Malta

Contents
Malta
1.1
Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2
Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.3
Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.4
Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.4.1
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.4.2
Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.4.3
Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.5.1
By plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.5.2
By boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.1
By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.2
By taxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.3
By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.4
By ferry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.5
By seaplane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.6
By helicopter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.7
By bike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.6.8
By charter boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.7
Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.8
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.9
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.9.1
Dive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.9.2
Christmas in Malta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.10 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.10.1 Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.11 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.12 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.13 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
1.14 Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
1.15 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
1.5
1.6
ii
CONTENTS
1.16 Stay healthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
1.17 Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
1.18 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Buibba
12
2.1
Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
2.2
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
2.3
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
2.4
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
2.5
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
2.6
Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
2.7
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12
2.8
Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13
2.9
Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13
2.9.1
Accommodation for longer stays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13
2.10 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13
Comino
14
3.1
Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
3.2
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
3.3
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
3.4
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
3.5
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
3.6
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
3.7
Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
3.8
Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
Melliea
16
4.1
Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
4.2
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
4.2.1
By Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
4.2.2
By Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
4.3
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
4.4
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
4.5
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
4.6
Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
4.7
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
4.8
Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
4.9
Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
4.10 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
4.11 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17
Gozo
18
CONTENTS
iii
5.1
Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18
5.2
Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18
5.3
Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18
5.3.1
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.4
Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.5
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.6
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.6.1
By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.6.2
By taxi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.6.3
By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.6.4
By foot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
5.7.1
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
5.8
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
5.9
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
5.10 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
5.11 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
5.12 Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
5.13 Walking, Rambling and Hiking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
Gajnsielem
22
6.1
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.2
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.3
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.4
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.5
Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.6
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.7
Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.8
Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.9
Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
6.10 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22
Victoria (Malta)
23
7.1
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23
7.2
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23
7.3
Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23
7.4
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23
7.5
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
7.6
Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
7.7
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
7.8
Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
7.9
Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
5.7
iv
CONTENTS
7.10 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
Xaghra
25
8.1
Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.2
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.3
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.4
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.5
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.6
Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.7
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.8
Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
8.9
Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26
Xlendi
27
9.1
Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.2
Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.3
See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.4
Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.5
Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.6
Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.7
Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.8
Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
9.9
Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
10 Malta Island
28
10.1 Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
10.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
10.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
10.4 Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
10.5 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
10.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
10.7 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28
10.8 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
10.8.1 Golden Bay and Gajn Tuea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
10.9 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
10.10Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
10.11Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
10.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
10.13Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
11 Cottonera
30
11.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
11.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
CONTENTS
11.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
11.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
11.5 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
11.6 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
11.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
11.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
11.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
11.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
12 Marsaxlokk
33
12.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.3 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
12.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33
13 Mdina
34
13.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
13.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
13.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35
13.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35
13.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35
13.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35
13.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
35
13.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
13.9 Go Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
14 Rabat (Malta)
37
14.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37
14.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37
14.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37
14.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37
14.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
14.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
14.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
14.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
14.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38
vi
CONTENTS
14.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 San Gwann
38
39
15.1 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.3 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.4 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.5 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.6 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.7 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.8 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
15.9 Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
16 Sliema
40
16.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.2.1 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.2.2 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.2.3 By boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
16.6 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.7 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.8.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.8.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.8.3 Splurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.10Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.10.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.10.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.10.3 Splurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.11Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.12Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.13Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
16.14Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
17 St. Julians
42
17.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
CONTENTS
vii
17.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.6 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.7 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.8 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.9 Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
17.10Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
18 Valletta
43
18.1 Understand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
18.1.1 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
18.2 Get in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
18.2.1 By car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
18.2.2 By bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
18.2.3 By boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
18.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
18.4 See . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
18.5 Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45
18.6 Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45
18.7 Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45
18.8 Eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45
18.8.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
45
18.8.2 Mid-range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
18.8.3 Splurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
18.9 Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
18.10Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
18.10.1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
18.10.2 Mid-range to High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
18.10.3 Boutique & Self-Catering
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
46
18.11Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
18.12Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
18.13Cope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
18.13.1 Embassies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
18.14Go next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
18.15Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
48
18.15.1 Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
48
18.15.2 Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49
18.15.3 Content license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50
Chapter 1
Malta
Mdina Maltas well-preserved quiet old capital.
pronounced 'im-dina'
Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea that

lies south of the island of Sicily, Italy. The country is
an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta,
Gawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited.
Rabat hosts numerous historical attractions such

as St. Pauls catacombs and the Domus Romana(previously known as Roman Villa)
St. Julians perfect area for nightlife & entertainment.
1.1 Regions
Sliema shopping area just north of Valletta.

Victoria the main town on Gozo.
ejtun the largest city in the South of Malta and
one of the oldest cities in Malta.
1.3 Other destinations

Hagar Qim and Mnajdra - Two very beautiful
stone age temples set on the cliside of south west
Malta. Their majesty has now been marred by protective tents and a 2 storey new building nearby.
gantija - Another Neolithic heritage in the island
of Gozo.
Map of Malta with regions colour-coded
Tarxien Temples - A Neolithic temple in Tarxien.

Melliea - A locality in Malta surrounded by the
largest and some of the most wonderful sandy
beaches on the Islands
1.2 Cities
Valletta the capital, named for Jean Parisot de la
Valette, a French nobleman who was Grand Master
of the Order of St. John and leader of the defenders
during the Turkish siege of Malta in 1565. Valletta
is a UNESCO World Heritage site for the massive
number of historical buildings found in a tiny space.
Golden Bay - One of Maltas most beautiful sandy

beaches, on the northwest coast of the island; The
Radisson Hotel overlooking it damages the view
somewhat, unless you're looking at the view from
inside the hotel.
Gajn Tueha - Apple spring, aka Long Steps
Bay, just behind Golden Bay. Just as beautiful
or even more (unspoiled panorama), and even less
crowded during the high season.
Cottonera (Three Cities) The name used when

referring to the three historic and ancient cities
of Birgu (aka Vittoriosa), Isla (aka Senglea) and
Bormla (aka Cospicua), three towns conglomerated
by 16th century fortications called the Cottonera
lines.
Blue Grotto - A series of seven caves and inlets on

the southern side of Malta famous for deep blue waters and spectacular natural rock formations. The
Blue Grotto may be accessed by small traditional
Marsaxlokk shing village south of the island. A

big market is held every Sunday.
1
CHAPTER 1. MALTA
boats, skippered by cheerful Maltese guides, which Cities) to care for the sick. In 1565, Suleiman the Magleave from a well-signposted pier just o the main nicent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, mounted a great
road along the south coast.
siege of Malta with a eet of 180 ships and a landing
force of 30,000 men. In response the Order, with only
Hypogeum of al-Saieni - A subterranean struc- 8,000 defenders, drove the Ottoman Turks away after a
ture dating from 3000-2500 BC. Advanced booking hard siege of several months. After this siege, the Order
is required.
founded the city of Valletta on a peninsula, and fortied
Ghar Dalam - A prehistoric cave containing re- it with massive stone walls, which even withstood heavy
bombing during the Second World War. By 1575 the Ormains from the Pleistocene era.
der had built a new large hospital known as the Grand
Clapham Junction - An area of western central Hospital or Sacred Inrmary in order to continue with its
Malta (not far from Buskett woods) where deep ruts primary mission of caring for the sick.
in the bedrock appear to have been formed in the
In 1798, the French under Napoleon took the island on
remote past by wagons or carts. Some of these ruts
12 June, without resistance, when the Grand Master of
cross rock-cut punic tombs, proving that the ruts exthe Order capitulated after deciding that the island could
isted before the tombs. In the vicinity there are large
not be defended against the opposing French naval force.
caves which used to be inhabited by troglodites.
French rule lasted a little over 2 years, until they surrenSt.Thomas Bay - A quaint inlet, 1 km beyond dered to the British Royal Navy, under Admiral Nelsons
Marsaskala, with a sloping, built up area on one command, in September 1800.
side, and barren Munxar white clis on the other. Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in
There are 2 small sandy beaches ideal for swimming 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through
in summer. Beneath Munxar there is now a 'win- both World Wars.
dow' at the cliside. Beyond Munxar Point there
are amazing, very high, white clis, with 2 large and The island was awarded the George Cross for its heroic
deep caves in them. Many amateur shermen own resistance during the Second World War. An image of
boathouses in the vicinity and go shing whenever the cross is displayed on the ag.
the sea is calm.
Independence 21 September 1964 (from UK)
St.Peters Pool - A natural inlet located south of
Malta, Delimara area. It looks like a natural swimNational holidays
ming pool carved into the rocks.
Mosta Dome - the third largest dome in Europe and

the ninth largest dome in the world. On April 9,
1942, a bomb struck the church whilst a religious
ceremony was taking place with more than 300 people attending. Luckily the bomb didn't explode.
Manoel Island- is found in Gzira and is rarely used
for some events/activities.
Freedom Day, 31 March (1979)

Sette Giugno, 7 June (1919)
Feast of Our Lady of Victories, 8 September (1565)
Independence Day, 21 September (1964)
Republic Day, 13 December (1974).
1.4 Understand
1.4.1
History
Malta remained in the Commonwealth of Nations when

it became independent from Great Britain in 1964. It is
still a member.
Although small, Malta has a vast and rich history, with evidence for habitation going back to the Neolithic era (4th
millennium B.C.). The country boasts the worlds most
ancient standing buildings (the Neolithic temples), and its
strategic location and good harbours in the middle of the
Mediterannean have attracted Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Crusaders, the French and nally
the British, with the colonial period lasting until 1964.
A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about

the mid-1980s, the island has become a freight transshipment point, nancial centre and tourist destination.
The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also

known as the Knights Hospitallers and Knights of Malta,
took over sovereign control of Malta in 1530, and by 1533
the Order had built a hospital at Birgu (one of the Three
Maltas climate is inuenced by the Mediterranean Sea

and is similar to other Mediterranean climates. Winters
are wet and windy. Summers are virtually guaranteed to
be dry and hot.
Malta gained European Union membership in May 2004.
1.4.2 Climate
1.6. GET AROUND
1.4.3
Terrain
ideal for drivers of cars, trucks, or campers. Other destinations include Livorno, Salerno, Rome (Civitavecchia),
Mostly low, rocky, at to dissected plains, with a coast- Palermo, Genoa and Tunis. However, discount airlines
line that has many coastal clis and numerous bays that like Ryanair, Windjet and Ey can be more convenient
provide good harbours.
and the prices of their ights are often comparable to the
cost of a boat trip.
Highest point Ta' Dmejrek 253 m (near Dingli)
1.6 Get around

1.5 Get in
Malta is a member of the Schengen Agreement.
There are no border controls between countries that have
signed and implemented the treaty the European Union
(except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and
the United Kingdom), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
and Switzerland. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed
and implemented the treaty. Please see article Travelling
around the Schengen Area for more information on how
the scheme works and what the requirements are for your
nationality.
Visitors from outside the EU, including Americans, must
ll out a landing card, available on board some arriving
ights (sometimes) or in the entrance hall of the airport
from the small box between the customs agents.
1.5.1
By plane
Malta possesses its own national carrier, Air Malta, with

regular connections to many European, North African
and Middle Eastern centres.
Ryanair ies to/from London Luton, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Dublin, Madrid, Marseille, Trapani, Bristol, Pisa, Old Maltese Bus
Kaunas, Krakw, Stockholm (Skavsta), Seville, Valencia, Venice (Treviso), Wroclaw, Girona, Birmingham
and Bari. Easyjet ies to/from Belfast, Manchester, New1.6.1 By bus
castle, Rome, Milan Malpensa and London Gatwick.
Norwegian ies to/from Copenhagen and Oslo.
Until July 2011, one of Maltas joys was the wonderfully antiquated public bus system, consisting mainly of
The islands international Airport is located in Luqa.
1950s-era exports from Britain usually kitted up with
Buses to various locations on the island (Valletta, Sliema,
more chintz than a Christmas tree plus icons of every saint
St. Julians, etc.) are located outside the terminal buildin the Bible and then some. Fares were very cheap and
ing. Ticket machines and schedules are by the bus station.
even the longest ride across the island cost as little as 2.
As of January 2012, a ticket for one-way adult is 2.20
(or 1.30 with student ID). It takes approximately 40- Since 2011, buses are modern, comfortable and all airconditioned. On 1 January 2014 Malta Public Transport
50min to get to Valletta or Sliema.
Services Ltd took over the bus service in Malta from Arriva, after their bus system failed in less then three years.
1.5.2
By boat
The Malta Public Transport website can be found here.

There are frequent fast ferries to the Sicilian port of A summary of the network on a London Underground
Catania (3 hours) and Pozzallo, Italy (90 minutes), but style diagram is found here.
the seas can be turbulent with a heavy swell if its windy. It is recommended for one who would like to travel all
Usually the trip takes around twice as long on large pas- around Malta Island to buy a week ticket for 650. This
senger ships, but fares are lot cheaper, which makes it ticket can be purchased directly from the driver or from
CHAPTER 1. MALTA
vending machines that can be found in many places, in- 1.6.3 By car
cluding in the information center in Valletta bus terminus,
or in the airport (note that these machines are bilingual, Renting a car in Malta is a ne way to see the counare very fast, but only accept coins and small notes).
try, since its cheap and driving conditions have improved
The current bus system is much more ecient than the greatly in the last ten years. Having your own car allows
old one (prior to 2011), but is still not perfect. Many lines you to make a lot more of your trip and discover the many
depart from Valletta, which makes it almost always nec- hidden charms these small islands have to oer.
essary to transit there. Another problem is that buses are
often full, especially in the week-end, on the lines passing
by the tourist spots. Hence, it is almost always impossible
to board at another station than the rst station -- the bust
won't even stop. With very low frequencies (most lines
pass every 30, 60 or 90 minutes), you need to wait for
the next bus that will be most probably full too. So it
is advised to rst head to the bus rst station (e.g., Valletta), even if it is your opposite direction, and then take
the line in the direction you wish. For example, to go to
Gozo from St. Julians, rst go back to Valletta (or Sielma
Ferries, if using line 222), and then head towards Gozo.
Also note that, at an end station, buses often change lines.
That is, do not watch the bus number before it is fully
stopped and empty from its passengers, as it can change
its number at that time (e.g., a bus can arrive to Valletta
numbered as 51, but then depart as number 53).
It is always best to pre-book your car rental online as this

works out cheaper than booking when you arrive. According to the Mediterranean markets, Malta has very
low rates for car rental. Any driver and additional drivers
must take with them their driving licenses in order to be
covered for by the insurances provided by the local car
rental supplier.
Car Hire is available also at Malta International airport
with many leading brands such as Active Car Rental,
Avis, Hertz, Europcar, First car rental, and Economy
Rent a Car having a car hire desk inside the airport.
There are also a number of local rental companies that
operate on a Meet & Greet basis at the airport, most of
the times these companies provide more of a personalized
service to the clients.
Following is a list of local companies which previous
users have recommended:
Finally, the (new) bus system is still notoriously slow, with

bus lines doing many detours and buses often stuck in JS Car Hire - Renowned for their excellent service and
trac jams, especially around 6pm. Hence, do not plan fair policies
to rush, and take your time!
Aquarius Rent a Car
Percius Car Hire
1.6.2
By taxi
Maltas white taxis are the ones you can pick you up o
the street. Figure on 15 for short hops and not much
more than 35 for a trip across the island. There are now
Gov't approved fares for taxis from the airport ranging
from 10 to 30.
For cheaper airport transfers and local taxis try using
one of the local Black cab taxi rms such as Active
Cabs Malta Taxi by Sean Taxi Service, Peppin Transport
(Cheaper Online Prices), Malta Airport Cabs, Malta Taxi
Online with a high quality of Service allow you to book on
line from UK or Malta airport transfers. Their rates are
normally lower than white taxis but their services must be
pre-booked (at least fteen minutes notice).
If you would like a taxi tour, it is a good idea to book it
in advance with an agreed price and arrange to be picked
up from your hotel or apartment. The tours are best kept
short, around 3 to 4 hours should do it. In a car you will
be able to cover Mdina, Rabat, Mosta, Valletta and the
Blue Grotto. However, some people say that when visiting historical sights it is best to also hire a licensed tourist
guide (who will wear their license while on tour) and accuse taxi drivers of often giving inaccurate information.
There is GPS coverage of the Island by popular brands,

however do check with your rental company as to whether
they make this available to you or not. Popular opinion
states that the GPS mapping of Malta isn't altogether that
accurate, where certain routes planned on the GPS, will
send you up one way streets without warning, best to use
common sense in conjunction with this technology. Also
the Maltese can be a very friendly bunch of people when
giving directions are concerned.
1.6.4 By ferry
Within Malta
There are several ferry lines within Malta, in particular
linking Valletta to Sielma, and Valletta to Birgu.
Between Malta and Gozo

