You can drive the main island of Malta in its length in an hour. Gozo Island is even smaller and you can drive it in 30-40 minutes! But even if it’s a small island, you have plenty to do and see in Malta on your holiday and I find it very difficult for someone to discover the island in just a weekend. Both islands have many attractions that you don’t want to miss. Enjoy the beautiful turquoise water, hanging cliffs and beaches, practice diving or a variety of water sports. Or you can visit the Neolithic archeological sites and the war shelters and monuments from World War 2.
Just like in Gozo you can drive along the coast while looking on Google maps at the main attraction points to make sure you don’t miss anything. But here are a few of the places I liked the most while spending 5 days in Malta:
Valletta, the southernmost capital of Europe, a cultural holiday in Malta
The town of Valletta is also the capital of Malta, and the southernmost capital of Europe. This fortified city was founded in 1500’s by the knights of St. John. Here there are lots of historical places and post war sites. Stroll through the tight angled streets of the old city, drop in the St John’s Cathedral and stop for lunch at one of the many terraces and restaurants.
I loved the view over the city and the Mediterranean from the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the Lower Barrakka Gardens. The War Siege Memorial and the Lascaris War Rooms are located here.
If you love diving but don’t want to dive only in the Comino Island, you can check out St Elmo Bay and dive to see the HMS Maori Ship Wreck and learn about it’s history.
Love to catch the sea breeze? Then the Valletta Waterfront area or Cospicua and Bergu can be great for a stroll.
And last but not least the Tarxien Temples, dating from 3150 BC are worth a visit to immerse yourself in the history and truly get a feeling of how old the island of Malta really is.
St George’s Bay, Saint Julians – a popular place for your holiday in Malta
In my Malta holiday I’ve stayed a few nights in St George’s Bay in Saint Julians, which is about 20 minutes drive from Valletta or the airport. This area has a bay with a little beach, quite a few big hotels and plenty of restaurants and a shopping centre. I loved looking at the boats while having dinner and enjoying the afternoon breeze.
Mosta Rotunda Malta, and important church to visit in your holiday in Malta
Mosta Rotnda is a Roman Catholic Parish church dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady. The Basilica was built in the 1800’s in the style of the Pantheon in Rome. During the WW2 in 1942 a German bomb fell through the cupola and inside the church without exploding. This was seen as a miracle and a replica of the unexploded bomb can be seen inside the church.
Popeye Village, a fun activity in your Malta holiday
Popeye Village reminded me a lot of my childhood, and I sweared I have to rewatch the movie once home. The village is actually a thematic park, which I wasn’t aware of. Bring your kids here and they will have a good time guaranteed! From the entrance where you get your tickets there is a road that goes down to the “village”, only about 3-5 minutes of walking.
The animators are performing a short show at set times, and it was fun to watch. Down by the water you can take a boat tour or swim and have fun. A swimming pool is available for the little ones, a cinema, a bar, tanning area and much more!
If you don’t want to enter the Popeye Village and pay a ticket, you can drive further down the road and pull on the left inside the parking area. From the cliff here you can see the village on the other side and take some great photos of it.
Don’t skip Mdina in your Malta vacation
Visiting Mdina in your Malta vacation is a must, in my opinion. Mdina, also called “The silent city”, was the capital of Malta until Medieval times when the Knights of St John founded the current capital in Valletta. The city was founded in the 8th century BC by Phoenicians and later was reduced to its current size by Byzantine and Arab occupation.
In Mdina I stayed at the Point de Vue guesthouse which I really recommend. They had clean rooms and the food in the restaurant terrace downstairs was very good and reasonably priced. The location was great too, just in front of the Mdina parking lot, a 3 minute walk to Mdina gate, or 10 minute walk to St Paul’s church and Catacombs.
St Paul’s Church and Catacombs of Malta
Not far from Mdina’s gate, about 10 minutes walking you will find 17th century St Paul’s Church and close to it the St Paul’s Catacombs. The catacombs are an important part of Malta’s early Christian archeology. This is an interesting and unique place to visit during your holiday in Malta.
