Malta represents a great option for a 3-4 day European trip. The Old Town of Valetta is about as pretty an Mediterranean old town as you can get and is a delight to wander around. The various beaches scattered across the islands have some wonderfully picturesque spots for swimming and lazing the days away. And its history – Malta has been ruled over the centuries by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Knights of St John, French and British – gives a variety of spots that will satisfy even the most demanding culture vulture for a short trip. Add into the mix its warm climate (perfect for Europe’s winter months) and just how compact it is (you can drive from one side to the other in under an hour), and you’ve got a cracking spot for that 3-4 day trip
Whilst I only visited for a short time for lash / partying (and, quite unusually, took practically no photos), here are the top highlights I took from the visit:
- Highlight #1 – Valetta. Gorgeous Old Town that will naturally be one of the key places you spend your time. We visited in summer, which meant that it was scorching in the daytime, but was actually quite nice because you can wander around some of the practically deserted streets and churches without hoards of tourists, and get to watch the place come alive as the late afternoon sun starts to set and cool the place down. As with all Old Towns, the best tip is to put away the map and just get yourself lost in the various back alleys and giving yourself that wonderful few moments of feeling like you truly are transported back before the changes of the modern world and the thousands of fellow tourists
- Highlight #2 – Mdina and Rabat. Just how picturesque the setting is is reflected in its choice for various exotic filming locations for the TV show Game of Thrones. Even more so that Valetta, Mdina felt like one of those places that transports you back in time as you wander through the honey-coloured buildings and look out across the views from the walls of this hilltop ancient capital of Malta
- Highlight #3 – The Blue Lagoon. Based on the island of Comino, the Blue Lagoon is a delightfully picturesque spot for a swim and to chill on the waterfront. Just try to bring either heaps of sunscreen of some umbrellas as there is very little shade there. To get there you can easily take a standard sightseeing boat from either Silema, Bugibba or Golden Bay on main Malta Island