There is the regular ferry service between irkewwa on
Malta and Marr on Gozo, it goes every 45 minutes in the
summer and almost as often in the winter (with lower frequencies in the evening, and very low frequency at night).
You buy a return ticket at the Gozo end for 465 (no
ticket required in Malta, though you can buy your return
1.7. TALK
ticket from there, and save time in Gozo). Also note that Marina has become the principal centre for bareboating
the ferry is not strictly on time, and it can even depart (self-hire yacht chartering). It is the headquarter of such
before schedule.
companies as The Sunseeker Experience , Yachthelp and
Navimerian Malta Yacht Charters .
To Comino
There are irregular services to Comino.
1.6.5
By seaplane
1.7 Talk
See also: Maltese phrasebook
Regular ights between Valletta Grand Harbour and

Mgarr by Harbourair started recently. There is also a
planned service to Sicily. The company also oers scenic
ights for around 90EUR that take 30 min and provide
beautiful views of the Maltese islands. Flights start in
Vallettas grand harbor. Check-in and ticket oce is at
the sea passenger terminal, on the very end of the Valletta waterfront, behind the cruise ship terminals.
1.6.6
By helicopter
Scheduled helicopter service between Malta and Gozo

has been terminated.
1.6.7
By bike
Renting a bike in Malta is not a very common and popular practice but it doesn't cost much, and oers enough
exibility to explore. Bicycle rental shops are present all
over the island but it is always better to book them from
beforehand via their websites so as not to be disappointed.
Cycling is an original and fun way of discovering Malta
and Gozo, known for their very small size. It is a good
idea to cycle on the West of Malta, in the areas of Dingli
Clis and Fomm ir-Rih as they are far from congested
cities and oer a pleasant view.
It should be known however that most roads in Malta are
dangerous for cyclists; most Maltese motorists are not
friendly towards cyclists and there are no bicycle lanes.
It is best to stick to country roads making sure to rent
mountain bikes as country roads can get bumpy and uncomfortable for city bikes. In summer, do not go cycling
between the hours of 11 am to 4 pm as the heat is unbearable.
1.6.8
By charter boat
The boat charter industry has grown considerably in

Malta over the last few years. Maltas favourable tax
regime for commercial yachting and its central location
in the middle of the Mediterranean sea has meant that
large, famous charter yachts - such as the Maltese Falcon
-- and a whole range of small and midsized yachts are now
available for day and week charters. The Grand Harbour
Bilingual sign banning smoking
The ocial languages are Maltese and English. Italian is

widely understood and spoken. Some people have basic
French, but few people can speak uent French in Malta.
By law, all ocial documents in Malta are in Maltese
and English and many radio stations broadcast in both
languages. Virtually all Maltese citizens speak English
uently.
Maltese is a Semitic language, though it has borrowed a
substantial amount of vocabulary from the Romance languages (particularly Italian). The closest living relative
of Maltese is Arabic, particularly the dialect spoken in
North Africa known as Maghrebi Arabic (spoken in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria) though Maltese is written in
the Latin alphabet instead of the Arabic script. Maltese is
also more distantly related to Hebrew and Amharic, so if
you speak any of these three languages, you'll recognise
some similarities. It also has substantial English elements
CHAPTER 1. MALTA
in it. Knowing a few phrases in Maltese may be useful. design of their times. Many towns in the north were
See the Maltese phrasebook for details.
stripped of their culture due to rapid urbanisation, but
this has been felt less in the south of Malta.
1.8 See
The ancient capital of Mdina, also known as the Silent
City, rests at a high point in the heart of the island. Surrounded by the scenic town of Rabat, this fortress is one
of Maltas nest jewels, boasting architecture, history and
a quality cup of coee with a splendid view. Mdina gets
very peaceful and romantic in the evenings when the day
trippers leave.
If you visit Malta in summer, be sure you visit one of the

town/village feast. Every town or village has at least one
feast dedicated to a saint. The feast usually lasts for one
week (in most cases from Monday to Sunday), with its
peak being usually on Saturday. During this week, the
village or town will be decorated with several ornaments
and work of arts such as statues, lights and paintings on
tapestry. In most cases, the feast would also be furnished
with reworks, both air and ground (which are quite spectacular and rather unique to Malta). In most cases, the
ground reworks are presented the day before the actual
feast day late at night. There are dierences between one
village feast and another, and some are more attractive
and more famous than others. Some of the most famous
feasts are those of Our Lady of the Lily in Mqabba (third
Sunday of June), Saint Philip in Zebbug (second Sunday
of June), Mount Carmel in Zurrieq (Sunday before the
last of July), Saint Mary of Imqabba, Qrendi, and Ghaxaq
(on the 15th of August), Saint Catherine of Zurrieq (rst
Sunday of September) and the Nativity of Our Lady in
Naxxar (on the 8th of September).
Valletta is similar in that it boasts a rich history, only being the modern capital, it is very much alive and much
more modern, serving as both a shopping area during the
day and oering an array of museums and cultural sites.
Of particular note is St Johns Co-Cathedral, built by one
of the earlier Grandmasters of the Knights Hospitaller. It
contains the various chapels of the Knights langues, with
Caravaggio paintings, tapestries and various relics of immense value to the Maltese heritage. The very oors of
the Cathedral are the tombs of the most famous knights
of the Order of St John, and a crypt, though o-limits
During the month of April, a reworks contest occurs
to tourists, hosts the bodies of some of the most illustriin the Valletta/Floriana area, where dierent reworks
ous of Grandmasters, including the citys founder, Jean
factories compete with each other exhibiting their nest
de Valette.
works both ground reworks and air reworks. It is specThe Megalithic Temples of Malta are some of the oldest tacular and above all its free to attend to.
buildings in the world, as such they have been included
Quite a few wine festivals are organized during summer,
on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Seven megalithic
two of which are organized in Valletta and one in Qormi.
temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each
It is a great experience to taste several Maltese wines at
the result of an individual development. The two temvery cheap prices. (In the Qormi festival (September) and
ples of Ggantija on the island of Gozo are notable for
Delicata winefestival (August), you buy a 10 euro cup,
their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On the island of
and you can drink as much as you like; in the Marsovine
Malta, the temples of Hagar Qin, Mnajdra and Tarxwinefestival (July), you buy a cup and 14 tokens for 10
ien are unique architectural masterpieces, given the limeuros). A beer festival (JulyAugust) is also organized in
ited resources available to their builders. The Ta'Hagrat
Ta' Qali.
and Skorba complexes show how the tradition of templebuilding was handed down in Malta. Beware, that access Finally, Maltas megalithic temples are the oldest freeto the Hypogeum is restricted to a maximum of 60 per- standing structures on Earth, and one should not forget to
sons a day (10 persons in six shifts), which means tickets take walks in the countryside. The most popular tourist
destinations of Sliema and St. Julians probably have the
must be booked well in advance.
least to oer as regards a taste of Malta, though they
In Gozo, a rural atmosphere is predominant. Billy Concontinue to be the most frequented. They are the most
nolly purchased a home in Gozo several years ago, owing
modern of locations, with most old buildings having been
to the islands quiet and relaxing nature. Visitors will be
knocked down due to the monstrous construction indusinterested in taking a look at the impressive geographitry fuelling the economy. Maltas main nightlife area can
cal feature of the Inland Sea, carved out by the Mediterbe found here, especially in Paceville.
ranean. One is also obliged to visit the Citadel, Gozos
version of Mdina. Gozo is situated 5 km north west of
Malta and can be reached by a 25 minute crossing from
Cirkewwa, the harbour of Malta.
1.9 Do
For a look into more traditional Maltese life, the seldom
seen south of Malta is a possible option for visitation.
Townships like Ghaxaq often escape public notice, but
some of the islands nest churches lie in the south. The
many churches of Malta are testaments to the style and
Sample the local delicacies. In Summer, the island is perfect for water sports and beach activities. The island has
been described as an open-air museum by some; one is
unlikely to run out of things to see during a visit to Malta.
1.9. DO
Each township has its own unique sights to oer if one
pays close enough attention. Almost all Malteses citizens have not even visited all the wonders and attractions
that this island oers. Hiking in the countryside oers a
taste of rural Malta, especially if trekking along the coast
of Gozo. Sailing is a wonderful option, as Malta boasts
an impressive array of caves, scenic sunsets, and other
views. The island is surrounded by a limitless number of
beaches.
Valletta Carnival
7
in and around Valletta, mostly open-air, taking advantage
of Maltas cool summer evenings. The Festivals joint
performances and workshops, together with its speciallycommissioned works, enhance local artistic development
and provide impetus for cultural innovation.
Notte Bianca - September/ October Notte Bianca is held
annually in Valletta and is a spectacular, night-long celebration of culture and the arts. State palaces, historic
buildings and Museums open their doors almost all night,
playing host to visual art exhibitions and music, dance and
theatre performances. Streets and squares become platforms for open-air activities, and many cafes and restaurants extend their hours and run pavement stalls. All areas
of the Capital City, from the Entrance Gate to the far end
of the peninsula, are involved and all events are free of
charge.
Isle of MTV Malta Special - Held annually at the Fosos
square in Floriana, it is the largest open air free concert
in Europe. Worldwide acclaimed artists take the stage
in front of an enthusiastic crowd of over 50,000 people.
2012 saw the performances of Nelly Furtado, Flo Rida
and Will.I.Am.
There are a number of great annual festivals worth attending. Valletta Carnival - February/March Malta Carnival national activities will be held in Valletta and Floriana. Dance and costume competitions will take place 1.9.1 Dive
in the capital and Floriana followed by deles which include triumphal oats, bands, grotesque masks and lots
Malta is a great place to dive, with it being possible to
of dance. Malta Carnival is an unforgettable experience
dive all year around. The water temperature varies from
of fun, colour, art and merriment.
a cool 14C in February/March to warm 26C in August.
Ganafest - Malta Mediterranean Folk Music Festi- The visibility of water is generally high, making it a good
val - June The Malta Mediterranean Folk Music Festival place to learn diving as well.
is a fabulous 3-day event of Mediterranean folk music, inThe dive sites are located close to shore. Consequently,
cluding Maltese folksongs (gana), Maltese songwriters
most dives start there, making everything easier and
and folk ensembles, together with guest folk musicians
cheaper. The dive sites include rocky reefs, some wrecks
from neighbouring Mediterranean countries. Ganafest
and cave diving (especially interesting is the dive in the
also hosts a series of workshops on traditional instruments
Inland Sea in Gozo). There will tend to be more maand a special programme for children, and is complerine life during the warmer months, when you can hope
mented by traditional Maltese food and the marvelous
to see tuna, octopus, moray eels, seahorses, re worms,
surroundings of the Argotti Botanical Gardens in Florisoft coral along with the usual sea grass and underwater
ana.
ridges.
Malta Jazz Festival - July The Malta Jazz Festival has
a special place in Maltas Cultural Calendar, attracting
great stars of the international jazz scene to Malta. It
has become a hub for the exchange of musical experience - an encounter between musicians of international 1.9.2 Christmas in Malta
fame and gifted local artists. The magnicent setting of
the historic Ta Liesse wharf in Vallettas Grand Harbour Christmas is a largely religious aair on the Maltese ismakes the Malta Jazz Festival a uniquely memorable ex- lands. This is because most Maltese people are Catholics.
During the festive season, various Christmas cribs, or
perience.
Malta Arts Festival - July The Malta Arts Festival is Presepji, as they're called in Maltese, can be seen on disthe highlight of Maltas Cultural Calendar - a showcase play in churches, shopping centres, etc.
of diverse top quality theatre, music and dance performances, and oers something from almost all artistic
forms, including collaborations between Maltese and foreign artists. The Festival events are held in various venues
The Maltese people have many Christmas customs that

are unique to the island. A very popular traditional
Christmas dessert is Qagaq tal-Gasel. These are light
pastry rings lled with honey.
CHAPTER 1. MALTA
1.10 Buy
Food
Food costs are reasonable, compared to Western EuroMalta uses the euro. It is one of several European counpean capitals. Having a Maltese-sized pizza in a decent
tries that uses this common currency.
restaurant costs from 7 to 12. Snacks (sandwiches,
One euro is divided into 100 cents.
burgers, pizza slices) can be bought from 150 to 5.
The ocial symbol for the euro is , or otherwise some- A main course in a higher-level restaurant typically costs
times known as EUR. In many countries of the euro- from 20 to 30.
zone, the symbol is always placed after the amount (e.g.
15). All euro notes and coins are legal tender in all euAccommodation
rozone countries.
Accommodation is reasonably cheap by (Western) Euro Banknotes: All euro banknotes have exactly the pean standards. A bed in a dorm can cost around 15,
same design
and a double room in rather cheap hotels around 40.
Coins: All eurozone countries have coins issued
with a distinctive national design on one side, and
a standard common design on the other side. Coins
can be used in any eurozone country, regardless of
the design used (eg a one euro coin from Finland can
be used in Portugal).
1.11 Eat
Commemorative coins: These come in two variants; the more common form are commemorative
two euro coins, that dier from normal two euro
coins only in their national side and circulate
freely as legal tender. Each country may produce
a certain amount of them as part of their normal
coin production and sometimes Europe-wide two
euro coins are produced to commemorate special
events (e.g. the anniversary of important treaties).
The much rarer variant are commemorative coins
of other amounts (e.g. ten euros or more) that
have entirely special designs and often contain non- Pastizzi
negligible amounts of gold silver or platinum. While
they are technically legal tender at face value, their
material or collector value is usually much higher
and, as such, you will most likely not nd them in
actual circulation.
Major currencies other than the Euro are not acceptable as an over the counter currency. In the past, they
were widely accepted years ago and changed on the y at
restaurants and bars. So if you have dollars or pounds, its
best to change them at the plethora of exchange bureaus
or banks across the island prior to going out.
Qarga Bagli Mimli (Stued marrows)
1.10.1
Costs
Distinctly Maltese cuisine is hard to nd but does exist.

