for history and walks
Ideal if you want to stay close to the historic sights and do most of your getting around on foot. You'll find boutique hotels, stays in historic buildings, and options for different budgets.
Sliema & St Julian's — for the seafront and more buzz
Sliema is seaside and full of restaurants, cafés and shops. St Julian's has a livelier nightlife, especially around Paceville.
St Paul's Bay — a good base for exploring
A good choice if you want to stay near the sea without being right in the busiest zone of Valletta or St Julian's.
Gozo — for a slower pace
If you have enough days, it's worth staying a night or two on Gozo. It feels different from mainland Malta and lends itself to a calmer holiday.
Valletta: a city that doesn't need a map
Valletta isn't the kind of city where you need to strictly follow a checklist. We walked it a lot, and in the end that was what we liked most about it.
The distances are small, and almost every street leads you to a square, a church, or a spot with a view over the sea.
Among the sights worth adding to your itinerary are St John's Co-Cathedral, the Grandmaster's Palace and the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
We spent quite a while in the gardens, mostly for the view over the Grand Harbour. It's one of those spots where it's worth simply staying a while and watching the harbor's activity.
But beyond the sights, what we enjoyed most about Valletta was simply the walk itself. The characteristic wooden balconies, the stairways, the building facades and the small streets make it a city that's interesting even when you're not looking for a specific landmark.
We also chose to see it from the sea, taking a short boat ride around the harbor. From there, the city looks different: the walls rise up in front of you, and the old buildings seem to almost touch the water.
Malta has also been the setting for several film and television productions. The island has served as a backdrop for major productions, including Game of Thrones.
Mdina: when Malta lowers its voice
A few kilometers from Valletta lies Mdina, the island's former capital.
The first impression comes from the silence. You walk through the imposing gate and leave the noise behind. The streets narrow, the stone walls rise higher, and old mansions hide behind large doors.
Its corners seem built to make you wonder what stood there a hundred, two hundred, or five hundred years ago.
Mdina has also been used as the setting for King's Landing in Game of Thrones.
Its best moment, though, isn't necessarily when it's crowded. It's when the afternoon settles in and the crowds start to thin out. That's when the "Silent City" truly lives up to its name.
A day by boat around Comino and Gozo
Of all the activities we did in Malta, this was definitely one of the fullest. We booked a day trip with Hornblower and in a single day combined Comino, the Blue Lagoon and Gozo, along with passes through caves and coastlines.
The trip departs from St Paul's Bay and is a fairly easy way to see many of the well-known coastal spots without arranging separate tickets and transfers.
The best part isn't just the Blue Lagoon. The route also passes alongside the cliffs of Comino, small caves and spots where the water is constantly changing color.
Gozo: the island that's in no hurry
If there's one place you should definitely put on your itinerary, it's Gozo. Its atmosphere is different from mainland Malta's, and the pace is more relaxed.
Ġgantija Temples
The Ġgantija Temples are among Malta's most significant prehistoric megalithic monuments and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Victoria and the Cittadella
In Victoria you'll find the Cittadella, the historic fortified center of the town. It's worth climbing up to the walls, walking through the narrow streets and stopping at the spots with views over Gozo.
Ta' Pinu Basilica
Another spot worth adding to your route is the Basilica of Our Lady of Ta' Pinu, near Għarb. It's one of Gozo's best-known religious monuments, notable for its distinctive architecture and striking setting within the landscape.
Dwejra Inland Sea
If you have time, add the Dwejra Inland Sea to your route as well. This small lagoon connects to the sea through a natural opening in the rocks.
If your time is limited, Gozo can be done as a day trip. But if you can stay overnight, you'll have much more freedom to explore it without being tied to return schedules.
Comino & Blue Lagoon: the blue that's hard to forget
Between Malta and Gozo lies the tiny island of Comino. This is home to the famous Blue Lagoon, with its shallow, transparent waters and vivid blue that has made the area one of the most recognizable images of Malta.
We visited the Blue Lagoon together with Gozo, on a day trip with Hornblower departing from St Paul's Bay.
On the other hand, the boat trip isn't limited to the Blue Lagoon. In our case it combined Comino, Gozo, the Blue Lagoon and passes through caves and coastlines. So a large part of the experience was the journey itself.
For us it was a practical solution, especially since we were staying in St Paul's Bay and getting around Malta without a car.
Blue Grotto: where the light transforms the sea
On Malta's southern coast lies the Blue Grotto, a complex of sea caves where light and water create a striking natural scene.
We saw it from the sea as part of the day trip we took together with Gozo and Comino.
Visiting the caves depends on weather and sea conditions. In Malta, that's something worth keeping in mind: sometimes the sea decides the itinerary better than we can.
Fort Rinella: a different side of Malta
If you want to step away from the beaches and old towns for a while, Fort Rinella, in Kalkara, is an interesting stop.
This Victorian fort was built by the British in the late 19th century and is known for its massive Armstrong 100-ton gun, one of the largest cannons of its time.
If you enjoy military history, it's worth including in your itinerary, as it offers a different perspective on Malta's strategic role in the Mediterranean.
Malta Falconry Centre
Another different experience is the Malta Falconry Centre, where you can get an up-close look at the tradition of falconry and see birds of prey.
What to eat in Malta
Maltese cuisine reflects the island's geography. Sitting in the middle of the Mediterranean, it carries influences from many different directions.
A few things worth knowing
1. Distances are short, but traffic isn't always
Malta is small, but traffic can make getting around noticeably slower than you'd expect. We got around mostly by bus and, with a bit of patience, it served us pretty well.
2. The sun is strong
Especially in summer, sunscreen, a hat and water are essential. Long walks under the sun are more tiring than they look.
3. Put Gozo on your itinerary
If you have the time, dedicate at least one day to Gozo. We combined it with our day trip to Comino and the Blue Lagoon.
4. Try the local cuisine
Don't leave without trying pastizzi, ftira, lampuki, rabbit stew, and of course a Kinnie.
5. Nightlife
For more action and clubs, St Julian's and Paceville are the go-to choices. For something more relaxed, Valletta is better suited to dinner, drinks and an evening stroll.
Wrapping up the trip to Malta
Malta has quite a few different faces, and that's ultimately what stays with you after a trip there. From the old towns and forts to the beaches, small harbors and villages, the scenery keeps changing, even though the distances are never large.
A day might start with a walk through Valletta, continue with a swim in the sea, and end with dinner at a small restaurant. The next might find you in Mdina or on Gozo, seeing an entirely different side of the island.
And in the end, beyond the sights you'll have checked off before leaving, what you'll likely remember are a few simpler moments: a street in Mdina, the view from the Cittadella, the colorful little boats in the harbor, a pastizzi in hand, or the color of the sea during an afternoon swim.
Malta has plenty to see and do, but you don't need to fit it all into one trip. Some things you'll save for next time — and that's probably not a bad thing.