We haven’t blogged in a while. You know… a pandemic, a baby, a wedding. A lot has been going on! But Malta is the perfect destination to revive our blog.

In 2018, we were looking into going to Italy when we stumbled upon this little island country of 450 000 habitants in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. It seemed like a perfect combination of history, beach, good weather, diving and good food scene. Turns out it was all of that and much more. With direct flights from multiple European cities, it’s quite accessible. The official languages are Maltese and English, making it very easy to get around. And it’s pretty affordable too compared to other European cities.

Since our first visit in 2018, we went back to Malta twice, one of these visits being for our wedding. YES! After our first trip to Malta, we loved it so much we decided to make it our destination for our wedding, allowing our friends and family to discover this country we fell in love with!

The wedding was planned for 2020 and postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic. That gave us lots of time to plan our trip and prepare an ultimate travel guide for our guests. For our 2nd wedding anniversary, we’re sharing our guide!

GETTING AROUND

A car is a must if you want to explore the whole island!

We’ve rented once with Suprice Car Rentals (tiny office inside the airport, keep in mind, the office is closed early morning – extra charge for drop off) and once with Enterprise. The car rental is quite cheap compared to other countries like Italy.

We had also used a car sharing company that has unfortunately shut down in Malta.

There are plenty of rental scooters (ex: Lime) which we LOVED using for short distances, especially when going uphill!

The bus system is decent but takes a lot more planning if you want to explore the island.

The ferries are a must when going to Valletta, simply to enjoy the view.

Exploring Malta by the water is a must. Join a tour or rent a boat for a day.

WHERE TO STAY

Sliema – this is the area we picked for our wedding trip. Most of our guests and ourselves stayed at the Palazzo Violetta and we could not recommend it enough. Justin and the staff at this family-run boutique hotel are warm and welcoming. We had an amazing week long stay. The rooms are quite big as per European standards, many have balconies or terraces, the pool is perfect for an afternoon dip and the breakfast is exactly what you need before heading out for a day of exploring. The design respects the original Maltese house architecture and they even used the old doors to turn them into tabletops in the breakfast room!

Valletta – If you’re in town just for a few days, we recommend staying in Valletta. No need for a car, explore by foot and enjoy getting lost around the streets of the capital.

We’ve previously stayed at the Cumberland Boutique Hotel, a trendy hotel in the middle of the action.

Other options in Valletta: the Phoenicia Hotel (splurge) or Ursulino Valletta.

St-Julian’s – backpacker and party district : if you want to be in the heart of the party, this is the place to stay. Very touristic, it has lots of restaurant and bars.

Three Cities – We stayed at the Gran Cugo Macina Grand Harbor Hotel for two nights, as our wedding was taking place at the Sheer Bastion, their rooftop venue. The architecture is incredible and perfectly mixes old and new.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO + WHERE TO EAT BY NEIGHBOURHOOD

VALLETTA

Valletta is the smallest national capital in the European Union. We absolutely loved getting lost through the narrow cobblestone streets, looking up at all the colourful balconies and exploring the city until the sun set.

The city is names after its founder, Grand master Jean Parisot de la Valette. It was built in 1565, after the Great Siege.

It can be reached by ferry/foot, car or Bus:
– Ferry from Sliema (round trip ticket : 2.80 euros) , You can check out the ferry schedule here

– If driving, park your car in one of the public parking lots outside of the fortified city.

Things to see and do:

The best thing to do in Valletta is to walk around and explore without a specific destination.

• City Gate
• Triton Fountain and the restored entrance via Republic Street

• New Parliament Building

• Open-Air theatre of Pjazza Teatru Rjal

• Upper Barrakka Gardens –Saluting battery (gun salute at noon)

• Lower Barrakka Gardens
• St John’s Co-Cathedral
• Grand Master Palace
• Is-Suq Tal-Bet (food market)

• Hasting Gardens
• Fort St. Elmo
• St George’s Square (changing of the guards at noon last Friday of the month)
• Valletta Waterfront
• The Malta Experience or Malta 5D (audio visual show on Malta’s History)
• MUZA (national museum of history)
• Poolside at the Phoenicia Malta Hotel (60 € full-day access, redeemable on food and drinks)