The food eaten draws its inuences from Italian cuisine.
Transportation
Most restaurants in resort areas like Sliema cater largely
to British tourists, oering pub grub like meat and three
Transportation costs are cheap by European standards. A veg or bangers and mash, and you have to go a little out
weekly bus pass costs 650, roughly the price of a single of the way to nd 'real' Maltese food. One of the islands
tube ticket in London, and cheaper than a one-day pass in specialities is rabbit (fenek), and small savoury pastries
Paris.
known as pastizzi are also ubiquitous.
1.12. DRINK
The Maltese celebratory meal is fenkata, a feast of rabbit, marinated overnight in wine and bay leaves. The rst
course is usually spaghetti in rabbit sauce, followed by the
rabbit meat stewed or fried (with or without gravy). Look
out for specialist fenkata restaurants, such as Ta L'Ingliz
in Mgarr.
True Maltese food is quite humble in nature, and rather
sh and vegetable basedthe kind of food that would
have been available to a poor farmer, sherman, or mason. Thus one would nd staples like soppa ta' l-armla
(widows soup) which is basically a coarse mash of whatever vegetables are in season, cooked in a thick tomato
stock. Then theres arjoli which is a julienne of vegetables, spiced up and oiled, and to which are added
butter beans, a puree made from broadbeans and herbs
called bigilla, and whatever other delicacies are available, like Maltese sausage (a confection of spicy minced
pork,coriander seeds and parsley, wrapped in stomach
lining) or bejniet (simple cheeselets made from goats
or sheep milk and rennet, served either fresh, dried or
peppered).
9
cheap prices (less than 10 per person). Book in advance
if you want to eat rabbit (fenek) and be aware that one dish
for 3 easily lls 4. Arrive early (at 12 for lunch, at 19 for
dinner) or content yourself with what remains available
in the kitchen.
For other suggestions, see Eat listings in city articles.
1.12 Drink
Maltese sausage is incredibly versatile and delicious. It

can be eaten raw (the pork is salted despite appearances),
dried, or roasted. A good plan is to try it as part of a
Maltese platter, increasingly available in tourist restaurants. Sun dried tomatoes and bigilla with water biscuits
are also excellent. Towards the end of summer one can
have ones ll of fried lampuki (dolphin sh) in tomato
and caper sauce.
Kinnie
A typical soft drink that originated in Malta is Kinnie, a non-alcoholic zzy drink made from bitter oranges
(called Chinotto orange) and slightly reminiscent of
Martini.
Ftira bread
One must also try to have a bite of ob bi-ejt, which

is leavened Maltese bread, cut into thick chunks, or else
baked unleavened ftira, and served drenched in oil. The
bread is then spread with a thick layer of strong tomato
paste, and topped (or lled) with olives tuna, sun-dried
tomatoes, capers, and the optional arjoli (which in its simpler form is called ardiniera).
The local beer is called Cisk (pronounced Chisk) and,

for a premium lager (4.2% by volume), it is very reasonably priced by UK standards. It has a uniquely sweeter
taste than most European lagers and is well worth trying.
Other local beers, produced by the same company which
brews Cisk, are Blue Label Ale, Hopleaf, 1565, Lacto
(milk stout), and Shandy (a typical British mixture premixture of equal measures of lager and 7-UP). Other
beers have been produced in Malta in direct competition
with Cisk such as '1565' brewed and bottled in the Lowenbrau brewery in Malta. Since late 2006 another beer produced by a dierent company was released in the market
called Caqnu. A lot of beers are also imported from
other countries or brewed under license in Malta, such as
Carlsberg, Lowenbrau, SKOL, Bavaria, Guinness, Murphys stout and ale, Kilkenny, John Smiths, Budweiser,
Becks, Heineken, Efes, and many more.
If you have a car at your disposal, take a detour and have

a lunch or a dinner at the Farmers Bar in ebbieg, on Malta has two indigenous grape varieties, Girgentina and
the road between Mgarr and the Golden Bay. You'll nd ellewza, although most Maltese wine is made from vartraditional Maltese food in an everyday environment, at ious imported vines. Maltese wines directly derived from
10
grapes are generally of a good quality, Marsovin and
Delicata being prominent examples, and inexpensive, as
little as 60-95ct per bottle. Both wineries have also premium wines which have won various international medals
There are also many amateurs who make wine in their
free time and sometimes this can be found in local shops
and restaurants, especially in the Mgarr and Siiewi
area. Premium wines such as Meridiana are an excellent
example of the dedication that can be found with local
vineyards.
The main Maltese night life district is Paceville (pronounced pach-a-vil), just north of St. Julians. Young
Maltese (as young as high school-age) come from all over
the island to let their hair down, hence it gets very busy
here, especially on weekends (also somewhat on Wednesdays, for midweek drinking sessions). Almost all the
bars and clubs have free entry so you can wander from
venue to venue until you nd something that suits you.
The bustling atmosphere, cheap drinks, and lack of cover
charges makes Paceville well worth a visit. The nightlife
crowd becomes slightly older after about midnight, when
most of the youngsters catch buses back to their towns to
meet curfew. Paceville is still going strong until the early
hours of the morning, especially on the weekends.
CHAPTER 1. MALTA
include call centres, support, sales and IT related work.
These jobs are season independent and more stable. For
those looking for work in Malta, the local job boards
Jobs in Malta ,Best Jobs In Malta are a good rst place
to search.
1.15 Stay safe

Malta is generally considered safe. However, visitors to
Paceville at night should exercise caution.
Due to Malta being a major Mediterranean port, sailors
with shore leave tend to become quite rowdy after long
voyages, as well as with the advent of low cost air travel
coming to Malta has brought an inux of teens from
across Europe enjoying short cheap weekend breaks in
the sun.
Despite that most public parking lots are free in Malta,

parking attendants will importunately extort tips from you
calling it donation. They will make you think its obligatory telling you that everyone does it. However keep in
mind that giving tips is completely voluntarily and you
don't have to do that, especially if you feel that the parkInterestingly it does not rain much on Malta and almost ing attendant is rude. Feel free to just walk away - those
all of the drinking water is obtained from the sea via large guys won't scratch your car in case you deny tipping (but
desalination plants on the west of the island or from the be prepared that they may yell at you). Remember, if the
parking is not free (like in airport) there will be a sign
underground aquifer.
about that.
1.13 Learn
People of color have been known to have experienced

racial discrimination on Malta.
Malta has promoted itself successfully as an entirely bilingual nation for Maltese and English. It counts for many 1.16 Stay healthy
educational institutes in the rest of the world as a country
where English is the rst language and they therefore will The main health risk in Malta is the erce sun in the sumoften even subsidize students to go there to learn it. The mer, which can scorch unsuspecting tourists. Apply sunvast majority of Maltese citizens speak English to a very block liberally.
high standard.
it is unclear whether water from the tap is safe to drink.
1.14 Work
For foreigners, work is unfortunately often very hard to
nd. The Maltese are rather insular and gures show that
even in the tourist sector, they are very reluctant to hire
people not from the island, though there is a sense that
since joining the EU, there is more willingness to hire
professionals from abroad as the business sector diversies.
The two main industries that provide jobs for foreigners
in Malta are tourism and gaming. Both employ many expatriates. Its easiest to get work in tourism from May to
September or October, selling tickets, doing promotions,
or working at a bar or in a hotel. Jobs in gaming are often available to those who speak a foreign language and
There are many free and usually very clean public toilets
allover the country. Toilet paper is not always available
though.
For ambulance, re or police dial 112. The main hospitals are Mater Dei Telephone: (+356) 2545 0000 and
Gozo General Hospital in Gozo, tel. 2156 1600. The
Maltese Ministry of Health maintains a complete list of
government hospital services.
1.17 Respect
While a bit reserved, Maltese people are friendly,
generous, and helpful in nature.
Maltese people tend to speak more loudly than the
1.18. CONNECT
mainlanders, so they may sound like they are shouting at you even if the volume is normal.
Malta is a strictly Roman Catholic country; carousing by tourists, while tolerated to some extent, is not
looked on very favorably, especially outside of St.
Julians and Paceville.
Dress respectfully when visiting churches. As a
guide, remove any hats and sunglasses and make
sure your knees and shoulders are covered. Some
churches, especially those on popular package tours,
provide shawls and/or skirts for any inappropriatelydressed visitors.
You may be refused entry to a church if a mass has
already started, so make sure you arrive promptly if
you wish to visit.
1.18 Connect
The country has three mobile phone networks available:
Vodafone, Go Mobile, and Melita Mobile. Due to international agreements with providers across the globe,
Vodafone, GO and Melita are sure to be apart of your
carriers roaming plan.
Wi-Fi is almost always available in hotels and hostels, and
many cafs and restaurants oer a free connection too.
Additionally, there are some Free Wi-Fi zones around
the island. The ferry from Malta Island to Gozo also offers free Wi-Fi.
11
Chapter 2
Buibba
Buibba is a coastal town on Malta, in the region of St. 2.4 See
Pauls Bay which consists of 3 small towns: St. Pauls
Bay, Buibba and Qawra.
At the St. Pauls Bay end of the promenade, you'll come
to a small but picturesque harbour with some of the
traditionally-painted boats. This harbour also looks out
onto St. Pauls Island, where St. Paul was reportedly shipwrecked in the 1st Century A.D.
2.1 Understand
Buibba, like Sliema, is where you can see the eect of

mass-tourism on Malta. It is a coastal town which unfortunately had much of its traditional housing replaced with
unregulated buildings such as hotels and prefab rental
apartments, it has little accommodation or places to eat
particularly worth listing as they're mostly aimed at people coming there on package deals. It has little in the
way of attractions or places of interest with the possible
exception of St. Pauls Island, its population increases
manyfold in the high season.
There is a megalithic temple in the centre of town which

is worth visiting. It has a large hotel/casino built around
it. Access can be gained through the hotel or casino lobby
(feel free to ask the sta for directions if necessary). The
hotel/casino is located on the sea front in the middle of
the block between Triq Il-Merluzz and Triq Ghawdex and
access is easiest from the rear of the building.
2.5 Do
Being more to the northwest than Valletta and Sliema one

has quicker access to northern beaches such as Melliea,
and the islands Comino and Gozo. Visiting the Red Fort
is an option as are the considerably quieter beaches on the
2.2 Get in
north-west coast; Paradise beach (near irkewwa), Ghajn
Tueha and next to it Golden Bay near the calm village
Buibba is well connected to all the major towns in Malta. of Marr (not to be confused with its namesake on Gozo).
Most package holiday providers will provide transfers to
Buibba if you book your hotel there. Getting in by bus is
also easy, there are many routes which lead/pass through 2.6 Buy
Buibba such as 49, 58, 59 and others.
Buibba is home to many souvenir shops, from which
you can buy towels, beach accessories, handbags, ecc, but
there is little in the way of genuine Maltese crafts. For
shopping, a visit to Valletta or Sliema is recommended.
2.3 Get around
The St. Pauls Bay area is relatively small and is easy to

get around on foot. Its virtually impossible to get lost in
Buibba as most roads lead to the coast. If you're lost and
nd yourself in the residential part of Buibba, the locals
are both friendly and approachable and will gladly give
you directions.
2.7 Eat
Buibba boasts many restaurants, but they do tend to cater

for the many tourists they receive in the summer months.
You'll nd many restaurants around the main square that
serve all ranges of cuisine from Italian to McDonalds. If
A well-paved promenade connects Qawra to St. Pauls you're wanting to try authentic Maltese cuisine, InCogBay, going through the centre of Buibba.
nito Bar & Restaurant on Fliegu Street may be your only
12
2.10. GO NEXT
choice. It is about 500 meters northeast of the main
square.
2.8 Drink
Buibba oers many pubs serving a range of drinks. Imported drinks are expensive so, if you're a British tourist
expecting a good pint of John Smiths or Worthingtons,
expect to pay heavily! Blue Label is a great alternative
for bitter drinkers and Hopleaf comes recommended for
drinkers of real ale. For lager drinkers, however, Carlsberg is brewed under licence on the island and is often
sold for less than 3 euro per pint but, for a few cents more,
you can try Maltas own lager, Cisk. Wine is of low price
and high quality, even in Buibba, so wine drinkers won't
be disappointed.
Don't forget to taste the Maltese soft drink Kinnie which
is a bitter orange drink. Its like a Fanta/Campari mix.
Cider is also there ad it tastes amazing, if you are coming
to Malta have some Maltese cider. (This text did recently
reside under sleep)
2.9 Sleep
Buibba is one of the main tourist areas of Malta and, as
such, has many hotels to choose from. However, as most
of the cater for package holidays, you are recommended
to book with a travel agent in advance. A hotel given 4
stars by the Malta Tourist Board is equivalent to a 3-3
star hotel in most brochures, but these hotels are inexpensive and provide passable amenities and comfort to most
tourists.
One of the few hostels in Malta is located in Buibba, the
Lingo Guest House with fares starting from 10 per
person/per night in a dormitory.
Euroclub Hotel, Fliegu Street, Qawra (Near the
Qawra Bus Terminus), +356 2158 1079, fax:
+356 2701 1900, e-mail: euroclubhotel@onvol.net.
Check-in: 14:00, check-out: noon. Three star hotel oering aordable rates, with a lively position
amidst shops, restaurants, bars and tourist attractions. Just a stones throw from the beach. from
EUR25.
2.9.1
Accommodation for longer stays
Bugibba and neighbouring Qawra is full of apartments for

holiday lets or long lets. Ask the locals in the main areas
such as the Bugibba bay square for the best deals.
13
2.10 Go next
Buibba comes alive at night. There are only a few clubs,
located near the main square, for those seeking an active nightlife but, for those wanting a more relaxed holiday, there are plenty of quiet bars where you can have
a drink and a chat. Live entertainment is abundant and
most hotels don't mind non-guests coming in to watch.
Karaoke is oered in some bars along Tourist Street (Triq
it-Turisti on Maltese street signs) for those with less inhibitions than singing talent.
Chapter 3
Comino
Comino is one of the islands in the Maltese Archipelago.
It is the smallest inhabited island of the Maltese islands
with a grand total of 4 permanent inhabitants, as well as
an hotel which caters mostly for overseas visitors on allinclusive package tours. Comino is famed for its Blue
Lagoon which oers crystal clear waters for swimming
in.
and seems more like a midsize fortress until you approach

it and realise its rather small. Like many other locations
in Malta it can be seen in the recent lm The Count of
Monte Christo. During the British reign a leprosy colony
was established on Comino because of its remote location; it was abandoned and its building is now used by the
locals as convenient housing.
3.2 Get in
St Marys Tower
Leprosy colony riuns
Comino is located in between Malta and Gozo and can

be reached by a small ferry leaving from irkewwa (on
the north-western tip of Malta - the same place that the
much larger ferries to Gozo depart from) or from Mgarr
in Gozo. Sailings are irregular - check with the Comino
Hotel.
Blue Lagoon
3.1 Understand
Many tourist boats from both Malta and Gozo head for
the Blue Lagoon on a daily basis. Some smaller craft use
a landing platform halfway between the Blue and Crystal
Lagoons, which can be an energetic walk and perhaps best
missed if you are not keen on walking on rough tracks.
Comino was for a long time uninhabited and was used

by corsair pirates as a resting place until in the 17th cen- 3.3 Get around
tury the Knights of St. John constructed the Santa Maria
Tower to secure the island. This tower is in use as a mu- There are thankfully only 2 or 3 cars on Comino, belongseum. Its set in a very impressive location on a clitop ing to the hotel and locals, if you're staying at the bunga14
3.6. EAT
15
lows there is a minivan to shuttle you back and forth to 3.6 Eat
the hotel itself. You can rent mountainbikes if you are
staying at the hotel. This is a pleasant way to explore but Lunch can be had at the hotel, even if you aren't a guest.
not entirely cheap. Otherwise, Comino is only 2.5 km by
1.5 km in size, so you can hike around the whole island
in an hour or two.
3.7 Sleep
3.4 See
Comino Hotel, +356 2152 9821, fax: +356 2152

9826. The hotel is a decent place to stay and gives
you the opportunity to visit the Blue Lagoon before
or after the crowds claim it during the day. The bungalows, even though they are located in a very pleasant quiet cove, one of the more secluded locations
for visitors to stay in crowded Malta, are a bit basic
for the price.
The island only has a few structures on it, the Santa

