A tiny island country south of Sicily and east of Tunisia, stepping into Malta is like a stepping back in time. With incredible old, historic buildings, surrounded by sparkling blue Mediterranean waters and densely populate city areas, it is a very unique place to venture to for a vacation. I was lucky to spend 3 days here, fulfilling my longtime dream of going to Malta, with my wonderful friend Josh, who is a native Maltese!
Valletta
The capital city of Malta, located right on a huge harbour, full of beautiful, old buildings. We walked through the narrow streets, past the parliament and other official government buildings, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, free public gardens that had a beautiful view of the water, Silema and parts of Valletta.
St. Paul’s Bay
A modern, touristy part of the island, this is the part of Malta that we stayed in. Everything is walkable, with huge stretches of bars and restaurants in the main plaza. There are also different swimming points, harbours full of boats and lots of activities for anyone looking to enjoy their vacation. The cuisine in Malta is varied – lot of British influence (Full english breakfasts for under 4 euro everywhere) a lot of Italian food (so much pizza… yum) as well as classic Maltese dishes. There is something for everyone!
Scuba Diving
There is an overwhelming amount of scuba companies to choose from for divers in Malta. I went with Aquatica as they were located conveniently near our apartment and had good reviews online. I was not disappointed, the morning of my dive they picked me up and brought me to the shop where I was fitted with all new equipment. We went on two shore dives, one through swim-through caves and another to a cool wreck. I would highly recommend Aquatica Dive Center in Malta, I had a great experience. The shop is also a coffee shop, which was a nice space to hang out in while I waited for the other divers to get geared up.
Comino & Blue Lagoon
For 8 euros roundtrip, we bought tickets on a little ferry to go to Comino, a tiny island just off the coast of mainland Malta that is known for its beautiful blue lagoon. There are different vendors selling food and drinks, but I would recommend packing your own food if you’re looking to stay there all day, as everything is quite pricey. There isn’t much of a sandy beach – just a small strip that is completely full of sunbeds, but we ventured on a little hike to find a more remote, private spot to go for a swim. The views are stunning, and the water was warm and enjoyable to swim in.
Gozo is another island which is visible from Comino and is more populated, also famed for the blue lagoons. We didn’t have time to make it here, but in the future if I were to go back to Malta, I would definitely make time to visit Gozo!
Malta Travel Tips/Information:
Public transport on the island is nothing like major European cities. It’s a bit unreliable and slow (took 2 hours to get to the airport, which was a whopping 15km from our apartment). It will get you where you need to go, but be prepared to be very, very patient.
A lot of flights do not operate every day of the week – because I flew in on a Saturday and out on Tuesday, I had to book two one-way tickets. This is just something to keep in mind for people who cannot take a full week to go to Malta.
Because Malta was a British colony, they drive on the left side of the road – be sure to be careful my fellow Americans before you look the wrong way when crossing the street.
Taxi’s are expensive – be prepared for this. And traffic is pretty bad as most people on the island have cars to get around, but nothing takes too long because it is such a small island.
It’s a fun, beautiful place to relax! It stays warmer longer than the rest of Europe – it was about 80F/27 celsius when I visited in mid-October.
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