🙂 The azure blue Med sea! Diving (apparently). Sunshine. Gozo. Vineyards. Valletta. Tax free.
🙁 Crazy drivers!
Currency: Euro (Formerly the Malta pound, which was renamed Maltese lira (Lm) in 1983)
THREE things we did not know about Malta:
- Malta is not one island – it is an archipelago comprised of seven tiny islets? Only the two largest islands, Malta and Gozo, are regularly inhabited, while the third biggest, Comino (a car free island), features just one luxury vacation resort. The remaining four are totally uninhabited. Gozo is considered one of the top diving destinations in the Mediterranean.It is one of the most isolated spots on the Mediterranean, but there’s evidence to suggest that civilisations have been living in Malta since the early Neolithic period of 5000 BC. The proof comes from the 11 so-called Megalithic Monuments of Malta. The relics are UNESCO World Heritage Site listed, and often marked as some of the oldest free-standing structures on Earth.
- The oldest rock found in the Maltese islands was formed into what is known as the famous Azure Window and has featured in many movies, most recently in Game Of Thrones.
- With a population of only 6,000, Valletta is one of the smallest capital cities in the world, but inside its fortified walls there is no shortage of things to see and do.
A summary of our itinerary for 3 days in Malta is as follows:
- Day 1: Valletta. Self-guided walking tour of the city (or guided street food walking tour), National War Museum, audiovisual show, We had lunch at Fontanella which is in the heart of Mdina., traditional Maltese dinner.
- Day 2: Blue Grotto and Mdina. Ancient temples at Qrendi, short hike to the Blue Grotto, seaside lunch, walking tour of Mdina, dinner and evening drinks in St Julian’s. Take the boat trip to the Three Cities to explore the alleys of Birgu known as Vittorisa.
- Day 3: Gozo. Morning ferry, La Cittadella discovery, lunch in Victoria, Ggantija Temples, sunset at Azure Window ruins, seaside dinner, return ferry.
We took a break with British Airways to Malta as it had been highly recommended by friends who are Maltese. We stayed at the lovely Hotel Phoenicia. We had hired a car so between walking and driving we were quite independent. We took a boat around the harbour. Visited the salt flats. Explored Gozo. Met up with with old friends – FUN!