Maria Tower, the former leprosy colony building which
is now used by the locals to live in, the chapel, the police station, and a medium size hotel and a group of small
bungalows belonging to it. The only sights are the Blue
Lagoon and the Tower.
On the other hand you can choose to camp in Cominos
camping site in Santa Maria.
3.5 Do
3.8 Go next
The main reason for visiting the island for by far the If staying on Comino, a ferry over to Gozo followed by a
most people is the so-called Blue Lagoon (Malt: Bejn taxi ride will take you to the main town of Victoria.
il-Kmiemen), a stunning lagoon located on the northwest
side of the island which has exceedingly clear azureblue water. Unfortunately in the high season between
10:00 and 16:00 several hundred people swamp it each
day, snackbars are set up on the pristine waterfront, deck
chairs are rented out and all kinds of dierent craft go
in and out of the lagoon ferrying visitors back and forth.
The best time therefore to come is early in the morning as
this is also when the water sparkles the most beautifully
in the sun.
Less well known is the Crystal Lagoon which has emerald green water almost equally beautiful but unfortunately
very little opportunity to swim from the shore as its surrounded by clis. From a boat however it can be a welcome break from the busy Blue Lagoon as its a lot quieter.
There is also the island of Cominotto (Malt: Kemmunett),
situated less than a hundred metres away from Comino
itself. The island has a tiny beach that opens onto the
Blue Lagoon. This beach is popular with tourists wanting
to get away from the crowded rockfaces of Comino, but
be prepared to either hire a boat to get you out there or, if
you can swim, buy a waterproof bag for your beach towels
and swim to the island. If the tide is low you can wade
across most of the distance.
Comino oers some of the best opportunities for Scuba
Diving in the Mediterranean, including the Santa Maria
Caves. Water visibility is usually excellent with an abundance of marine life to view, particularly in August /
September. There is a dive center attached to the
Comino Hotel, and other operators from Malta and Gozo
oer trips to Cominos waters.
Chapter 4
Melliea
4.4 See
Melliea is a town on Malta.
Popeye Village, Anchor Bay. 09:30-17:30 (but

changes according to the season). The set of the
1980 lm, great for children. There is also a restaurant, two small swimming-pools and sunbathing areas. Anchor Bay is on the opposite side of the island
to Mellieha. If driving, take the Mellieha bypass and
look out for the signs at the bottom of the hill. The
website has bus details. 9 adults, 6.20 children.
4.1 Understand
Melliea ([mlih], or il-Melliea) is a large village
(pop. 7,221 in Dec 2008) in the northwestern part of
Malta. It is a popular tourist destination during the
summer months. Melliea as a village developed under
British colonization after the British encouraged people
to settle in the area by giving leases to the population. For
two centuries previously, the area was abandoned due to
fear from attacks of corsairs and Saracens. Before that,
only a few villagers lived in the area.
Parish Church of Mellieha, Triq il-Marfa.

Wartime Shelter, Parish Square. A tunnel complex
dug out during WW2 as a bomb shelter. Bits of information are scattered about but the main point of
interest is the size of the tunnel dug out with basic
tools. Talk to the ticket seller for a more detailed account of the history. Located just o Parish square
(follow the alley with painted murals). ~2 adults.
4.2 Get in
4.2.1
By Car
Melliea is easily accessible by car, and is signposted

from most of Maltas roads. If signposts are not found,
follow signs for Circewwa.
4.2.2
St Agathas Tower (The Red Tower). summer

open in morning and afternoon (closed for lunch),
winter 10 - 4. Located just to the north of the village itself this tower clearly stands out from a long
distance. The tower has been lovingly restored with
information on its history and the restoration provided inside by friendly sta. Climb to the roof for
spectacular views back over Mellieha and out over
to Comino and Gozo. Easily accessible by car or
a short uphill walk from the nearest bus stop. ~2
adults.
By Bus
Buses are available to Melliea on the ic-Circewwa route

from Valletta, Sliema and Birkirkara.
4.3 Get around

Given the small size of Melliea it is generally easy to
walk anywhere. However it is built up a somewhat steep
hill making the walk from the hilltop main street and
church, to the lower beach area something of a hot and
tiring aair, if you have a bus pass it is recommended to
hop on one when going up or down.
4.5 Do
16
The beaches. They are excellent! The bay is generally calm, and the depth slopes very gradually along
the main beach making it very safe for swimming.
Look out for the jellysh, though!
4.10. CONNECT
17
4.6 Buy
4.10 Connect
There are many stores in Melliea where souvenirs can

be obtained.
4.11 Go next
4.7 Eat
Giuseppis. The restaurant is run by owner and
chef patron Michael Diacono, who for the past seventeen years has adapted to traditional-style recipes
with unusual but highly successful twists.Not cheap
but absolutely one of the nest dining experiences
in Malta
Riviera Blue. A small, family-run restaurant on the
main road just up from the bay towards the centre.
Does seafood and Maltese specialities such as fried
rabbit. Clientele is a mixture of locals and travellers.
Cheaper than the touristy restaurants right next to
the beach (around 30 for two people with drinks).
Take-away kiosk. At the top of the hill, in the
centre, on the main road, on a corner, is a takeaway kiosk, seemingly-open 24 hours (!), which
does slices of Italian pizza, British pies, and Maltese pastizzi for ridiculously-low prices (the pastizzi
cost 25 cents).
Luna Holiday Complex, Triq il-Marfa. A restaurant and bar, built into a hotel complex on the
seafront. Very cheap.
4.8 Drink
4.9 Sleep
Malta Caravans & Camping, Dahlet ix Xmajjar,
Mellieha, MLH 7500, +356-21521105/+35699496707. Check-out: 11:00. Basic campsite, with
small shop, small pool and small astroturf football
eld. Showers cost extra and last three minutes.
Right next to the sea, with a beach 10 minutes walk
away. Free parking. The campsite is to the south
of Mellieha, about 5km out of town. Keep driving
south along the main road, follow this road up a hill
(near the Red Tower), then turn right and follow the
signs. Then the actual signposted road to the campsite is littered with potholes, save your suspension by
turning left when you see a sign Mamla-Tat-Torri
L-Abjad and just follow the road, round the small
bay and up a small hill near the White Tower. Cost for example, one adult & one child & one tent (with
car parked for free outside) 15 per night.
Luna Holiday Complex, Triq il-Marfa, Mellieha,
MLH 9063. Check-out: 11:00. From 27.
Chapter 5
Gozo
are ondoq Bay, 'Belvedere' oering a nice view of
the main islands of the Maltese archipelago and a
small fortress at present in restoration.
Nadur - the largest village in Gozo.
Xewkija - featuring an impressive large rotunda
church visible from almost all villages and towns in
Gozo.
Garb and Gasri are 2 small villages in the western part of Gozo among which lies 'Ta` Pinu' basilica, which is a Marian shrine where on 22 June 1883
the Virgin Mary was heard by Karmela Grima calling her for prayer.
View of Gozo
San Lawrenz - where 'Dwejra' (Azure Window) is

located.
Gozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the

Mediterranean Sea. Smaller, more remote and less built- and some settlements that are used primarily as summer
up than Malta itself, it is a popular destination in its own residences and mostly deserted during the rest of the year
right, particularly for more mature British and German
couples. With pretty if unspectacular countryside, and
Marsalforn - A popular seaside resort north west
interesting churches alongside historic fortications and
coast of Gozo. The famous salt pans are located
megalithic temples it makes a good excursion from Malta
here.
and an even better destination for a relaxed short break.
Xlendi - A popular place of entertainment located
south west of Gozo. The beach here is small but
enclosed between high spectacular clis which make
5.1 Cities
Xlendi one of the best spots in Gozo.
Victoria - Also called Rabat, the islands capital and
only real city

Ramla il-amra is arguably Maltas (Gozos) nest
beach. The name means red sands, referring to the
beautiful reddish colour of the sand. The bay is
completely spared from development, and thus the
beach remains relatively uncrowded. This site also
claims to be where Calypsos cave is, the cave referred to in Homers Odyssey.
There are also a number of small villages on the island

Mgarr - Not to be confused with Mgarr, Malta, this
is where the ferry arrives from Cirkewwa.
Ghajnsielem - A sleepy village that is on the hill
above Mgarr which is mostly residential and not
worth stopping at on your way to the capital.
Xaghra - where gantija Temples and Ramla Bay
are located.
5.3 Understand
Qala - where 'ebla l-Wieqfa' (another prehistoric One sometimes gets the sense that Gozo is how Malta
dolmen) is located. Other interesting things in Qala could have been. With the exceptions of Marsalforn
18
5.6. GET AROUND
19
and Xlendi, it has been largely spared from short-sighted 5.6 Get around
overdevelopment, the traditional way of life and society
has survived better, and the land has been maintained bet5.6.1 By bus
ter giving more fertile ground. Buildings and houses on
Gozo are mainly done with natural materials, as opposed
Buses on Gozo are now owned and run by Arriva. They
to many of the concrete and breeze-block constructions
have introduced a new eet of air conditioned vehicles in
on the mainland.
2011 which whilst they lack the charm of the previous
eet provide a signicant upgrade in comfort levels. The
tickets (non resident) are now priced by time rather than
5.3.1 History
distance. The most useful ticket for tourists is the one-day
Gozos history is intimately linked to Malta. It shares its ticket, that costs 150 (as or 2015).
megalithic culture, and with the Ggantija temples, it is
ocially home of the oldest structure on the planet. Interestingly, Gozo up until the end of medieval times was
inhabited in a manner the same as Malta, with Marr and
Victoria/Rabat being to Gozo what Vittoriosa and Mdina
are to Malta: the main port and the main settlement consisting of a citadel and surrounding suburbs. The inhabitants of Gozo were, in medieval times, required by law to
return to the Citadella each evening to spend the night
there to prevent corsairs from abducting them. These
measures were proven to be necessary when, in 1551, the
Turks tried their rst invasion of Malta. When they failed,
they attacked Gozo and took the entire population o in
ships to sell them into slavery.
5.4 Talk
It should also be noted that if you do learn some Maltese,
there are dierent dialects throughout dierent parts of
the country. People on Gozo speak Maltese with a slightly
dierent accent from the main Maltese islanders, and
people from the dierent Gozitan villages each have their
own dierent dialect.
5.6.2 By taxi
You will nd white taxis also on the island of Gozo however these tend to be more expensive. It is suggested to
prebook your taxi or airport transfer with a local company.
Note that the taxi drivers may be unscrupulous, and will
try to charge the unsuspecting tourist as much as they can.
There is an approximate price list posted at the taxi stand
at the boat dock, and another at the bus terminal in Victoria. Don't accept a price that is unreasonably higher than
the suggested price. If you end up taking more than one
or two taxis a day you are better o hiring a car.
5.6.3 By car
If you need exibility and speed in getting around, your
best option is to hire a car. (try TRAC +35699826339
or Mayjo car rentals). You need to be over 21 years old
and hold a valid driving license. Its ne to travel to the
mainland Malta Island with his hired car.
Like the main island, English is also an ocial language

of Gozo.
5.6.4
By foot
Even on foot many of the distances are negligible and

most of the roads are fairly quiet and pleasant to walk
along. There is also a footpath network, though the paths
There is the ferry from irkewwa on Malta to Marr, require good shoes and a good map (they are not always
Gozos main harbor. It departs every 45 minutes in the very clear on the ground).
summer and almost as often in the winter, with a lower
frequency in the evening (and even lower at night). A
round trip costs 465 (as of 2015). Bus stops are out- 5.7 See
side the ferry terminals, and buses are somehow synchronized with the ferry arrivals and departures. The bus ride
Ggantija Temples (Bus stop Ggantija on line 322
to Victoria takes around 20 minutes. On the Malta side,
(direct from the ferry terminal)). Thought once to be
buses run from Valettas bus terminus to irkewwa taking
built by giants is a pair of Neolithic temples dating
about 75 minutes (using line 222).
back to between 3600 B.C. and 3200 B.C. They are
5.5 Get in
There are plans (when?) to build a small airport on the

beautiful and unspoilt Ta' Cenc clis of this tiny island,
but hopefully someone will realize that the main airport,
which already stretches across almost a quarter of Malta
itself, is more than enough.
considered to be one of the oldest free standing Neolithic structures in the world. Megaliths measuring
over 5 meters and over 50 tons comprise the walls
of these temples. Ggantija represents an important
achievement in early human history.
20
The museum is extremely nicely made, with very good
pedagogical skills. 9 (adults), discounts for students and
children..
The Azure Window, the Inland Sea and the Blue
Hole all make going to the spectacular west coast
of Gozo very worthwhile. In contrast to Xlendi and
Marsalforn this place has been spared from development and makes an unusual and picturesque place
to swim. The beach surrounding the lake is unfortunately made of pebbles but there are a few piers and
terraces in front of the shermens boathouses one
can also use. The Blue Hole is not a true blue hole
in the geological sense but still makes an amazing
spot to dive, having won awards as one of the most
beautiful diving spots of Europe.
The Azure Window. The Azure Window is a cli
outcropping with a hole in the middle.
CHAPTER 5. GOZO
Among the numerous sites and attractions worth
seeing which are present in the citadel, is a section of the bastions which consists of a gunpowder
Magazine, a lower battery, three silos and some airshelters. The former three were added in the early
17th century, after the disastrous siege of Gozo by
Turkish pirates in 1551. Grati on the walls are
evidence of the French occupation of Gozo as well.
During the English occupation, the grain silos were
modied into stores for water. Some air raid shelters were dug by Gozitan families. These sites are
managed by Wirt Gawdex - an environmental nongovernmental organization.
Wirt Gawdex organisation also manages Marr ixXini tower, one of the coastal towers built by the
Knights in Gozo. Entrance to the tower can be arranged upon appointment.
At present, one can also view the Gozo Boat, known
as id-Dgajsa tal-Latini, which has been restored by
the Gozo Channel Company and is now managed by
Wirt Gawdex Organization. This boat is now exhibited to the public at Marr Harbour, Gozos main
harbour. This boat was used to ferry Gozitans and
Maltese between the islands.
Ta' Pinu Basilica, situated in open countryside is
an important place of pilgrimage as miracles are
claimed to have occurred here. The interior of the
Basicila is rich in decoration. One can enjoy views
of open countryside from outside the church.
5.7.1 Itineraries
If one only has one day, it is recommended to spend
the morning in the Citadella of Rabat, have lunch
there, in the cafe next to the cathedral, and spend the
afternoon either at Ramla il-Hamra or The Inland
Sea. At least one week is needed to visit in detail the
main attractions the island has to oer.
Azure Window
Inland Sea. The Inland Sea is a typically Maltese

name in that it slightly exaggerates its size (Mdina
is referred to as a city with its 400 inhabitants). Its
actually a small lake connected to the sea by a tunnel
about 100 meters long through the clis.
If you happen to be in Gozo during your visit, then
the rotunda church in the village of Xewkija is a
wonderful spot to visit. The church was built in
honor of St. John the Baptist (each village has a saint
that they honor) and is the largest in Gozo.
With two days one can spend the second morning

visiting the Ggantija temples and having lunch on
the beautiful central square of Xaghra, and the afternoon at the swimming spot not chosen the previous
day, bearing in mind that Ramla il-Hamra beach is
very close to Xaghra and the Inland Sea closer to
Rabat.
5.8 Do
Diving Gozo has some very impressive dive sites,
one of the most popular being the Blue Hole. The
Gozitan underwater geography is very interesting,
and so is the sea life. Dive centres in Gozo vary
5.11. STAY SAFE
21
taste them as quality can vary widely. The shops near the
citadel in Victoria/Rabat usually have a good selection.
5.11 Stay safe

