A Guide to Visiting Malta

This ‘Guide’ is not in any particular order but is the random thoughts of those who have been going for a long time and has been added to as the Islands have changed over the years.

Let’s start with the reason why many travellers think they are going to Malta – the sun sea & sand – they soon realise that there is so much more to discover.

BEACHES

Mellieha or known locally as Ghadira

Not really a huge number of beaches on Malta, and the better ones are down one end of the island.

A long sandy beach with very shallow gradual sandy entry to the sea. Food is kiosks, mostly, not much in the way of loos.

Paradise Bay

Smaller beach with lots of steps leading down to the beach. Great set up restaurant / facilities wise, so u can have a nice lunch. 

Golden Bay

Quite coarse sand but a good size beach, kiosks, for food, and one café/restaurant. Not ideal swimming for young kids given the strong undercurrents.

Ghein Tuffieha

Opposite side to Golden Bay. Lots of steps down to the beach, but a lovely usually quieter beach. A nice cafe restaurant there to grab food to eat or takeaway. 

Ġnejna Beach

A picturesque sandy beach near Mgarr, Ġnejna Bay is a popular beach amongst most locals, as well as tourists looking for a quieter place to enjoy the sun and sea. It’s a fairly large, sandy beach.

Swimming Off Rocks

Lots of places in Sliema and St Julian’s to swim just off the rocks. Just wander along the prom with your towels and take a dip!

A link to further places to visit can be found here https://www.maltauncovered.com/travel-guide/best-beaches/

PLACES TO VISIT

Valletta

Main car park is just outside Valletta off the roundabout as you approach the city, near the

monument with flags and torches.

You then walk towards the magnificent Tritons fountain, to enter Valletta.

Mysterium Fidei Monastery a newly opened ancient underground experience. Might be worth taking a look https://mysteriumfidei.mt/

On the right as you enter the city, you’ll see the theatre destroyed in the war. If you walk behind that and keep going straight, you’ll pass 2 churches, then you’ll see the main government building Castille... cannons in front. Looking ahead to the sea, you’ll see the Upper Barrakka Gardens https://www.malta.com/en/attraction/culture/garden-park/upper-barrakka-gardens a beautiful spot with views over the spectacular Grand Harbour. Read up a bit before you visit for more history of The Grand Harbour https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Harbour

Great picture opportunity. There is a lift which takes you down to some lower gardens.  From the lift at the bottom if you turn right, about 5-6 minute walk along the sea, is an area called the Waterfront, where you will find lots of restaurants - converted ancient storehouses. 

Back at the top in the gardens. Close by are Lascaris War Rooms. These are the underground headquarters during WW2 for the whole of the Mediterranean. Really fascinating. https://www.lascariswarrooms.com/

Loads of cafes and restaurants dotted all over. If you walk a little way down the Main Street, you’ll come to a square with a statue of Queen Victoria in and lots of umbrellas. Some belong to cafe Cordina opposite which is a Maltese icon and a safe bet! https://caffecordina.com/

Right down the bottom of town is a film theatre called the Malta experience. https://themaltaexperience.com/

Shows around an hour long movie about the islands of Malta... nicely air conditioned. A great if slightly cheesy overview.

St John’s Cathedral in the middle of Valletta https://www.stjohnscocathedral.com/

beautiful marble works, built by the knights of St. John’s who built the city.  Two of Caravaggio’s most famous pieces including ‘The Beheading of St John the Baptist” and it sits in the spot it was commissioned for.  

Mdina

A favourite place in Malta and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The old capital city called The Silent City as it is pedestrianised for anyone who is not resident. The area around it outside the walls is called Rabat.

Beautiful narrow streets and squares... churches... of course! You’ll come to the main square with the cathedral which is worth a look inside. Lots of little shops and cafes. Gorgeous front doors and balconies.

At the far end of the city is the bastion which is a great view over the island.  Also very nice at night, all quite atmospherically lit as you wander the streets.

A popular stop for a bite to eat inside the city is Fontanella Tea Rooms https://www.fontanellateagarden.com.mt/ Go upstairs for the view. Quite small and can get pretty busy so you’ll have to judge how you feel. Lots of palazzos now offer food too so some gorgeous spots. 