Where to get your coffee fix: Lot sixty one or Café Prego

Prefer a gelato break ? check out Amorino

Where to eat in Valletta:

• Legligin (for local food), tasting menu – small space, call for RSVP
• Rampila : a small restaurant located in a tunnel, where we ate a mouth-watering burrata for starter, traditional Maltese rabbit and Aubergine Parmigiana as mains, and a traditional date filled pastry for dessert.
• Trabuxu

• Da Pippo (no menu, trust your waiter) – for lunch
• Noni
• Gianninni : beautiful view, fresh food, $$$
• Guzé: local, in the heart of Valletta, online booking
• The harbour club: upscale, small, $$$
• Muza restaurant : in the museum
• Zero sei: Italian restaurant
• Nenu the artisan baker
• Pulled meat company

To grab a drink (or 2):

• Bridge bar is famous for its Friday Jazz Nights, definitely a must !

• Yard 32 gin bar : no tables, but grab your drink on Strait street
• Trabuxu Wine Bar
• Ginscal Mezcal Bar

THREE CITIES

The three cities are Birgu (Vittoriosa), Senglea (Isla) and Bormla (Cospicua)

It’s worth a visit by foot. You can reach the Three Cities by ferry or small boat.

Things to do:

• Dock 1
• Fort St. Angelo
• Senglea waterfront
• Vittoriosa waterfront (yacht and launch)
• Gardjola gardens and guard tower
• St Lawrence’s church
• Inquisitor’s palace
• Malta maritime museum

Restaurants in the Three Cities:

• Talpetut : local, busy, make a reservation
• Hamett’s Macina Restaurant

ST JULIAN’S

More touristic, lots of restaurants and bars, Resorts and Casino

You can walk along the boardwalk and visit the different bays (Balluta Bay, Spinola Bay, Portomaso Marina and all the way to St George’s Bay)

Things to see:

• Balluta Bay
• Spinola bay with the “Love” Sign on the bridge
• Portomaso marina and Casino

Restaurants:

• The villa : Has 2 upscale restaurant – Nori and Taro. We had a fantastic experience at Taro
• Crudo: healthy café
• Crust: trendy brunch spot
• Zest: in Spinola Bay (in the Juliani hotel), Asian inspired
• One Portomaso: fine dining $$$
• Maltese mama: in Paceville, near the Hilton
• Two Buoys: Spinola Bay
• Blue elephant in the Hilton

PACEVILLE
It’s the “backpacker’s” party destination, filled with bars, pubs, stripclubs. The streets are packed at night!
Daytime: Sky Beach Rooftop Bar
Nightime: Havana Club, Level 22, Dragonara Casino and Resort are some of the many options if that’s your vibe

SLIEMA

With its long waterfront promenade and lidos, Sliema is one of Malta’s busiest commercial and social Hub. It is also a great spot to connect to the other parts of the island.

Things to do

• Walk along the promenade
• Explore Sliema’s quiet streets and look up for the beautiful balconies
• The Point shopping mall at Tigné Point : Go to the Pedestrian Bridge outside for the best view over Valletta
• “Souvenirs that don’t suck” : store for original Maltese branded gifts

Restaurants and Bars :

• The Chophouse, where we had our welcome dinner – an impeccable 7 course degustation menu, with views of Valletta at sunset as a bonus!

• Hole in the wall bar
• The brew (locally brewed beer)
• Café Il Gabbana,  for lunch on their cute terrasse, the perfect spot for people watching.
• Emma’s Kitchen
• Manouche craft bakery and bistro

MDINA

The fortified city in the Northern Region of Malta, which served as the island’s capital from antiquity to the medieval period.

A visit to the Silent City is a must. Our first time here, we arrived as a bride was entering the church of St-Paul and tourists were waving at her like she was the queen. The medieval city made this wedding look like it was a fairy tale and inspired us to come back to celebrate our wedding here in 2022.

St Paul’s Cathedral: This is where we got married! It will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Restaurants in Mdina:

• Coogi’s for its indoor terrace and fantastic food – they we’re able to accommodate 30 of our guests last minute.