Gozo is safer than Malta, there is less petty crime.
There is occasionally a strong current on the northern
shore, so caution when swimming is advised.
5.12 Respect
The residents of Gozo are called Gozitans and will be
annoyed if you refer to them as Maltese.
5.13 Walking, Rambling and Hiking
gantija on Gozo
from garage operations to fully equipped 5-star IDC

centres.
Outside the busiest areas and outside the high season, hitchhiking is easy here and can lead to unexpected social interactions and changes to ones plans.
Gozo boasts one of the most remarkable churches
on the archipelago, situated at Ta'Pinu, which was
visited by Pope John Paul II in 1990. A record of
his visit is situated at the rear of the church.
5.9 Eat
As Gozo is the breadbasket of Malta, the ground is more
fertile, and the place is more rural. Therefore there is
more fresh produce to be had. One should denitely try
Gozos own cheese: Gbejniet. This cheese is lovely when
had fresh, but also nice when cured with pepper and vinegar.
5.10 Drink
As on Malta there are vineyards on Gozo, one can often
buy unlabeled local wines cheaply but be sure to ask to
Gozo is at its best from October to May. The average temperature in this period is around 18C, ideal for
rambling around the island. While exploring the island
you will see a wide variety of amazing views due to a
large number of valleys, hills and small beaches. There is
an abundance of abandoned hidden ancient temples and
shrines in the countryside. If you are pressed for time
and do not have much time to explore, but also want to
see the best hidden places, it is best to hire or join a guide
that specializes in country walks. Although Gozo is small,
once you go to the countryside you will feel that you are
alone on the island since you can walk for hours without
meeting anybody. During the winter storms, Gozos seaside is often totally deserted but spectacular with the big
waves exploding on big boulders and lofty clis.
Chapter 6
Gajnsielem
Gajnsielem is a city on Gozo, Malta.
6.1 Get in
6.2 Get around
6.3 See
Lourdes Chapel
6.4 Do
6.5 Buy
6.6 Eat
6.7 Drink
6.8 Sleep
6.9 Connect
6.10 Go next
22
Chapter 7
Victoria (Malta)
7.3 Understand
The town of Rabat was renamed Victoria by the English
in the 19th century. In common with many places in
Malta and Gozo its foreign name is often ignored and it
is referred to in the original Arabic.
This can cause confusion since there is a town of the same
name in Malta.
The name Rabat in Arabic is a commonly used term describing the suburb outside the fortied part of the town
or keep.
7.4 See
Victoria Cathedral
Victoria/Rabat is in Gozo. It should not be confused

with another town having the name Rabat on the main
island of Malta.
7.1 Get in
Rabat lies at the center of the island and most of the roads
pass through it.
7.2 Get around

Pretty much everything worthwhile is within a small area
where cars can't go, so on foot is the only option.
23
Citadella. Go up to the Citadella and walk around

the entire perimeter and enjoy the very beautiful 360
degree view of Gozo at your feet. Visit the cathedral of Gozo, and the Gozo archaeological museum
with Islamic tombstones, ask for Steven, show interest and knowledge and he might give you a personal tour of the museum. The other museums in
the Citadella are of considerably less interest. As
of 2015, the citadella is entirely under renovation.
(updated Apr 2015)
War Memorial (On the Independence Square

(Pjazza Indipendenza)). This monument commemorates Gozitans who died in WWII. The monument
is a bronze statue of Christ the King made by sculptor Carlo Pisi of Rome. Queen Elizabeth II unveiled
the monument on 7 May 1954. (updated Apr 2015)
The Banca Giuratale is a semi-circular baroque

building, which today houses the Victoria Local
Council, in Independence Square. The building
dates back to 1733 where it served as the ocial
premises of the jurats of Gozo. It was commissioned by Grand Master De Vilhena and the Governor of Gozo.
24
7.5 Do
Once a year there are traditional horseraces through
the centre of town.
7.6 Buy
On the main square of Rabat there is a market during
weekdays selling mostly touristic wares.
7.7 Eat
Ta'Rikardu, Triq Iz-Zenqa.
In the Citadel when one takes the alley up the left side of
the Church there is a door with a barrel next to it with
local produce on display on top of it. The place is called
Tal' Rikardu. If one goes inside and up the stairs one can
order the main dish they do here, a lling plate of fresh
farmer food. They have recently expanded the menu to
include fabulous maletese revioli, and fenkata by order.
7.8 Drink
7.9 Sleep
7.10 Go next
gantija Temples
gantija Temples are situated in the nearby town

of Xaghra. They are regarded as one of the oldest freestanding buildings in the world, as such they
have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Buses run regularly between Victoria
and Xaghra, except on Sundays. A taxi should cost
around 7-8 Lm (18) return.
CHAPTER 7. VICTORIA (MALTA)
Chapter 8
Xaghra
8.5 Do
Xaghra is in Gozo.
Go down to the Ramla i Hamra beach. Walking

there will take half an hour but is pleasant through
the elds.
8.1 Understand
Pronounced Shara, this village is centrally located on the

island and a good spot to use as a base. Firstly because 8.6 Buy
its an attractive village in itself, it houses the gantija
temples, and is 5 minute drive or a 30 minute walk to
both Ramla i Hamra beach and Rabat, so if you don't If you are short of fuel, the Cini station will sort you out.
have too much time to explore the island this is a good During normal house the fuel is served but out of hours
you can serve yourself with your card. Not just a petrol
place.
station but inside you will nd a selection of most things
you could need from bicycles to houseware.
Victors just o the square will provide almost anything
needed in the home. He only charges one euro for video
rental.
8.2 Get in
There are some buses from Rabat, a taxi from the ferry
terminal at Mgarr should set you back 13-15 Euros; from
Rabat, a bit less.
8.7 Eat
Xaghra is serviced by bus Routes 307 (Rabat-Xaghra)

and 322 (Mgarr-Marsalforn). The fares are cheap, the Them main square has a number of good restaurants and
service is reliable, and comfortable (air conditioned).
cafes including;
Oleander on the picturesque village square (Pjazza
Victoria) is a very good little restaurant which
among other things serves typical local dishes.
8.3 Get around

There is no public transport inside the village, only to
and from it. As its quite small everything is pretty much
within walking distance: Allow 15 minutes from one edge
of town to the other (going from the hotel to the temple,
for instance).
The Cafe Royale is certainly woth a few visits. It is run by

a quality pastry chef and the pastries are out of this world.
Plenty of room inside but outside you can enjoy the world
(village) pass by. Give the Pea pies and the Cheese pies
a taste. They are a local speciality and almost everyone
will have a couple in the morning.
The Olympic Bar serves really good food and drink at
aordable prices - service is friendly and ecient.
8.4 See
The gantija Temple, the oldest standing structure
in the world.
8.8 Drink
The attractive village square with its classical There are many places to get a drink in the village square,
baroque church, locals and chickens enjoying the af- The Olympic Bar like the otheres serve from a variety of
ternoon sun.
drinks both inside and out on the square.
25
26
8.9 Sleep
Cornucopia Hotel, +356 21556486. Triq Gnien
Imrik, has good deals for its four stars in the low
season, only a few lira more than the somewhat tacky
English B&B also in town. Be sure to ask for a room
at the front of the hotel where you'll get a gorgoeus
view of the sea with Marsalforn and the Rio style
Jesus statue overlooking them on your right, and the
Citadel of Gozo on your left.
CHAPTER 8. XAGHRA
Chapter 9
Xlendi
Xlendi is a town on Gozo's south coast. Formerly a picture perfect Mediterranean shing village, it has now been
expanded to several times its old size by modern hotels
and apartments. Because of this it follows Marsalforn in
having the bulk of tourists staying there.
9.7 Drink
9.8 Sleep
San Andrea Hotel, Xlendi Promenade, (+356)
21 565555, fax: (+356) 21 565400, e-mail:
reservations@hotelsanandrea.com.
9.1 Get in
Villa Bronja, Triq it-Torri, +356 2155-1954, fax:

+356 2155-9028, e-mail: gozo@cometogozo.com.
Holiday villa apartment accommodation, consisting
of a choice of apartments sleeping 2-4 persons.
One can arrive in Xlendi by bus (number 87) from Victoria Bus Terminus.
Villa Xemxija, Triq it-Torri, +356

2155-1954, fax:
+356 2155-9028, e-mail:
gozo@cometogozo.com. Holiday villa apartment
accommodation, with swimming pool.
9.2 Get around

9.3 See
Villa Atlantis, Tower St, 02 9148 3480.

Moby Dick Complex, 4, Marina St (Xlendi
Bay), 21561518 / 21559632, e-mail:
info@mobydickgozo.com.
9.4 Do
9.5 Buy
9.9 Go next
9.6 Eat
Fontana
The Boat House, 00356 2156 9153, e-mail:

info@theboathousegozo.com.
Ta' Karolina, Marina St (Xlendi Bay), (00356)
21559675, e-mail: xlendigozo@hotmail.com. Perhaps the best restaurant in Xlendi, specializing in
grilled sh, et al.
Zaro Restaurant, Xlendi Promenade. The Zaro
Restaurant is located on the Xlendi seafront stretching onto the promenade having picture postcard
views of the bay.
Moby Dick Restaurant, 4, Marina St (Xlendi
Bay), 21561518 / 21559632, e-mail:
info@mobydickgozo.com.
The Moby Dick
Restaurant is open from 9:30AM until midnight.
27
Kercem
Kewija
Munxar
San Katalo
Sannat
Ta' Kercem
Victoria
Chapter 10
Malta Island
Malta Island is the largest island and main population
centre of Malta.
10.3 Understand
10.4 Talk
10.1 Cities
10.5 Get in
Valletta the capital, named for Jean Parisot de la

Valette, a French nobleman who was Grand Master
of the Order of St. John and leader of the defenders
during the Turkish siege of Malta in 1565.
Buibba
Cottonera (Three Cities) The name used when
referring to the three historic and ancient cities
of Birgu (aka Vittoriosa), Isla (aka Senglea) and
Bormla (aka Cospicua), three towns conglomerated
by 16th century fortications called the Cottonera
lines.
10.6 Get around

The old rattlers of the nineties were replaced with new
air-conditioned coaches. Public transport on Malta covers much of the island and is cheap. It can get crowded
in busy times though, with locals and holiday makers, depending on the route. Fares for non-residents are 1.30
for a 2-hour ticket, 1.50 for a 1-day ticket and 6.50 for
a 7-day ticket; all these permit one to travel any distance
on any routes within the validity period. Fares for Gozo
are 1 for a 2-hour ticket or 1.50 for a 1-day ticket.
Marsaxlokk shing village south of the island

Marsaskala an enchanting promenade ensures
you a pleasant evening here
10.7 See
Mdina Maltas well-preserved quiet old capital.

pronounced 'im-dina'
Mgarr
Rabat hosts numerous historical attractions such
as St. Pauls catacombs and the Roman Villa
St. Julians perfect area for nightlife & entertainment
San Gwann
Sliema

Golden Bay - One of Maltas most beautiful sandy
beaches, on the northwest coast of the island.
28
Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Two very beautiful

stone age temples set on the cliside of south west
Malta and overlooking the nature reserve of Fila.
If you are expecting to see acres of temples, this is
not the case, but what you do see is a number of carefully constructed stone rooms and structures which
were built around 3000BC. The sheer fact that they
have survived all this time is quite amazing. Hagar
Qim Temple in the nearest one to the road and access to this site is via a newly built visitor centre.
Mnajdra is further down the cli and there is about
a 1 km walk downhill to the temples. This is the
older of the two temples with parts dating back to
3600BC. This is a struggle if it is an extremely hot
day as there is no shade whatsoever and you can easily get dehydrated. There are some beautiful views
over the ocean and towards the little nature reserve
island. Their majesty has now been marred by protective tents and a 2 storey new building nearby.
You can get a bus from the bus Terminal in Valletta
straight to the Hagar Qim and Mnjdra temples.
10.11. DRINK
29
After travelling through several seemingly deserted 10.11 Drink

villages you kind of have the feeling that you are
travelling into the middle of nowhere. The visitor
centre also houses a gift shop, a restaurant and other 10.12 Stay safe
facilities. You can get the bus back to Valletta or
attempt to walk down the hill to the Blue Grotto. There was a little rowdiness in the St Julians area a few
This is a nice walk with some stunning views, and decades ago but Malta is now generally very safe and is a
takes probably about 20 minutes at a good pace. But quiet, family destination.
again, there is no shade, so have a good supply of water with you. You can then get the bus here back to
Valletta. Be careful of the taxis as they will tell you 10.13 Go next
buses very rarely come and try to charge you 20E to
drive you to the next town - don't be fooled by their
helpfulness. During the day, buses go through Hagar Qim Park at least once every hour. Entrance to
both temples and the visitor centre cost 10 Euro per
person.
10.8 Do
Malta Island has some excellent beaches, perfect for a day
of sunbathing or water sports. Fine examples include:
10.8.1
Golden Bay and Gajn Tuea
The Golden Bay and Gajn Tuea are two adjoining bays carved in the coastline of northwestern Malta.
Golden Bay is probably the most popular beach in the
area and attracts people of all kinds. And for good reason, as you'll nd everything you need for a day at the
beach: perfect sands, some pleasant beach clubs and a
good range of water sports activities. The water is good
for swimming, water skiing, banana rides and (when the
waves allow) boogie boarding. Red ags will warn you if
strong currents are present. Gajn Tuea boasts similar
attractions but is slightly less crowded, possibly because
of the long stairs leading to its sands. The beaches are
easily reachable by car and a parking is a available. Alternatively, regular bus services run to and from towns in
the region. Take bus 44 from Valetta or bus 223 and 224
from Bugibba. If you're not on a budget, you can also
stay or eat at the beach in the 5 star Radisson Blu hotel,
considered one of the best in the country.
10.9 Buy
It was often a shock to British people to nd that it took
nearly two British pounds to make one Maltese Liri, but
since 1 Jan 2008, Malta has the euro.
10.10 Eat
Chapter 11
Cottonera
siege of Birgu and Senglea lasted several months and culminated in a dramatic episode when the Turks nally
breached the defenses. Grand master of the Knights, Jean
de la Vallette, then decided to blow up the bridge linking
the town to Fort St. Angelo at the end of the peninsula,
so that none of the knights would be able to withdraw
and would have to die making a last stand on the central square side by side with the locals of Birgu who had
fought with them. Just as the Turks were pouring into the
town down the short road to the square a group of Maltese who had ridden down from Mdina set to torching the
virtually unguarded Turkish camp giving them the impression that they were being attacked from the rear. The
Senglea
Turks retreated in disarray mere yards from their objective, a victory which would have changed the course of
Cottonera is in Malta. Composed of the three adjacent Mediterranean history.
cities of Cospicua (aka Bormla), Vittoriosa (aka Birgu)
and Senglea (aka L'Isla), they are collectively also known In recognition of this event the name Vittoriosa meaning
victory was given to the town. The Knights were hailed
as the Three Cities.
in Europe as saviors of the west and acquired huge funds
with which they set forth to build Valletta, thus ending
Birgus short spell as capital of Malta.
11.1 Understand
Vittoriosa was originally (and still is by the Maltese)

