Malta is an archipelago in the centre of the Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast.

The island is 316km squared and home to 365 churches and 7 sea caves. To drive the island between the two farthest towns would take around 1 hour if you have favourable traffic conditions.

The Maltese language is a mix of Arabic, French and English. The majority of Maltese people speak English and Italian fluently.

It’s a popular location for high budget filming. Gladiator, World War Z, Assassins Creed, The Da Vinci Code and Game of Thrones are just a few to have been filmed in Malta.

Malta has 14 public holidays which is amongst the highest of the EU countries. Religious holidays are a big thing. Between May and September Malta hosts 75 festivals including religious processions and group marches.

Valletta

Valletta was named the European Culture Capital in 2018. It’s one of the smallest capital cities in the world covering 0.8km square. Despite its small size it has over 320 historic monuments making it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.

Valletta was the first planned city in Europe and holds a record for one of the quickest scaled cities in the world, being completed in 15 years. Unusually for a city this old it has a grid layout which was designed to help with efficient movement within the city and aid defence.

It’s an easy city to explore. Cars have access limited in order to protect the historic streets. Many areas are pedestrianised which helps reduce pollution and make it easier for walking tours.

You can walk through Valletta in a day. From the centre and through the cobbled streets, past a few of the distinctive brightly painted wooden balconies and around the city walls.

Alternatively some prefer to take 2 or 3 days in Valletta and explore places such as the underground tunnels, the upper Barrakka Gardens or St. John’s Cathedral.

The Three Cities

The Three Cities are the fortified cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua.

Located on the south side of Valletta’s Grand Harbour, they are referred to as The Three Cities due to their close proximity and their historical significance. They’re also known as “The Cottonera”.

Vittoriosa, which means victory was originally named Birgu. It’s the oldest of The Three Cities and has a rich history including being a former capital of Malta. Vittoriosa is known for its waterfront and Inquisitor’s Palace.

Cospicua is the largest of The Three Cities and was originally known as Bormia. Cospicua, which means conspicuous, was given its name by the knights in honour of those who were inhabited during the great siege.

The city was rebuilt after being destroyed numerous times during battles. Visitors can explore the charming winding street, historical and cultural places. You find a more modern Cospicua along the coastal area where the old dockyard has been redeveloped into a marina.

Senglea is a small fortified city on a peninsular parallel to Vittoriosa which is connected by a pedestrian bridge. Known for its Christ the Redeemer and Mother Mary statues, Senglea was renamed from Isla after the man who fortified it in 1551, Claude de la Senglea. It’s also known as Citta’ Invicta (the invincible city).

75% of the buildings were damaged during WWII. Many of the key sites have been restored since. For a view of Valletta you can head to the Safe Haven Gardens at Senglea Point. For a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour, go to the Stone Bastion lookout point at the head of the gardens.

If you’re going by bus, there’s a direct route to the 3 cities. If you’re not staying in Valletta you’ll need to take a bus to Valletta bus station and change. You can go by boat from Valletta to Vittoriosa.

Mdina

Known as the silent city, Mdina is a fortified city in the Western region of Malta and has been around for 4,000 years. It was Malta’s capital at one point and has been known under different names depending on its ruler.

The gate to the main entrance has been featured in The Count of Monte Cristo and Game of Thrones. Here you’re walking through an outdoor museum. From cobbled alleyways to well preserved churches, to its baroque and medieval architecture, museums and more.

Once you’re done with Mdina, you can walk a few steps over and spend some time in the adjoining town of Rabat and grab a bite to eat.

Rabat is one of the oldest towns in Malta and a modest sized with a population of around 12,000. Even for its modest size there’s history, charm and cultural heritage.

The main street is filled with catacombs, St. Paul’s Church and St. Paul’s Grotto amongst other places to look at after you’re done passing by the narrow streets and historical houses.

Marsaxlokk

Marsaxlokk is a small traditional fishing village in Malta’s Southern Region.

Pronounced Marsa-schlock, the population is around 4,000. It’s the largest and one of the few remaining fishing villages in Malta.

The colourful boats and the bustling market are the first thing you notice. There’s music on the go and buskers where ever you look and something happening where ever you go.

The easiest way to get here is by car or an Uber or Bolt. It’s more time efficient compared to getting a bus where it’ll take 45 minutes from Valletta or 1 hour and 15 minutes from St Julian’s.

Marsaxlokk was my favourite thing about visiting Malta. It’s full of colour and character. The seafood is as good as you’d expect from a traditional fishing village. It’s a good alternative if you want something different.

We spent a few hours here but could have spent more. I imagine it’s a good place to out for dinner in the evening.

One thing we never got a chance to do because it wasn’t the right time of year is take a refreshing plunge into the nearby St Peter’s Pool. It’s a secluded natural pool known as one of the best swimming destinations on the island with its crystal clear waters.

Blue Lagoon

The crystal clear picturesque waters of the Blue Lagoon is located on the west coast off the island of Comino.

Comino makes up the Maltese Archipelago with Malta and Gozo. It has a population of just 3 permanent residents and is 3.5km squared.

Despite attracting big crowds and its growing popularity the Blue Lagoon remains unspoiled. We went during early April and the island was packed so you can imagine how crowded it gets during the summer months.

The Blue Lagoon has been used for several films including Troy starring Brad Pitt and Swept Away starring Madonna.

The island is accessible from Malta and Gozo by ferry. You can take a day trip boat or a taxi boat if you’re looking to spend a couple of hours here rather than the whole day.

As of May 1st 2025, access to the Blue Lagoon will be done on a pre booking basis (which is free) to help avoid overcrowding. It’s an understandable move because overcrowding on a small island like Comino isn’t good for keeping it preserved.

Malta is a good example of a modest sized country that can cater for any visitor.

Whether you’re on a stag do or a hen do or just want to party, you can spend your time in St Julian’s, or if you like to explore history, head to Valletta and The 3 Cities or Mdina. No matter what kind of traveller you are, Malta will have something for you.

One place I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time with is Popeye Village. I don’t know how else to put it, it’s just a weird place. Apart from a free drink and free snack voucher they give you on entry, it isn’t worth wasting your time on. It’s catered to families if that’s your thing.

Hiring a car makes it so much easier to cover the sites and you’re less reliant on buses which aren’t always the most reliable. A heads up for you, there are erratic drivers and parking is a bitch.

I parked my car in what I thought was an ideal spot near my hotel, and didn’t use it for the rest of the day. I returned the next morning to find that some dickhead hit the mirror and broke the casing off.

The mirrors were ones I could push inwards so fuck knows how the dip shit managed to hit it. The driver was nice enough by the looks of it to have got out of the car, and put the casing on the side for me to find so there’s that. I guess I can retract the dip shit remark.

It was a miracle the mirror barely had a scratch. There was a garage opposite and the mechanics helped super glue the casing back on and put some masking tape on (not the ideal tape but I wasn’t complaining). I hoped for the best when it was time to return the car. Getting the masking tape off was a struggle but I managed to blag it when I returned to the car hire company.

If you’re only coming for a weekend getaway, you can get by with the buses. If you don’t fancy using the bus, download the Bolt app as they’re usually cheaper than Uber.

7 – 10 days is a good amount of time to explore everything Malta has to offer and you can include a night or 2 in Gozo.