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Holidays in Malta

Malta Main Guide | Places to visit | Things to do

Located in the Mediterranean Sea to the south of Sicily, Malta was a British possession for 150 years from 1814 onward, and played an important part in two world wars. Malta became independent in 1964 but remains part of the Commonwealth.

Today, Malta is a financial centre and is important in international maritime trade. The island Republic is a member of the European Union.

Malta can get very hot in summer, with highs of 42 °C occurring in August. This is also the busiest time of the year, especially with holidaymakers seeking a beach-and-party vacation. If you prefer a more relaxed holiday then June and October are both cooler and quieter. April to June is a good time to visit if you intend to be fairly active.

If you intend to explore the island then you will probably need to hire a car. The Maltese are not known to pay too much regard to the rules of the road, but driving is still fairly safe. Parking can be a problem in the larger towns. Taxis are expensive and not plentiful except in the largest cities and the bus service, while very cheap and good fun if you're not in a hurry, is unreliable.

The capital of Malta is Valletta, named for the Grand Master of the Knights of St John who led the island's defence during the Great Siege of 1565. This was just one of Malta's many dramatic historical episodes, which is why the city contains over 300 historic monuments.

Malta Facts At A Glance

Area: 316 square km.

Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain: Mostly rocky lowlands with many coastal cliffs

Population: 399 Thousand

Languages: Maltese, English

Currency: Lira

Time Zone: 1 Hour ahead of GMT

International Dialling Code: +356

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Places to visit

The Three Cities region is named for the fortified towns of Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea, lying just across Grand Harbour from Valletta. Vittoriosa has good Maritime and Folk Museums. Fort St Angelo, which guarded the harbour, is a major historical monument. Cospicua and Senglea have some interesting churches, housing art masterpieces including the Cottonera Lines (1638) and the St. Clements Retrenchement (1854).

The nearby islands of Gozo and Comino are easily reached from Malta.

Gozois greener and more rural than Malta, with many baroque churches and historical monuments. The island has many good beaches, some of them quite secluded, and some excellent dive sites. The capital of Gozo is Victoria (or Rabat as the locals call it). Its citadel can be seen from far off. Victoria is the cultural and economic centre of Gozo, with a good market and shops, but it remains relaxed and easy-going, at least most of the time. If you visit at the right time you might see horse races in the main street!

Comino,which lies between Malta and Gozo, is a very small island popular with watersports enthusiasts, divers and walkers. The Blue Lagoon on Comino is especially beautiful. The island has one resort hotel. It is an excellent getaway for a romantic holiday. You can also visit St Mary’s Fort, built in 1618 by the Knights of St John.

Things to do

Malta is covered in historic treasures and monuments. The island was inhabited in prehistoric times and has megalithic monuments plus tombs and settlements from the Bronze Age, the Roman era, Byzantine and later periods. The most important and unique historical site on Malta is the Hypogeum, an ancient temple or tomb composed of an underground labyrinth of chambers. The Museum of Archaeology in Valletta is extremely good.

Take advantage of Malta’s location in the Mediterranean with a short or long cruise. Short cruises include a historical tour of the harbour, dinner aboard a sailing yacht or a trip out to ideal locations for swimming and snorkelling. Longer cruises will take you around the island. On land, there are many tours available, from sightseeing tours of the cities to day trips to Sicily.

In Valletta itself there are some good shopping opportunities including local markets. You can also see the Malta Experience Show. The set from the 1980 film Popeye is also nearby. It has organised shows which are a fun day out. Popeye Village is also the base for quad biking if that’s more to your taste.

The Maltese are very religious people, as you will see from the large numbers of fine churches and cathedrals to be found in every city, town and village. Each of these buildings has its own hidden treasures and a history all its own.

Church steeples can be a handy aid to navigation if you’re driving or walking in the countryside, of if you need to find the centre of a village or town. Most churches are built with local limestone which is easy to carve, allowing local craftsmen to create exquisite designs.

If you only deliberately visit one church, make it the parish church of Mosta, which has one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. It was designed by a Maltese architect, Giorgio Grognet de Vasse, with construction beginning in 1836.

You can also find Maltese sculpture in strange places, with statues of saints on the corners of buildings and sometimes in quite odd locations. In many cases the reasons for the statue being there are entirely obscure; other times there is a local story connected with the sculpture.

If you like movies, Malta tends to get new releases very early. There are several multiplexes and an IMAX cinema, and depending on your tastes you can find the big Hollywood movies or more obscure art house films on offer.

For local crafts, visit the Ta’Qali Craft Centre at Ta’Qali. Built on the site of a Second World War airfield, the craft centre has silver-smiths, glassblowers, potters, ironsmiths, stone carves, lace makers and jewellers all working as you watch, and sells the full range of their produce.