For those of you , who don’t know what or where Malta is , i am going to tell you that is NOT an island of Italy , nor Italian whatsoever but an densely populated island state , in fact the smaller one of the European Union ! Malta consists of seven islands , in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea but only 3 of them are inhabited , Malta , Comino and Gozo.Is Malta a place worth your visit? Without a second thought , YES!
Lets begin with an very important asset of Malta . The weather! It was late January when i boarded on the plane in moody , cloudy and cold Athens , while in Malta it was almost spring with a huge sun above us and that s because Malta , is included in the countries with the most sunny days per year! Second reason to visit Malta . is that English is spoken everywhere , literally their second formal language , so that means you can communicate with everyone easily! The Maltese language is a beautiful mixture of Arabic , Italian and French language , just so interesting to hear but i guess quite hard to learn.
But the most important reason of all , is just that Malta is an extremely , ridiculously beautiful place , that captures you from the first glimpse! Arabian beauty with Italian and English strokes that don’t let you ever to get bored! Lets go see everything about it!
Accommodation
- Valetta .The capital city of Malta is a brilliant choice for your stay , as you are practically in the center of everything , you can find numerous small apts and cute hotels some restaurants and bars! Not much of a nightlife since Valletta is a World Heritage Sight but is a Perfect choice for those who want to be in the middle of everything!
- Three cities. Right across Valletta , you can find the so called Three Cities. If you are a fun of more traditional , kind of vintage neighborhoods ( as i am ) i advise you to choose one from the Three cities for your stay. Cospicua , Senglea and Birgu are the names of them and we choose the last one for our stay only 7 min ferry boat ride to Valletta , worth less than 2 euro. It was calm and traditional and i fully loved it!
- Sliema. The absolute commercial center of the island , right where all the big hotels , night clubs and malls are! A really lively place but i personally didn’t like it , too much noise for me! Still , a short ferry ride to Valetta.
If you visit during the summer there are also plenty of villas by the sea ans also small villages you have to explore!
Moving around
Moving around Malta is relatively easy , since they have an excellent bus system that connects the whole island , but on they the other hand , since stops are very frequent it might take you a while to get from one place to another. Malta has no metro , so ferry also play a very important role in everyday life , connecting the capital with other smaller cities. If you think about renting a car just bare in mind that people in Malta drive on the left side and the steering wheel is on the right!
To Do List
Malta is a country full of history! I mean , full. It is been inhabited since 5200 BC by different ethnicities , such as the Greeks , Foinics, Arabs , Romans , Turks , French, Italian and English , until Malta was finally claimed an independent country in 1964. It is the place where the famous Knights of Malta lived , whose houses are spread all over the island and there is literally so much to see other than the famous balconies! Lets start!
Hagar Qim Temples .If you also thought that the Pyramids are the oldest monument on earth , then you are wrong just as i was! This temple was built 1000 years , before them!Located 40 min away from Valletta in the Qrendi area is a total must see!
St.John’s Co- Cathedral. The most imposing cathedral of the island , with a magnificent architecture and home to 400 knight’s graves , it could also be named Caravagio’s museum! It is located in the center of Valletta , and the entrance price is at 10 euros with audio guide!
Hal Saflieni Hypogeum . This underground graveyard , is dated in 4000 BC and is the only one of its kind , accessible to people in the World . The 35 euro entrance fee is a bit pricey but at least it includes a guide in English . Be careful! If you are interested in seeing it , you have to book your tickets way in advance , since there are limited spots!
Upper Barakka Gardens. You can find it in Valletta , and for me a visit in a national museum of a country is the least you can do , to know something about the history and culture of a place , that you choose to visit! Entrance is just 5 euros and you get to see the most ancient finding of Malta’s temples , the famous ” Sleeping lady ” . It’s so tiny but so cute !
The Inquisitor ‘s Palace. You can find that in Birgu , in one of the Three Cities and it is the only inquisitor’s palace saved in the World , from this dark era of Christianity!
Mdina και Rabat . Mdina is the oldest town and first capital of Malta , also referred to , as the ” silent city ” , since only 200 people live there permanently! It has a medieval style , with less balconies but is such beautiful buildings that you just cant miss it! We accidentally found a very interesting museum , called The Knights of Malta , in wich we learned a lot about the Knights , surprisingly with a Greek audio guide! Rabat , is right across Mdina , a pretty small town , with cute cafes and the famous St. Paul’s Catacombs ! Find them and get lost in them , like we did!
What about food?
Maltese cuisine is a delicious blend of Mediterranean and Italian recipes , with a lot of fish and pasta! Try the traditional pastizzi ( small pie with pea , or ricotta filling ) and Maltese ftira ( sandwich with tuna , vegetables and red sauce). I tried and loved thos three restaurants located in Vitorriosa. ( Make sure you reserve a table in advance)
- – OSTERIA VE- DI CENTR- BE BIRGU
So to sum up , Malta and i have a forever bond from now on! I really loved this place , i left a piece of my heart there and i cant wait to go back to see more! Visiting during the winter time , was the best decision ever , i feel like i enjoyed the place with no crowds and never ending lines! Arabic beauty with Italian esthetic . Super kind people , saying hello every morning. Delicious food. Extra clean and safe. Colorful balconies and history everywhere. What’s not to love? Malta , i ll be back!
Evita.
Watch my Malta Video here!