called Birgu {Borgo} and, having been a Phoenician/Carthaginian settlement as well as a Greek trading
post, is probably older than Mdina. It served throughout Maltas history as its main port town with the fort at
the entrance to the bay it protects often being considered
more important than, and having rulers dierent from the
rest of the island. When the at the time maritime Knights
of St. John were given control of Malta by the Pope and
the Holy Roman emperor they, to the relief of the old
aristocracy of mixed Catalan, Aragonese, Swabian and
Angevin Anjou descent, didn't choose landlocked Mdina
as its base but naval Birgu instead. They promptly set out
to strengthen the ancient defenses and build an 'Auberge'
for each of the dierent 'Langues ( a Langue is a group
of knights sharing a common language, an Auberge a residence for each Langue).
The Turkish Sultan Suleiman_the_Magnicent decided
to try and take Malta in 1565 and sent an armada with 3040,000 men under the leadership of admiral Turgut_Reis
(Torgut Reis, Dragut, Draghouth) with the home of the
knights, Birgu and Senglea, as main objective. The
The area of the Grand Harbour became very important

during the 19th century for Malta as it became a stopover for any British ships between Gibraltar and the Suez
canal. In this area, in particular further south around
Senglea became the industrial centre of the country with
many docks for shipbuilding being constructed. Sadly
this made it a main target for an extremely harsh bombing campaign during WWII. The area around the Grand
Harbour counts as one of the most intensely bombed in
the world which caused incalculable damage to this historic area. As the main industry has moved away from the
area, and the tourist areas are concentrated in Sliema and
further north the Cottonera is mercifully spared from the
unchecked tourist development which has scarred other
parts of the country, this area is surprisingly devoid of
any tourism. Part of fort St Angelo has been recently returned to the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order
of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (one of
the orders which trace their origin to the original Hospitaller order of Knights of St John) and is being conserved
and restored. Tourist activity has increased in Birgu in
recent years, with restaurants and a marina for magnicent yachts opening (and some new ats of questionable
30
11.5. SEE
31
taste being built near Fort St Angelo).
(though a donation is appreciated), but do ask caretaker Joseph to give you a guided tour, this wizened
old man is a true raconteur and will tell you about
his experiences during WWII in the town and will
graphically describe Valettes last stand against the
Turks just outside on the square in 1565. Opening
hours are rather erratic.
11.2 Get in
The Three Cities are on the opposite side of the Grand
Harbour to Valletta, one can see the peninsulas beautifully
from anywhere on the south side of the capital facing the
water. They can be easily reached by bus from Valletta,
the ride takes about 15 minutes.
St Lawrences Church This was the conventual

church of the Knights of St John before the Cathedral in Valletta took over that role. Like most Maltese Churches it is beautiful inside. It has a statue
of St Lawrence (Maltese: San Lawrenz) holding the
gridiron on which he was crucied, and a politically
incorrect statue of the Virgin Mary trampling the
crescents of Islam.
11.3 Get around

The Three Cities is made up of two adjacent peninsulas
each about a kilometer in length: Vittoriosa and Senglea,
and the area which joins the two; Cospicua.
The Maritime museum. Ex-Naval Bakery, Vittoriosa Quay, 2166 0052. is well presented, and
though not up to the standard of the great maritime
museums (such as Greenwich in London) is worth a
visit.
A car is the best option for getting around as public transport doesn't actually go anywhere onto the peninsulas. If
you're visiting just Vittoriosa or Senglea then just parking
somewhere at the beginning of the peninsulas rather than
trying to navigate the maze-like streets is the best option.
11.4 See
The entire area was devastated by Nazi bombers during
WWII, and so much of the towns are rebuilt. The place
with the most interesting remaining buildings is Vittoriosa, although the tip of Senglea is worth visiting for
the view. Birgu has a history going back to pre-Roman
times, whereas the other two are more recent. Senglea
was founded by Grand Master Claude de la Sengle a few
years prior to the Great Siege, and the Bormla mosts dates
View of Fort St Angelo from Upper Barracca Gardens in Valletta
from after the Great siege of 1565.
[Photo: Rolf Palmberg
11.5 See
Birgu (Vittoriosa) The main gate and the walls
were manned by groups of Knights from dierent
countries and are labelled as such, it is well worth exploring these interesting fortications and pondering
the dierence in size when compared to Valletta.
The Inquisitors palace, +356 2182 7006. Main
Gate Street. Impressive courtroom where judgments were read, and it is worth a visit with a 6
price tag.
The Church Museum just o the left of the main
square is a great little museum in the old style, a
collection of artifacts related to Birgus past all kept
in wooden display cabinets, ranging from the mundane to unique items such as de la Vallettes hat and
sword and a set of banned 16th century playing cards
which have the tarot on the back. Entrance is free
]
Fort St. Angelo and the area around it is possibly
-the- hidden gem of Malta. This fortress has been
here since and possibly already before Roman times
and was in 1565 the main objective to capture for
Suleimans armada. It was used until 1979 as the
headquarters of the British Mediterranean eet. After the British left there were attempts to turn the
fort into a hotel resort, which resulted in some damage and a derelict swimming pool half lled with
scum constructed on top of the ancient fortications.
The fort appears closed, but sometimes the gates
are open, and sometimes even if they are closed,
its worth calling out, and passing a couple of Liri
to those who may be on guard duty. The core of
the fort (where the Grand Masters lived and worshipped) is now under the care of the Knights of St
John, and has been beautifully restored, but is definitely not open to the public. The lack of any fur-
32
CHAPTER 11. COTTONERA

ther restoration adds to the charm, there is something very evocative about these unpolished ruins.
The newly opened Casino di Venezia on the Vittoriosa quay is evidence of tourist development having
reached the three cities. It is housed in an old building used by the knights. Vittoriosa Quay, Tel +356
218 055 80.S
Central square of Vittoriosa, where in 1565 Jean
de la Vallette was to make his last stand when the
walls were breached only to see the Turks panic
and turn around right before him, one can now have
lunch in the modest cafe there.
11.6 Do
Dghajjes, like the related Venetian gondolas, are
descendants of Phoenician ships. The dghajjes
(pronounced daizas) leave from the old gate at the
beginning of the Vittoriosa yacht marina, just look
for the group of old men drinking tea. 40 minute
round trip of the Grand Harbour or a ride across the
harbour back to Valletta. 1.5 Lira p.p.
Swim After leaving the Fort turn right instead of
left and continue further along the length of the
peninsula along a little used path, up some stairs and
then through an old little gateway. Virtually no one
comes here, swimming at the base of this majestic
castle with the stunning view of the Grand Harbour
around you is just incredible.
11.7 Eat
Cafe Brazil
Il-Forn, +356 21 820 379. 26/27 Triq itTramuntana, Collacchio Area. An art gallery &
wine bar near the central square of Vittoriosa, as the
name gives away its located in a former bakery dating from 1637.
11.8 Drink
11.9 Sleep
Indulgence Divine, Triq Papa Alessandru VII,
+44 781 3988827. Check-in: 15:00, check-out:
10:00. Contemporary design and history in an intimate blend. Boutique self catering accommodation
for two in a 450 year old town house.
11.10 Go next
Chapter 12
Marsaxlokk
the Lampuki. The sight of the traditional luzzus (shingboats built according to a design dating back to the
Phoenicians) and the tranquil surroundings make this a
very pleasant place to have lunch at one of the quaiside
restaurants. The only blemish on this near perfect picture
is the powerplant that for some unfathomable reason had
to be built on the side of the bay rather than out of sight in
the next bay where the ultra modern cargo port is located.
12.4 See
Marsaxlokk harbor during the Sunday sh market
12.5 Do
Marsaxlokk is in the south-east part of Malta.
12.6 Buy
12.1 Get in
The Sunday sh market is said to be the best place in the

country for sh, and is a lively traditional spectacle to see.
By bus it should take about 30 minutes from Valletta. The

number 81 and 85 buses leave around every 20 minutes.
On Sundays, an extra bus route (X86) runs to/from Valletta.
12.7 Eat
On the waterfront there are several reasonably decent
restaurants where one can have lunch outside.
12.2 Get around

12.8 Drink
It is small enough to walk around, parking can be a hassle
near the waterfront.
At the waterfront, one can drink in a suitablly beautiful location, surrounded by quaint boats and shermen. There
aren't many more picturesque locations to enjoy the local
'Cisk' lager or a range of cheap vodkas.
12.3 Understand
Marsaxlokk is a picturesque shing village on the southeast side of Malta, it has an ancient history being the site
of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Juno, but no
ancient remains are visible. It is rare as a Maltese seaside
village in that it has no modern buildings such as hotels
spoiling it and none of the traditional housing has as of
yet been destroyed to make way for prefab rental apartments. On Sundays there is a sh market where one can
get the best sh available, a particular local favourite is
12.9 Sleep
Port View Guest House, Triq il- Luzzu, +356
99076004, e-mail: info@portview.com.
12.10 Go next
33
Chapter 13
Mdina
Mdina is a small town in Malta and its former capital.
13.1 Understand
rupted for over 6 centuries), and the local governing organ called the Universita was housed there. Up until this
day it is the seat of the Maltese bishop and the Mdina
cathedral still takes precedence over the co-cathedral of
St. John.
As the knights chose Birgu (Vittorosia) as their new capital the Great Siege of 1565 by the Turks was directed
there and not at Mdina. The Turkish army passed by
Mdina and could have easily taken the crumbling bastion
which only had a small group of local soldiers and locals
t to guard it to stop them. A local nun had a vision however that called for a great procession praising god, and
so every person in the town was dressed up and paraded
around the top of the walls for hours giving the impression to the Turks that Mdina was full to the brim with
defenders, and so they left it alone.
This decision proved fateful because just as the Turks had
breached the main gate of Birgu a small band of Maltese
rode down from Mdina, and started torching the deserted
camp of the Turks making them think that they were being attacked from the rear and causing them to retreat in a
panic. The breach was xed and after that reinforcements
from Europe nally arrived and the Turks were defeated.
There is still a small chapel in Mdina in honour of this nun
whose vision changed the course of European history.
Under the knights and even more so under the British the
importance of Mdina as the seat of power faded steadily,
and what was once known as the 'Citta Notabile' became
the 'silent city', almost a ghost town. Today most of the
palazzos belonging to the old aristocracy are being restored and the tourists bring life to the place, but there
are only 400 inhabitants left.
Entrance to Mdina
L'Mdina (pronounced em-dee-nah) means fortied place

in Arabic and was rst created as such by the Romans
when they separated it from the rest of the town which became Rabat (which means Suburb) and fortied it. This
place was already the principal settlement of Malta how- 13.2 Get in
ever since Phoenician times and hence can claim a heritage of 3000 years. Up until the Knights arrived in the
mid 1500s it was the capital, the Maltese aristocracy lived Buses run from Valletta (30 minutes), Sliema, and St Juthere (some, like the Inguanez family still do uninter- lians (45 or longer depending on trac).
34
13.5. DO
13.3 Get around

Only inhabitants are allowed to take cars within the city
walls, most streets are too narrow in any case, and it takes
less than 10 minutes to walk from one end of the town to
the other.
35
Medieval museum.
13.5 Do
13.4 See
The town itself is a joy to stroll around in, many of the
alleys really give the sense that nothing has changed here
for more than a millennium since the Arabs were here.
The main attractions are the cathedral whose design inspired many of the other churches in Malta, the cathedral
museum. The view from the city walls makes it plain why
this site was chosen in ancient times, one has a commanding view over most of the island from here.
St Pauls Cathedral, +356 2145 6620. Built
after the earthquake of 1693 destroyed the original
12th century Norman structure. Like the Cathedral
of St. John in Valletta its oor is covered with intricately inlaid marble gravestones belonging to Maltese aristocracy. Also noteworthy is the impressive
wallpainting at the back of the cathedral depicting
the shipwrecking of st Paul on Malta. Interestingly
the face has two clocks (one for time and one for
date). There is an apocryphal (though much repeated and widely published) story that the reason- Wandering the back streets of Mdina
ing was to have one clock which showed the correct
time and one which serves to confuse the devil.
Walk around and take random turns in the maze-like alleys, the place is so small getting lost won't have you
Cathedral museum (Next to the cathedral). The wandering for more than 2 minutes. The Discover Mdquaint cathedral museum houses a variety of dier- ina self-guided audio tour is worth taking, especially for
ent small collections. Perhaps the most important is individual visitors, as it provides loads of information
a beautiful set of woodcut prints The Life of the Vir- about the several buildings and features of this unique
gin by Albrecht Drer. Furthermore it has a collec- city, which otherwise remain hidden for the visitor. The
tion of the cathedrals attributes and a tiny display on tour can be taken from the Vilhena Palace just inside the
the 19th century priests who took the rst initiative old citys main gate.
to develop Maltese in a written form. Amazingly, as
it was never in the colonial powers interest and the
Maltese had to do without writing in their own lan- 13.6 Eat
guage since the Arabs left in the 11th century. The
entire archive of the inquisition in Malta, which
Bacchus, 1 Triq Inguanez, +356 2145 4981. Lowas only banned by Napoleon the day he invaded,
cated in Roman vaults under the front of the city
is kept here, but is unfortunately not on public diswalls.
play. If you come with serious credentials you may
be able to persuade Father Michael to show them to
Ciappetti, Triq L Imhazen, +356 2145 9987.
you.
12:00-15:00, 19:00-22:00.
National Museum of Natural History. Situated
in an eighteenth century palace, designed in Parisian
Baroque style this museum covers various topics
such as Maltese Geology and Palaeontology, exotic
mammals, marine fauna, insects, shells and birds
and other topics like human evolution.
13.7 Drink
Fontanella, +356 21 454264. Continues to attract people on its former reputation for quality and
36
CHAPTER 13. MDINA

currently its wonderful view from its upstairs terrace
on top of the city wall. The cakes aren't what they
used to be and the service is indierent, but the imposing view of half of Malta lying before you makes
it more than worthwhile to have a coee there.
13.8 Sleep
Xara Palace, Xara Palace, Misrah il-Kunsill,
+35 21 450560. The only hotel inside the city walls,
located in a beautiful 17th century palazzo, it is arguably more exclusive than the Phoenicia in Valetta
making it the most exclusive in Malta, a suite with its
own hot tub on the roof with a view over the entire
country is, of course, hard to beat.
13.9 Go Next
Chapter 14
Rabat (Malta)
14.3 Get around
Rabat is a town in Malta.
All the sights are within minutes walking distance of the

busdepot located between Rabat and Mdina.
14.4 See
St. Pauls church with St. Pauls grotto, where
the saint apparently lived after being shipwrecked
on his way to being put on trial in Rome. Pope John
Paul II visited this place of pilgrimage in 1990. One
can take the underground passage from here to the
Wignacourt Museum.
St. Pauls church
14.1 Understand
The Roman Museum which houses the remains of

a Roman villa. It lies in between Rabat and Mdina.
This rebuilt Roman villa features mosaics and sculpture from the original house excavated on the site,
along with artifacts and displays relating the Roman,
Byzantine and Arab periods, from the 3rd century
B.C. through the 10th century A.D.
Rabat means suburb in old Arabic and this is indeed because Rabat is the town lying outside the citadel of Mdina.
The two towns used to be a single one until the Arabs dug
a moat across the hill and fortied its tip creating Mdina.
Rabat had walls of its own in Roman times but this can
only be seen today in parts of the street pattern.
The catacombs of St. Paul and St. Agatha, these

are early Christian underground cemeteries, particularly the latter is very interesting to visit. Earlier
descriptions refer to a grumpy tour guide, but by
June 2011 there is a friendly one who makes a special eort with children!
For the namesake town on Gozo island, see Victoria

(Malta).
14.2 Get in
There are several buslines going to Rabat, from the main
bus terminal in Valletta it should take about 35 mins.
53 Valletta-Rabat, 52 Valletta-Dingli (through Rabat), 51
Valletta-Mtarfa (through Rabat)
Rabat is also only a short walk from Mdina - through regular city streets with plenty of quaint buildings and homes.
Simply exit the old capitals fortress walls and keep walking; soon enough, you'll be in Rabat.
37
The Wignacourt museum. This was formerly