• Fior di latte for amazing gelato
• The Cork and Fork (outside of Mdina, in Rabat)
• Crystal palace : a counter for pickup, right outside Mdina, that sells pastizzi

MARSAXLOKK

Small traditional fishing village with great restaurants for seafood and known for its Sunday Fish Market
There are plenty of restaurant options. The top rated ones are : Tartarun, T’Anna Mari, Terrone, Filippo

MOSTA: Mosta is famous for the Rotunda church, which has the third largest unsupported dome in the world and survived a bomb that crashed through the dome and didn’t explode!

BLUE GROTTO

The view from the top is the best. When arriving to Zurrieq, where the little boats to visit the Blue Grotto leave from, stop at the viewpoint. We decided to skip the tourist boat tours that take you inside the grotto and instead we enjoyed la dolce vita and felt like we were in an Italian movie, hanging out on the rocks by the water, with locals, jumping in the water to freshen up.

St Peter’s Pool

Popular natural swimming pool in a scenic, horseshoe-shaped rock formation with clear aqua water
– It can get pretty crowded
– There is no sand but you can lie your towel down on the rocks and jump off the cliff. There is a little latter to help you get out of the water.

St Paul’s Bay area

Café del Mar is a popular pool party destination, located next to the Aquarium.

Unesco Sights
Hagar Qim. Megalithic Temple Complexes: the oldest structures in the world (older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge!)
Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum (burial site in which the remains of more than 7000 of Malta’s early inhabitants have been found)

Hiking options:

• Dingli cliff
• Mellieha
• Wied Il-Ghasel in Mosta
• Wied Babu in Zurrieq
• Chadwick Lakes
• Wied Il Ghasri in Gozo

Diving
Malta has diving for both beginner and advance divers. Its clear blue waters are ideal for clear visibility, Gozo has some great marine life and Malta has some awesome WWI and WWII wrecks.

Festivals and Events

Village Festas are a big deal in Malta! Every town hosts a festa for a different saint. Look it up online but you’ll likely see decoration across towns and hear the fireworks at night.

COMINO – the smallest island of the Maltese archipelago, between Malta and Gozo. It measures 3.5 square kms and is famous for it’s Blue Lagoon, renowned for its crystal clear water. It can only be reached by boat.

We had an incredible day at sea two days prior to our wedding with all of our guests and we stopped by the Blue Lagoon for a swim. A must-do when in Malta.

The first time we visited Malta, we took a sea kayak tour departing from Gozo and visited Comino.

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MALTA BEACH GUIDE

Mellieha Bay (Ghadira Bay)

Gnejna Bay – pretty small and crowded

Paradise Bay

Ghajn Tuffieha (Riviera Bay)
beautiful beach and the tower at the top offers an amazing view. There’s a restaurant on site.
– You will need to walk down 200 steps to reach the beach, but well worth it!

Golden Bay is your other option if you don’t want to go down the stairs to Ghajn Tuffieha. The other bay next to it, called Golden Bay, is easily accessible, has lots of parking but gets pretty crowded because of its accessibility and nearby resorts.

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GOZO

With a population of just 37,000 or so people, yet covering an area of 67 km2 (26 square miles), Gozo is a much quieter place to be. In fact, many people refer to Gozo as “what Malta used to be like”, a rural area where time just seems to be passing slower than most places.

How to get there:
Ferry leaves from Cirkewwa. You pay on your way back only.
You will need a car to get around.

What to do :
Rabat (capital): Independence square, Cittadella
Ggantija temple
Ta pinu Basilica
Salt pans

Restaurants:

• Tmun restaurant: Mgarr Harbor, seafood
• Ta frenc : fine dining
• Maxokk bakery : pizza
• Ic-cima : overlooking the sea
• The boathouse : with over a thousand reviews, in Xlendi, on the sea
• Winery : Ta-Betta wine estate, Ta Mena Estate

BEACHES in GOZO

Wied l-Ghasri : Secluded small pebble beach

San blas Bay

Ramla Bay (red sand beach)

Tal Mixa Cave (view of Ramla bay from the top)

Mgarr Ix Xini

Hondoq-Ir- Rummen

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Malta will forever have a special place in our hearts!