Visiting Malta

INTRODUCTION: With top touristic destinations such as Italy, Greece, Spain and even France out of favour for various reasons (forest fires, pandemic, natural catastrophies, terrorist activities, escalating costs of hotels, etc.) Malta offers a good alternative to travellers looking for sun and a peaceful holiday without having to worry too much about terrorist attacks or pickpockets and thieves (not that there is no crime at all in Malta but it is a comparatively safe country compared to many of the big touristic cities.)

Malta's famous pastizzi and huge chicken pies near the Sliema harbour.

High Street Square in Sliema is just next to the pastizzi shop.

Some people still think Malta is a British colony when in fact it has become independent since 2002 when it became a member of the European Union. So EU citizens will find it really convenient to visit Malta as no passport is required nor is there a need to change money and most EU banks do not charge service fees for using the Visa card there. An identity card is all that is needed for EU citizens.

St John Street is at the very heart of Valletta, the capital of Malta.

A popular cafe at St John's Square in Valletta.

There is really much to say in favour of Malta, despite the fact that the names of the streets and towns (many of which are of arabic origin) are mindboggling and quite unpronounceable, though it won't take you long to discover that Triq simply means Street. Nevertheless its English influence can still be seen with the traditional red letter boxes as well as red phone booths on the streets though the latter remain as decorations as there are no telephone lines inside! WH Smith is present everywhere and drivers still keep to the left, which is not the case in many EU countries. English is spoken everywhere in Malta, as it is one of its two official languages, the other being Maltese.

The vestiges of English colonisation (which lasted from 1814 until 1964) can still be seen in the red post office boxes (in service) as well as the red phone booths (merely for show).

The generosity of a Maltese family. Where in the world can you help yourself to basilic leaves for free? This picture was taken in Triq Nicolo Isouad in Sliema.

Upon arrival at the Malta international airport, if you are relying on public transport, it is advisable to buy a card that entitles you to 12 bus trips. This costs 15€ and a ticket is valid for 2 hours if you need to change buses to go to your destination. But perhaps a better solution, even if you are staying for just 4 or 5 days, is to pay 21€ for an unlimited 7-day use. As buses are the main means of transport in Malta you can start by buying one at the airport and use it rightaway to take you to Sliema or Valletta, some 10 kilometers away.

There is a ferry between Sliema and Valletta every half hour.

This is the ferry that plies between Sliema and Valletta till late in the night.

For a change though you might want to take a ferry ride costing 1€50 from Sliema, the animated part of Malta island, to Valletta or the other way round. Unless you prefer climbing up for a good 10 minutes, it might be preferable to experience the ferry ride from Valletta to Sliema rather than the other way round as there is no problem taking a bus from Sliema to Valletta.

The Upper Barrakka Gardens offer a panoramic view of the city.

Another aspect of the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta.

But in order to visit the main places of interest in Malta it might be a good idea to take a day's cruise to Gozo, Comino and the Blue Lagoon. This cruise starts from the Sliema Ferry and takes you first to the island of Gozo where a bus is waiting to take you to Xlendi Bay for pictures and then to its capital city of Victoria where you will have ample time for lunch and a visit to the Citadel (Citadella) fortress, which is the top tourist attraction in Gozo for its historical interest. After that the bus will take you back to the starting point where you will re-board the boat for the main highlight of the cruise, which is the Blue Lagoon in Comino island. Its limpid and clear waters will take your breath away should you decide to go for a swim there. Don't forget to bring your swim goggles along if you want to see the fishes swimming below you. And you have to go a bit out in order to avoid the huge crowds and enjoy your swim without bumping into others.
Note: If you intend to travel a lot by bus you would do well to download their application called Tallinja.

Entrance to the Saluting Battery standing high above the capital city.

The Saluting Battery offers a spectacular view of Valletta.

Unless bad luck is on your side you are likely to have good weather whichever period of the year you go as it is said that it's sunny 300 days out of the 365 in a year. Beaches for swimming abound everywhere in Malta, the most popular ones (apart from the Blue Lagoon) being the sandy Golden Bay and Paradise Bay in Malta island.