Grand Master Wignacourts palace, and is now a
dusty but charming old-style museum. It now houses
a mediocre local art collection on the ground oor
and a slightly random collection of historic furniture and paintings upstairs. Do see the painting of
Mary proferring her bared breast to her child with
a strangely lascivicious look on her face. Also do
visit the cellars of the museum which connect to another set of ancient catacombs, these have not been
'streamlined' for tourism like the other catacombs
which make them particularly interesting.
38
14.5 Do
14.6 Buy
. Of course there are the usual souvenir shops, the
Roman Villa Souvenir Shop (on the corner near the
Roman Museum) has a vast selection at reasonable
prices (such as 3.50 for well-made large metal souvenirs rather than the usual plastic tat).
14.7 Eat
Crystal Palace Bar. St. Pauls Street, Rabat
(close to the Domus Romana and the Greek Gate
to Mdina) - A little hole in the wall just opposite
the Roman Villa, you'd be forgiven for passing this
little gem by completely. It is a typical Maltese bar,
full of locals savouring the islands favourite savoury
snack - 'pastizzi' (parcels of lo pastry lled with either ricotta cheese or a mushy pea mix). You can
either sit down at one of the tables to enjoy pastizzi
and tea (served in the obligatory pyrex tumbler!), or
else order your food to go. Not one to miss!
14.8 Drink
14.9 Sleep
14.10 Go next
To the south one can visit the Buskett gardens which is
without a doubt the greenest place on Malta, the Inquisitors palace and the quiet clitop village of Dingli.
CHAPTER 14. RABAT (MALTA)
Chapter 15
San Gwann
San Gwann is a city in Malta.
Homestay accommodation with kitchenette facilities

sunsleepstudymalta Tel : 0035679052421
15.1 Get in
Independent modern one bedroom apartment Vista

Apartment San Gwann
15.2 Get around
15.9 Go next
15.3 See
The cartruts or furrows in the area known as tal-Mensija
were rst recorded in 1934 by E.B. Vella, who described
an extensive system of cart ruts totalling approximately
152 meters in length and with a consistent gauge of approximately 1.4 meters. These remaining cartruts at
Mensija San Gwann are characterised by two pairs, one
forking out of the other. San Gwann local council
15.4 Do
15.5 Buy
15.6 Eat
15.7 Drink
15.8 Sleep
LOOZA, e-mail: info@maltabudget.com. Homestay in San Gwann. From 85 per person per week
on self-catering basis. Private rooms with adjacent
bathroom and access to a shared kitchenette. Wi
internet connection at a nominal charge. Suitable for
students, accademics, visiting parents,medical electives of Mater Dei hospital, students on a practical
training or holiday makers. A short 7 minute walk
from the University of Malta, Mater Dei hospital,
the bus terminus and close to many English language
schools and the towns of Sliema and St. Julians.
39
Chapter 16
Sliema
Sliema is in Malta.
Buses for Sliema leave the Valletta terminus regularly. Be

warned that the Valletta - Sliema/St.Julians routes can get
quite crowded in the summer months. A number 12, 13
or 14 will take you to Sliema & St Julians.
16.1 Understand
The bus routes are very much concentric to Valletta, such

Sliema and St Julians are Maltas most modern and most that if you wish to travel from Sliema to another part of
built up areas and where most tourists stay. It is where one the Island (in any direction) it will often be necessary rst
will nd the most hotels, rental apartments, restaurants, to travel into Valletta then back out again.
bars, shops and clubs.
Sliema and St Julians form a near continuous town spread
over two adjacent peninsulas with St Julians to the north
(about 20 minutes walk) and Valetta and a third peninsula 16.2.3 By boat
to the south (about 20 minutes drive).
A ferry regularly (each half hour between 8am and 6pm
Malta is a very Catholic country and its people are some
and later on special occasions such as Notto Bianco)
of the friendliest and most embracing of tourists in Eucrosses the harbour between Sliema and Valletta. A onerope. It is important to note though that certain behavior
way ticket for the ve-minute journey costs about 1.20;
is strongly frowned upon (such as excessive drunken rauthere are also two or three water taxis plying the same
cous behavior) and other behavior is illegal (such as toproute. Whichever you use, be aware that on the Valletta
less sunbathing) despite this town being a common tourist
side there is quite a climb up to the centre of the city.
area.
Street names in Malta are written rst in Maltese then
in English, it becomes helpful to learn both since some
people only use one or the other when giving directions
and some maps only give the Maltese (on the assumption
that the reader will be able to translate).
16.3 Get around

16.4 See
16.2 Get in
16.2.1
By car
16.5 Do
The area is well signposted from Valetta and the interna- The town is a mostly residential area and as such tourists
tional airport and is about 20 minutes drive from Valletta would tend to travel outside of Sliema during holiday.
and 1 hour from the airport.
However, there are a number of excellent restaurants in
and around Howard Street and a tiny supermarket just o
Stella Maris Street.
16.2.2
By bus
The sea front is well developed and oers shaded seating

The bus service is now run by Arriva (www.arriva.com. areas often with free wireless internet, an array of cafes,
mt), most buses are air conditioned (a great benet over bars and restaurants and some stone beaches with safe and
the old buses!). A Day ticket costs 2.60 & can be used clean swimming areas.
as often as you wish on any route during the day of pur- Sliema is one of the largest and most modern shopping
chase.
centres in Malta : see 'Buy' below.
40
16.11. CONNECT
41
16.6 Learn
McDonald Sliema Homestay, Borg Olivier Street, tel.

+356-27-012825, . A cheap accommodation solution for
visitors
of all ages in Sliema situated just a minute away
Several of Maltas English language schools are located
from
the
sea.
here.
Host family accommodation tel 00356 79052421
sunsleepstudymalta Accommodation ideal for students
and holiday makers.
16.7 Buy
Homestay Malta www.maltabudget.com oers accomThis is Maltas largest and most modern shopping district. modation with a friendly host family.
You'll nd several streets packed full of shops, including
international favourites like Zara, Top Shop and Mango,
16.10.2 Mid-range
as well as a variety of many designer labels. Maltas prices
aren't anything to be excited about, but if you're looking
Imperial Hotel, Rudolph Street, +356 21
for something trendy, possibly from a store thats more
344093. Guestrooms are all equipped with airuncommon outside Europe, this is where you'll nd it.
conditioning,satellite TV, telephone and coee/tea
There is also a small Marks and Spencers, but this one
maker. Some of its facilities and services are restaudoes not have a deli section.
rant/bar, business center, swimming pool, sauna and
The latest addition to Sliema shopping is The Point mall
at Point Tigne, a three-level, air conditioned mall with a
supermarket, cafes & many designer outlets.
16.8 Eat
16.8.1
Budget
Oshore. A small coee shop on the Strand with

the best cakes and coee in Sliema.
16.8.2
Mid-range
room service. From 52.
16.10.3 Splurge
Ta' Cettina Hotel, +356-27-343788. Baker
Street. Expensive but luxurious. Ta Cettina hotel provides one with some of the best hospitality
that Malta has to oer, with spectacular panoramic
views of the Sliema Beach Front.
16.11 Connect
16.12 Stay safe
Ta' Kris. Tucked away in a little alley o Bisazza

Street, the main shopping thoroughfare, this is one Being the busiest tourist area petty crime associated with
of the best places on the island for Maltese cuisine. it is most rife here. That said there is still relatively little crime compared to many other mediterannean tourist
destinations.
16.8.3
Splurge
Baracuda in Baluta Bay has some of best food around.

Fish is what they do best, fresh out of the sea.
16.13 Cope
16.14 Go next
16.9 Drink
16.10 Sleep
16.10.1
Budget
Hibernia House Gateway Hostel. Depiro Street,

tel. +356-21-333859. Cheap and friendly HIaliated hostel, just don't expect too many frills.
Dorm rooms have basic cooking facilities. Good location a few blocks from the beach.
Chapter 17
St. Julians
St. Julians (Maltese: San iljan) is a town in Malta.
internet connection. Main restaurant Scirocco offers buet options and the KuDeTa Lounge Bar is
ideal for a snack at any time of the day. Pool Bar &
Grill also available in summer. Kids Club (indoors)
available. Varies from around 70 up to 190 per
night for the standard room, depending on season,
availability and length of stay.
17.1 Understand
This town is situated on the coast, north of Valletta. It
is known for tourism-oriented businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, centred mostly in an area
known as Paceville.
Hilton Malta, Portomaso, 356-21-383-383, fax:

356-21-386-386. On Portomaso waterfront, 15
minutes drive from Valletta.
17.2 Get in
Hotel Juliani, 12 St.Georges Rd, 356

2138 8000, fax: 356 2138 7800, e-mail:
info@hoteljuliani.com.
Centrally located boutique hotel. The rooms are large, well furnished and
maintained and comfortable, overlooking Spinola
Bay. The sta is helpful. 170 - 230.
17.3 Get around

17.4 See
Radisson Blu Resort, St. Georges Bay, +356

2137 4894. From the hotel, views can be seen from
the historic Grand Harbour in the east, all the way
to the Island of Gozo in the west.
17.5 Do
17.6 Buy
The Westin Dragonara Resort, Dragonara Road,

(356)(21) 381000, fax: (356)(21) 381347, email: Westin.dragonara@westin.com. 5-Star Luxury Resort. Perched on a 74,000-square-meter private peninsula. Opulent grounds and historic buildings.
17.7 Eat
17.8 Drink
17.9 Sleep
17.10 Go next
Le Meridien St Julians Hotel & Spa, 39, Main

Street, Balluta Bay (on St Julians Promenade),
+356 2311 0000, fax: +356 2311 0001, e-mail:
infolmsj@lemeridien.com. Check-in: 3PM, checkout: noon. Le Mridien St Julians is set on the
ground of a 19th century villa. Spa facilities include:
indoor pool, tness center, sauna, Jacuzzi, squash
court, etc. Also oers a rooftop pool with views on
the Bay. Rooms all have a balcony, some of them
overlooking the sea. Large bathroom, in-room safe,
television, movie selection, refreshment center and
42
Chapter 18
Valletta
18.2.2 By bus
In front of the main gate of Valletta is the main bus station for the entire island, rather than buslines covering the
island in a grid, most of them spread out from here and
return to here.
18.2.3 By boat
Instead of paying a lot of money for a harbour cruise there
is a small ferry leaving from Sliema which will take you
across beautiful Marsamxett harbour and past Manoel Island for 1.50.
Valletta
Another little known way is to visit Vittoriosa by bus and

then have the Maltese version of the gondola, the so called
Dghajsa bring you back in style across the spectacular
Grand Harbour to Valletta, and drop you o just by Victoria gate for 3.50.
Valletta is in Malta.
18.1 Understand
Virtu Ferries runs ferries to Pozzallo and Catania
in Sicily.
Valletta is the capital of the island nation of Malta. A

harbour city, Valletta preserves much of its 16th century architectural heritage built under the Hospitallers.
Valletta was one of the earliest sites inscribed on the 18.3 Get around
UNESCO World Heritage List. Referred to colloquially
as Il-Belt (The City), it takes its name from its founder, The Valletta peninsula is only a couple of kilometres in
Grandmaster Jean Parisot de la Valette.
length and so the ideal way is to do everything on foot
also allowing one to make use of the atmospheric stairs
throughout this steep city. However, the city is built on
a ridge, and is steep in parts (requiring walking up and
18.1.1 Climate
down stairs in some places), which can be tiring. The alternative would be doing it by car which is not ideal for
visitors due to lack of parking space, direction signs and
18.2 Get in
the fact that the streets are very narrow, often one way and
confusing if unfamiliar. Most of the main tourist attractions are along the main street (Triq ir-Republika) which
18.2.1 By car
does not involve steep hills.
Most bus routes and many arterial roads converge on
Valletta. However, once inside the city there are many
one-way streets and some pedestrian zones. Parking near
ones destination can be dicult. There is a large multistorey car park in Floriana, about half a kilometre from
the City Gate entrance to Valletta.
To get further historical information about the numerous

places of interest through Valletta it can be useful to hire
an audio guide. It is available in dierent languages (Maltese, English, Italian, French, Dutch, German and Spanish) from the Archeology Museum in Republic Street.
You can choose independently from the 24 stops and it
43
44
is not necessary to follow the given order. Stops can easily be skipped or visited in another sequence when tired
or full of the new information.
Another possibility is to rent one of the horsecarts
(Karozzin), but be sure to haggle over the price.
Bus routes 98 (clockwise) and 198 (counterclockwise)
run around Valletta. They depart from Valletta Terminus
at the following times:
Route 98: 6:30AM-7AM - every 15 minutes - 8AM8:20AM - 8:30AM - 8:50AM - 9:40AM - every 30 minutes - 5:40PM
Route 198: M-Sa 9:30AM / Su 8:30AM - every 30 minutes - 6PM
18.4 See
In debatable order of importance:
St. Johns Co Cathedral. Is unremarkable from
the outside but incredibly ornate on the inside. Each
of the dierent 'langues (knights of a particular
nationality had their own langue) has a their own
chapel lined along the side of the nave in which they
try and outdo each other in splendor. The barrel
shaped ceiling is a single huge fresco, the lifework
of famed artist Mattia Preti. And last but not least
the oor is entirely taken by knights graves all intricately inlaid marble in dierent colours, a recent
book on the subject describes it as the 'most beautiful oor in the world.' This relatively unknown
cathedral can count itself one of the most impressive
in Europe. Open 9:30AM and 4:30PM on weekdays and 9:30AM and 12:30PM on Saturdays. Entrance is through the Carappechia Annex on Republic Street in between St Johns Street and St Lucy
Street, directly opposite the Law Courts. As soon as
you enter you will be provided with an audio guide
included in the entrance fee which leads you through
the cathedral in 24 stops enabling you to get further
historical information about the paintings and special parts of St. Johns Co-Cathedral.
The Cathedral Museum. olds two works by Caravaggio who was briey himself a Knight, one of
them being his masterpiece the famous huge Beheading of St. John the Baptist.
Palace of the Grand Masters. Now is the Presidents oce and the Maltese parliament. The staterooms, when accessible are quite impressive. It also
houses the Knights armoury which is open to visitors daily from 9AM5PM. (However, all other
parts of the palace are closed to visitors, so what
they can see is limited.) At the entrance you can
CHAPTER 18. VALLETTA

receive an audio guide which is included in the entrance fee. It provides you with further historical
information about the various armoury of dierent
eras beginning from the medieval chain mail up to
the 17th century armour.
The Malta Experience. Despite not being entirely
cheap (3.5 Liri) visitors who have any interest in culture or history and who haven't exhaustively read up
on the country before coming here would do well
by starting their visit to Malta by going here as it
is an excellent introduction to the country. It gives
an impression of major events that shaped the country, but as its only half an hour long and meant for
rst-time visitors one shouldn't expect an in-depth
dry scholarly treatment of the subject. St Elmo Bastions, Mediterranean Street, Tel +356 243776 +356
251284
The Upper Barrakka Gardens (at the upper south
side of the peninsula). The gardens oer a jaw dropping view of the Grand Harbour. Go on a sunny day
and bring champagne!
The National Museum of Archaeology. Even
though Malta has an impressive and unique ancient
history this museum housed in the former Auberge
de Provence in Republic street can be rather a disappointment. The museum is currently partially being
renovated hopefully bringing something more worthy of its name. Auberge de Provence, Republic St,
Tel: 2122 1623.
Fort St. Elmo. Built at the tip of the peninsula by
the knights after the Dragut Raid of 1551. During
the Great Siege of 1565 the Turks made the mistake of choosing to rst take this fort, for which they
had planned a week. Instead the knights and soldiers present fought desperately for a month, buying
essential time. The knights in the fort knew they
were ghting to the death, and so rather than being taken o the ramparts when wounded, knights
would ght on seated in chairs until they couldn't
even lift their arms anymore. Today the fort houses
the Police Academy and is only partially open on the
weekend.
Manoel Theatre. Is 'La Scala' in miniature, a very
beautiful 17th century theatre in original state. One
of the oldest active theaters in Europe, it is the place
for many classical music performances but also for
instance the hilarious Christmas Panto. Old Theatre
St, Tel: 356/22-26-18.
The imposing defence walls and ramparts at the entrance to Valletta built by the Knights in the late 16th
century are interesting to explore.
18.6. LEARN
45
The National Library. An evocative old library on 18.6 Learn