Dingly Cliffs in Malta for sunset and dinner
Dingly Cliffs, in the northern part of the island of Malta is a beautiful spot to see the sunset. It was not only a gorgeous view, but I also got to see the Bronze Age Grain Silos. Isn’t it crazy that I get to see something from the Bronze Age?!
After taking in the beautiful sunset I took the Triq Panoramica road, which took only 5-10 minutes. Here you will pass by the ‘il Ballun‘ Radar and you can stop at The Cliffs restaurant for a dinner with view.
A day in Gozo Malta Island
No Malta holiday is complete without a visit to Gozo island, so on my 5-day trip to Malta I’ve spent my first day in Gozo. I did this because on the last day I would have to be on the main island to get to the airport. So I made my way to the Gozo Island in the rental car. The trip starting from the Malta airport to the north of Gozo took less than 2 hours.
Everything is within a 30 minute drive range and you can see and eat in different parts of the island without any problem. The places I liked the best in Gozo are the Citadella in Victoria, the Blue Hole and Azure Window Ruins, Wied il-Għasri, the Salt Pans, Ramla bay and beach, Ggantija neolithic site and the Mgarr ix-Xini bay. However there are many natural attractions to see, and I recommend you to drive all along the coast while locating on Google maps the attraction points.
Gozo Ferry from Malta, where it is and how to get tickets
The Gozo Ferry from Malta side is easy to find if you have internet in your phone. It is located in the northest tip of the Malta island. In order to get to Gozo Island you will have to take the ferry from the Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal to Gozo Ferry Terminal. This is the Cirkewwa-Mgarr ferry route.
You will also see here the Comino Ferry Terminal where you can take the Blue Lagoon Ferry to Comino Island. This one is for passengers only and you can’t take your car. I haven’t visited Comino on my trip because usually there are many people going on day trips to the beaches there and to do diving. And I just wanted a relaxed time away from crowds.
How to get the ferry tickets to Gozo Malta
Once you arrive at the Malta ferry terminal, you can go ahead and drive directly in the waiting lines – they are located on the right side as you drive, right before the main ferry terminal building. Here you will see them numbered 1, 2, 3, etc and the cars will enter the ferry boat in that order.
You don’t need to buy a ticket at this point, you will pay on your return from Gozo in the Gozo ferry terminal. They have a good system and it works like paying a toll, meaning you don’t have to get out of your car to purchase your tickets. A return ticket costs: €4.65 adults, €1.15 children 3-12 years of age, and €15.70 car and driver. The ferry leaves every 45 minutes all year round and the trip takes 30 minutes. During your time on the ferry you can stay on deck or inside the cafeteria where you can have a cooling drink and a snack. They even have a little shop if you need to buy some snacks or magazines.
Gozo farmhouses, an authentic accommodation for your holiday in Malta
The farmhouses are very popular and authentic accommodation options for tourists and there are more farm houses available than hotels. And honestly why wouldn’t you stay in a farmhouse and experience the authenticity of Gozo during your holiday in Malta. They are very popular and sought after by tourists.
I’ve stayed in the little and charming town of Gharb in a 350 years old farm house called Ta Karmni. It was probably the oldest farmhouse in town! The large swimming pool was so inviting and relaxing and the host Anna was so accommodating and had great advice to give of where to eat and what to see.
The Citadella in Victoria Gozo
The Citadella is the main architectural feature in Victoria, first built in 1500BC. It is still standing high above the town. Take with you water and a hat to visit, and avoid going at midday when the sun is the hottest. As an alternative you can walk the tight streets of Victoria and visit the local shops and restaurants.