Gozo

The car ferries run every 30 minutes or so in Summer and take 20-25 minutes. You pay on the way back at a kiosk driving through. The harbour in Gozo, Mgarr, is pretty with lots of boats moored, coming and going. 

A quiet island compared to Malta.

Very agricultural and obviously tourist dependent. 

As with Malta loads of spots to swim off the rocks but a couple of other places to look out for. 

Main little towns... 

Marsalforn, is a hub with restaurants and cafes on a shingle beach. There is a car park slightly inland, you’ll see signs.

Just about 5-6 minutes drive from here are the famous... in Gozo anyway, Saltpans. Stone cut away into the coastline to collect seawater and then farm natural sea salt. Worth a quick look..not long. 

Xlendi... sandy little beach here again restaurants on the sea. Lots of fishing. One we’ve liked is usual Maltese offerings of pizza pasta seafood... Ta’ Karolina, or next door The Stone Crab. 

Churches.... main one worth a look is Ta Pinu...a story of Mary appearing to farmers here led to this church being built.  There is a fascinating area where there are letters and photographs from people who have petitioned Mary for various wishes.., great stories there. It’s a special place. 

Capital is Victoria... again lots of cafes shops etc. Main draw here is the Citadel.. former capital of Gozo. Recently completely restored and a UNESCO site now.  You get amazing views from the top and a fascinating insight into life in ancient times. Well worth a look if you have the energy in the heat!

Ramla Hamra... or in English red sand. A good beach with somewhere to eat. Looking at the sea, head to the far-right end of the beach, u can just walk into the sea here. Large rocks before that. 

Hondoq... a very tucked away shingle/sand beach great swimming and jumping in off the old quayside if you’re brave!  Near the Mgarr harbour side of the island through a village called Qala.

So many places tucked away!

Lovely place to eat, a village called Xhaghra. In the square, lots of restaurants, our favourite is ‘Oleander’ https://www.bellavistafarmhousesgozo.com/oleanderrestaurant

Other Things To Do

A visit to Comino Blue Lagoon... you can get boats from all along the coast. Shortest hop is probably from Cirkewwa where the Gozo ferry is, or anywhere along that coast. Beautiful crystal blue waters. 

Captain Morgan offers many sea cruises; main embarkation point isn’t far from St Julians at the Strand in Sliema. You could get a day out including lunch - You just need to choose an itinerary that suits you.  

Rolling Geeks. An absolute gem of a morning or afternoon is something new and enjoyed by everyone who goes on it. It’s a self-drive golf buggy with GPS guided tour. It takes u, on proper roads, to absolute hidden gems of The Three Cities area across the harbour from Valetta.  You will see things that seasoned travellers to Malta have never seen or been aware of. Beautiful narrow streets, views, and there’s a commentary to tell u what you’re seeing. Starts at the Birgu waterfront which has loads of restaurants etc. Great views of the marina. It’s a real highlight, and very different for Malta. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=www.rolling-geeks.com&form=IPRV10

You will need to show a driving licence to take a buggy out – they each take 4 passengers.

Over the other side of Malta is the Blue Grotto, an early morning excursion by boat into caves, lovely, coloured coral etc... look online for details. https://www.bluegrottomalta.com.mt/

Places To Eat

A few special places, 

Mdina - Le Mondion... fine dining  https://demondion.xaracollection.com/

In an old Palazzo turned boutique hotel the Xara Palace, great view from the terrace, think it has a Michelin star.

Same pretty square part of the same hotel is Trattoria1530. [We will be eating here on the Friday evening after the Mdina tour]. https://xarapalace.com.mt/dining/trattoria-ad-1530/

Also, in Mdina for a special meal is Bacchus - sit outside, romantic. https://bacchus.com.mt/

The Portomaso Marina at the Hilton lots of reasonable places with a nice view.

Valletta so many places and nice to wander around in the evening. The city is very different at night.  One for a treat is Rampila - sit outside right on the edge of the bastion. Good food and view. https://www.rampila.net/

A good area for wandering out at night is St Julian’s, nearby Ballutta bay, or Spinola bay. Literally dozens of places to eat around there. A very good one is Wigi’s Kitchen (Jeff’s favourite) https://www.wigiskitchen.com/