Valletta, the capital of the Republic of Malta

Valletta is high up on a hill. You will feel this the moment you set foot on Valletta by ferry from Sliema. If climbing up a few steps is enough to make you gasp for breath it is advisable for you to spend 5€ for a cab ride to the city centre at the top.

You can expect to have a very long climb up to the city centre if you should come to Valletta from Sliema by ferry.

Another of the many steep roads in Valetta. One of the worst is Republic Street. Unless you are 100% fit don't try to walk along it from the St Elmo Place end (it's more than 1km long!)

Be prepared for plenty of walking uphill and downhill when you are in the city centre of Valletta. Ladies, better wear your sneakers and leave your high heels behind! Try walking up Republic Street from the Fort St Elmo end and you will see what I mean! Republic Street is parallel to Merchants Street and these two are the main arteries of Valletta's economic life.

Hastings Garden in Valletta. It is located on top of St. John's Bastion and St. Michael's Bastion	Façade of Auberge de Castille, the official residence of the Prime Minister of Malta.
Queueing up to enter Fort St Elmo.	Tritons' Fountain in Valletta.

Sliema, on the other side of Valletta

For most tourists to Malta, Sliema is a convenient location to stay as it is close to St Julian's and Paceville, where the nightlife is. Not to mention its closeness to the harbour, where many of the numerous cruises take off. A visit to Sliema from Valletta is a must. The Sliema harbour area is a hive of activity, abounding with shops and restaurants. I was surprised to learn that almost all the workers at McDonald's Sliema near the harbour come from Nepal! There is wifi here and the best part of it is that it is open from 7am to 2am seven days a week.

The Sliema coastline as seen from the sea. The 4-star Cavalieri Art Hotel in St. Julian's is on the right of the picture.

Another view of the Sliema coastline as seen from the cruise boat.

A stone's throw from McDonald's is Burger King. There are also pizza stalls at every corner of the street! In the same neighbourhood you'll find the well-replenished Welbee's Supermarket. Note that electrical plugs for your mobile phone chargers are the same as the ones in England so buy one here if you don't have it.
Sliema, with its neighbouring towns St. Julian's (San Giljan for the locals) and Paceville, is popular with joggers and walkers alike and you will find them already running along its long esplanade at sunrise. It has also an active nightlife with many clubs and restaurants along the seafront. The long and winding street alongside it is called Triq It-Torri and it runs all the way from Spinola Bay in St. Julian to Fort Tigné near the Sliema ferries, a distance of no less than 1km! It is at this end of Triq It-Torri that you will find McDonald's as well as Welbee's Supermarket (opens 7/7 from 7h30 to 21h00 except Sunday when it closes at 19h30).

One of the five or six bays at St Julian's.

Malta's famous stewed rabbit. Another Maltese speciality is aljotta soup.

Gozo island, where life is much quieter

Gozo has it own capital, which is called Victoria. Some of the elderly Maltese residents there still call it by its former name, Rabat.
During the cruise we could see lots of jellyfish on the high seas. Some of them do arrive near the beaches and when this happens there is a violet flag to indicate their presence.
You can read all about Gozo and its attractions here.

Boat approaching Mgarr, the harbour of Gozo.

The tuk-tuk is not only found in Asia but also in Gozo

View of Xlendi Bay in Gozo.

A children's park in Victoria, Gozo's capital.

Sunset in Gozo. Click for enlarged picture. (Photo credit: GG)

Comino, an island for a modern-day Robinson Crusoe and his son

According to our guide, no one lives in Comino today except a man and his son. Yet the island is a must for anyone visiting Malta as it is where the Blue Lagoon is. The crystal-clear water allows you to see fishes swimming below you (you might need to wear swim goggles to enjoy the sight).

The boat approaching one of the numerous caves in Comino

The entrance to one of the caves of Comino.

When we talk about Malta we have to be clear if we are talking about the country or about one of the three islands that make up the country (Malta island, Gozo and Comino). To be very clear we can call the country the Republic of Malta and the biggest of the three islands in the country as Malta island, which, besides Valletta, also includes Sliema, St Julian's and Paceville. Actually there are 2 other islands called Cominotto and Filfla but they are so tiny that they don't really count!

Note: The above article was written on 15 October 2023. My other travel articles as below were written a few years back so certain information might no longer be true. They are left here as archives.
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