The Blue Hole and Azure Window in Gozo Malta
The Blue Hole and the Azure Window is a place on the West of the island of Gozo, where you can spend the whole day. Unfortunately the natural rock arch that gave the place the Azure Window name collapsed in 2017, but the place still has lots of charm and natural beauty. You can sunbathe and swim in the cave lake, or you can dive in the Blue Hole. Hike all around the ragged cliffs to see the Azure Window Ruins and take in the view. Have a delicious local food lunch in the Azure Window Restaurant or enjoy a refreshment in one of the terraces near the lake. Come here for dinner and to enjoy a wonderful sunset view! The access to this place is easy with space to park your car and there’s also a bus stop.
Wied il Ghasri in Gozo Malta
Wied il Ghasri is a bit hard to pronounce, but it’s found in the north-west coast of Gozo. This is a little bay formed by huge cliffs. Between these cliffs the water formed a little private beach. You can access the beach by going down a number of steep stone steps and swim, kayak snorkel and cave dive. Or you can enjoy the view from above and take some beautiful snaps of the view.
Salt Pans of Gozo, a beautiful sunset in Malta
The Salt Pans in the north coast was the highlight of Gozo for me. Probably this was due to going there in the golden hour, just before the sunset. The reflections and play of light that was taking place in the salt pans and the coast were beautiful to watch.
I really recommend taking this quick drive around the coast from Wied il Ghasri along the Triq Ix-Xwejni road. Here is also the rock where Nicky Farrugia arrived in 1985, and set the World Record by swimming from Sicily to Gozo in 30 hours and 17 minutes!
Ramla Bay and beach in the north of Gozo
Ramla Bay and its beach is located in the north coast of Gozo and it’s popular with locals and tourists. You might have to park a bit away from the beach if you come on a weekend. Here you will find a restaurant to eat, and a few gift shops on the side of the path to the beach.
If you like to hike you can also find here hiking paths, as in most areas on the coast.
Ggantija the megalithic temples of Malta
This archaeological site and museum is host to the Ggantija megalithic temple complex from the Neolithic age. This is the oldest Neolithic complex in Malta, older even than the Pyramids of Egypt!! The temple complex was built from limestone, which is widely available and used to build modern houses today.
Google maps shows the old entrance, instead you have to drive up the road and take the second left to arrive to the main entrance. Make sure you take water as it can get hot walking between the ruins. A couple of minutes away from the temple ruins you can check out the Ta’Kola Windmill as well. The entrance here is a bit expensive in my opinion so I just took some photos outside.
Mgarr ix-Xini bay in South of Gozo
Mgarr ix-Xini bay is very close to the Gozo ferry terminal, however because you have to drive around the coast a bit, it will take you 20 minutes to get to the ferry. This is a bay with a beach between cliffs. You can drive almost all the way there. First you will see a stopping place followed by a one way street. If you are a good driver follow that road and you will encounter a second parking area for 4-5 cars. When I went there were only a couple other cars there.
The temperature during your holiday in Malta
As you might know I currently live in Spain. It was a shock to arrive in Malta and be overwhelmed by the heat here. I was expecting to have similar temperatures in Malta as in Spain. However Malta was boiling at 35C and it was only the end of June! It was funny when a local said they are having a heat break now and most days is even hotter in that season. A holiday in Malta is a great opportunity to learn a lot about the history of ancient civilisations, and this means walking a lot through the hot sun. So don’t forget to pack the sunscreen and mandatory hat on your vacation in Malta.
Recommended places to stay in Malta and Gozo
Authentic, lots of character and affordable farmhouses in Gozo:
- Ta’Karmni Farmhouse B&B – a 350 year old farmhouse in Gharb
- Garden House – great to relax and hike
- Betty Cake B&B – in Qala
- Mandolina B&B – in Gharb
Luxury apartment, boat and hotels:
- Duplex Maisonette with Heated P-Pool and Jacuzzi – 4 people capacity in St Julians
- Riti Yacht – experience a stay on a luxury boat
- Rosselli – a 5* hotel in Valletta
- Hilton Malta – 5* in St. Julians