Republic Square, next to the Grandmasters Palace.
Only part of it is open to the public: you will need to Several of the Maltese English language institutes are in
take a Passport or other Photo ID to get in. The en- Valletta.
tire archives of the Knights of St. John from the Crusades in the 11th century until 1798 when Napoleon
took Malta, are kept here, in true Maltese style in
18.7 Buy
rickety wooden ling cabinets. They were proud to
mention that recently a sprinkler system had been
The main street of Valletta is Republic street, a busy
installed to protect this priceless collection.
pedestrian zone leading down the middle of the Peninsula from the main gate down to Republic square, this is
The Sacra Infermeria. The great hospital built by where many of the better shops are located, although it
the knights in the 16th century, open to everyone, it cannot quite compete with Sliema for clothing.
had the highest level of healthcare available in Eu- The best souvenir shop (the least worthless trinkets etc.)
rope at the time. It was mostly destroyed during can be found at the Malta experience, but there are many
WWII, it was rebuilt and now functions as a con- other reasonable souvenir shops in Valletta. At the beginference centre. It is rarely open to the public.
ning of the Republic street there are several reasonable
souvenir shops but prices are far cheaper if you walk 20
meters down South street (turn left if you have the bus sta The Casa Rocca Piccola. A Maltese Noble Family
tion behind you) which crosses Republic street very soon
House on Triq ir-Republika, a few hundred yards
after you have entered through the city gates.
past the Grand Masters Palace on the right hand
The best bookshop of Malta is denitely the one formerly
side. Very enjoyable.
known as Sapienzas (know Agenda Bookshop as of 2008)
on Republic street but can be a bit more expensive.
National Museum of Fine Art. The biggest col- There is a daily market selling cheap clothing in the parlection of paintings by Mattia Preti. Also found allel street to Republic street called Triq il-Merkanti, or
here are paintings by Ribera, Erardi and many well Merchants street.
known Caravaggisti.
St. James Cavalier. A fortress opposite the
Auberge of Castille (today the Prime Ministers ofce) which was built as part of the elaborate defence systems of Valletta. Today it houses a 'Centre
for Creativity', with its own theatre, cinema, music
room and exhibition halls. Its twin, St. John Cavalier is currently the embassy of the Knights of St.
John who are, like the Vatican, recognised by several countries as a sovereign entity.
18.5 Do
You can take a spectacular walk along the sea around the
outside of the city walls. If you go to the mooring place
where the ferry for Sliema leaves, there is the possibility
to walk over the rocks towards the tip of the peninsula and
then around it coming back up into the city just next to
the Malta Experience. This walk takes about 30 minutes
and is done by virtually no-one.
At night in St Georges Square, there is a lovely water
fountain, with coloured spouts of water which pop up and
down - a fantastic play opportunity for children. They
WILL get wet, so don't let them go near if they are wearing their best clothing. Great fun for kids.
18.8 Eat
Valletta has a collection of decent restaurants, due to most
of the tourists residing either in Sliema or on the north
coast of the island there are fewer of the trashy variety, although it does have the ubiquitous fast-food places
(Burger King, McDonalds, Pizza Hut). The Valletta waterfront is absolutely amazing especially at night, it contains dierent types of restaurants, from Chinese to the
Hard Rock cafe, there is also a book shop and jewelry
shop in the same waterfront.
18.8.1 Budget
If you keep your eyes open you may run into one of the
charming traditional bakeries tucked away here and there
where the tourist economy hasn't forced prices up yet and
one can get lovely steaming fresh bread for mere cents.
La Mre Restaurant, Merchant Street, Valletta
(a few metres down from the old market and very
close to The Place), +356 21 223 256, e-mail:
info@lamere.com.mt. La Mre Restaurant oers a
fusion of Mediterranean, Maltese, Indian and Arabian cuisine in a cosy and homey atmosphere. Open
for both lunch and dinner.
46
18.8.2
Mid-range
De Robertis (Roof Top Restaurant), Castille Square

c/w St. Pauls St, +356 21 220173. The view is
incredible and the food is very tasty. 12 - 18.
Trattoria da Pippo, 136 Melita St, 21-24-8029.. A place where locals go for lunch. They have
an excellent selection of seafood dishes.
Cae Cordina, 244/5 Republic St, +356 21
234385. This place has a venerable history behind
it, and has a reputation to match. This is the place
to be seen having lunch, but the food isn't as good
as one may expect. The coee bar inside is the best
place for a quick espresso whilst admiring the ceiling.
18.10.1 Budget
Asti Guesthouse, St Ursula St. Charming Guesthouse with the warmest possible welcome. In a
great location just around the corner from the Upper
Barakka Gardens and a ve minute walk from Bus
Station. Non en-suit, but three double bathrooms
between nine rooms means there is no problem with
accessing facilities. Price includes breakfast in a
lovely room with a huge chandelier. In high demand
so be sure to book ahead. Lm7 (16) pp/pn.
Now 20 Euro per night per person (Feb 2012). But still
the best value in Valletta. Annie, the owner is a sweet
little lady who will treat you like you are staying at your
grannies.
Osborne Hotel, 50 South St. Located in a converted palace. $50.
Malata Restaurant, Palace Sq, +356 233 967. If

one is looking for a place in Valletta to have dinner
on a terrace, then this is a nice place to go slightly 18.10.2 Mid-range to High
later in the evening when the square in front of the
Grand Masters palace is almost emptied of parked
Grand Hotel Excelsior, Great Siege Rd, Floriana,
cars. There is Live Jazz on Tuesday nights.
+356 21250520, e-mail: info@excelsior.com.mt.
18.8.3
Splurge
Pintonino Restaurant. Tucked a few meters away

from the Valletta waterfront, a ne restaurant that
oers great food and a selection of more than 150
wines.
18.9 Drink
Trabuxu, No. 1d, Strada Stretta, 21-22-30-36.
A charming wine bar in an ancient cellar serving
light meals. Its at the beginning of a small alley
parallel to Republic street, look for the wooden sign
with the corkscrew.
British Hotel, 40 Battery St, +356 21 224730,

e-mail: info@britishhotel.com. Friendly two-star.
Has fantastic sta and a really cool bar with one of
the best views in Valletta. $75.
The Phoenicia, The Mall, Floriana,
+356 21-225241, fax: 21-23-52-54, e-mail:
info@phoeniciamalta.com.
Check-in: 2PM,
check-out: noon. Located just outside of the main
gate, this 5 star luxury hotel, with the possible
exception of Xara palace in Mdina, is the most
exclusive place to stay in the country. This is where
Queen Elizabeth II (who was Queen of Malta from
1952-1974) recently chose for her reception when
visiting Malta. The place has a denite old colonial
style about it.
Rampila Restaurant and Wine bar (Rampila),

St Johns Cavalier (Opposite St. Johns Cavalier on 18.10.3 Boutique & Self-Catering
a back street corner. Turning rst left after passing into to the city through City Gate and then left
Maison La Vallette, Marsamxett Harbour, +356
again you nd an olive tree, an antique stone bench
79488047, e-mail: stay@maisonlavallette.com. A
and the railings around the entrance to Rampila.),
discreet self catering luxury town house, situated in
+35621226625. A Fine Maltese/Mediterranean futhe old part of Valletta - dating back to the Knights
sion restaurant and wine bar in the impressive basof Malta. The house has a large bedroom with entions. One can enjoy a ne plate of fresh seafood,
suite facilities, bathroom with tub, living room and
meat, game, pasta or risotto there or enjoy a platter
separate kitchen. The decor is a mix of Maltese style
and/or dips accompanied by wine from an extensive
baroque and bespoke designer furniture. An ideal
selection.
setting for a romantic stay, with easy access to the
rest of the island. 81.
18.10 Sleep
Valletta G-House, near Fort St Elmo, +44

781398827, e-mail:
aldo@vallettahouse.com.
18.14. GO NEXT
47
Artists private townhouse featured for its beauty 18.14 Go next

in magazines and voted travel writers choice by
both Britains Guardian and by the Lonely Planet Almost all of Maltas bus routes start from the large
Guide. Large bedroom with striking oor tiles roundabout just outside the main gate, making everyand traditional 'galleria', rustic kitchen with all where in the country accessible.
mod-cons and lounge. From 595 per week.
There is also the ferry which goes to Sliema for 0.93.
Valletta Nobile, Close to St Johns Co-Cathedral,
Mdina
+356 79488047, e-mail: info@vallettanobile.com.
Valletta Nobile is a 400 year old Maltese townhouse
Vittoriosa (aka Birgu)
full of character and charm. This self catering ac Gozo
commodation in Valletta is a discreet hide-away tailored for the discerning traveller. A unique house
which expresses the joy of the noble life of knight- Valletta is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site but two
hood mingled with the playful colours of Maltese more can be found in the suburb of Tarxien, in the form
baroque. It oers an intimate experience of liv- of the Megalithic Temples and the Hypogeum
ing in a world heritage site, nestled between opulent
baroque churches and the Grand Masters palace,
Hal Saieni Hypogeum, Located on Triq Ic
just minutes away. 85.
Cimiterju, Paola (Reachable by any bus route to
Paola (e.g. Route 1,2,3)and a short walk from the
bus stops.), 2142 4231, fax: 2124 4231. Eight
tours are conducted daily, starting on the hour from
18.11 Stay safe
9AM till 4PM (last tour).. The Hal Saieni Hypogeum is a subterranean structure excavated c.
Apart from some restaurants and bars open in the evening
2500 B.C. Thought to be originally a sanctuary, it
Valletta still has next to nothing happening in terms of
became a necropolis in prehistoric times. It is the
nightlife, so apart from Republic street the streets are
only prehistoric underground temple in the world.
quite empty late at night. Most of the usual petty crime
To ensure its conservation, the sites microclimate is
that travelers are confronted with happens in Sliema and
strictly regulated. For this reason, the site is open
St Julians, but its something to keep in mind.
to a maximum of 80 visitors each day. Each tour
is limited to ten visitors. A tour of the site starts
with a brief introductory exhibition and multilingual
18.12 Connect
audio-visual lm focusing on the temple building
peoples and the Hypogeums relationship to Maltas
temple sites. Booking in advance on the Heritage
Opposite to the Trabuxu wine bar at the beginning of
Malta website is highly advised. If unable to book
'Strait Street' there is Zia Internet Center which oers
in advance, tickets for tours the next day at 12:00pm
a wide selection of services including internet browsing
and 4:00pm are sold at the Valletta Museum of Fine
and low cost international calls.
Arts the day prior. They are sold at a rst come,
rst serve basis. Depending on the season, lining up
prior to the opening of the museum is a necessity
18.13 Cope
for purchasing tickets. Plan on lining up anywhere
from half an hour to an hour and a half in advance
to ensure ticket purchases. 30.00 available from
18.13.1 Embassies
website, 35.00 from the museum.
Greece, Villino Fond Galland No 6 IR' Rampa,
Ta'xbiex XBX 1035, +356 2132-0889, fax:
+356 2132-0788, e-mail: gremb.val@mfa.gr. M-F:
08:30-16:00.
United States, Ta' Qali National Park, Attard, +356 2561-4000 for regular and emergency service, fax: +356 2124-3229, e-mail:
usembmalta@state.gov; ConsularMalta@state.gov
maltaacs@state.gov; usembmalta@state.gov; ConsularMalta@state.gov. M, F 8AM-11AM, W 1PM4PM.
Tarxien Temples, Located on Triq It Tempji Neolitici, Tarxien. 9AM-5PM daily, last admission
4:30PM. This site, dating from 3600 to 2500 BC,
is the most complex of all temple sites in Malta and
consists of four megalithic structures. 6.00.
48
18.15 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

18.15.1
Text
Malta Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Malta?oldid=2815124 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2,

Sertmann, Jpatokal, Syced, Stefan2, Petertzgerald, Jc8136, Dguillaume, Sumone10154, Ypsilon, Shaundd, AlasdairW, Vidimian, Inas,
Pashley, Globe-trotter, Yann, Jonboy, Cacahuate, Xltel, Romaine, Snowolf, RegentsPark, ClausHansen, Stefan2bot, (WT-en) Huttite, (WTen) Tatatabot, (WT-en) TVerBeek, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Bill Ellett, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, (WT-en) Jjtk, (WT-en) Fastestdogever, (WT-en) InterLangBot, (WT-en) Roundtheworld, (WT-en) Meltwaterfalls, (WT-en) Brynus,
(WT-en) Edmontonenthusiast, (WT-en) EBB, (WT-en) Bijee, (WT-en) Stephen Atkins, (WT-en) Professorbiscuit, (WT-en) Wojsyl, (WTen) Scarwood, (WT-en) CIAWorldFactbook2002, (WT-en) Mr. Passenger, (WT-en) CloudySky, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) Silkroad,
(WT-en) Kellymac, (WT-en) Strapontin, (WT-en) Pudragon, (WT-en) Owl, (WT-en) Dan mat, (WT-en) ChiSci, (WT-en) Idanwcd12,
(WT-en) Johnmizzi, (WT-en) Willy On Wheels!, (WT-en) Rudythebear, (WT-en) Wzrd, (WT-en) Scutajar, (WT-en) Yorkiano, (WT-en)
Tristy, (WT-en) Johndoyle, (WT-en) Idanwcd, (WT-en) Rohitcool, (WT-en) PeterSK, (WT-en) Stee, (WT-en) Lithium, (WT-en) Holiday
Jake Remington, (WT-en) Nurrubbs, (WT-en) Liverpool1001, (WT-en) Sho999, (WT-en) Puddlejumper, (WT-en) AndrewRH, (WT-en)
Littlebullet, (WT-en) Juveker, (WT-en) The stuster, (WT-en) Eugtlf, (WT-en) Lawrencesaliba, (WT-en) Esemalta, (WT-en) Avidtraveler4life, (WT-en) Loodee14, (WT-en) Johnsmalta, (WT-en) Verattard, (WT-en) Elaine2, Ikan Kekek, Mimihitam, Boreas74, NJR ZA,
LilHelpa, Marek69, Andrewssi2, Sumones bot, Demdem, EvanProdromou, Gorilla Jones, Wobuainile, Bill-on-the-Hill, Sapphire, Philaweb, Inteloutside2, Texugo, ChubbyWimbus, Activegroup, Chris1515, Handrian, Jjtkk, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot,
Matroc, Addbot, Xwejnusgozo, Pjamescowie, Hobbitschuster and Anonymous: 275
Buibba Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bu%C4%A1ibba?oldid=2639744 Contributors: LtPowers, Jonboy, Xltel, (WT-en)
Morph, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) Skylights76, (WT-en) Coldsun2006, (WT-en) Ninuhadida, (WT-en) Quentinquist, (WT-en) Aldogauci, The Anomebot2, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Matroc and Anonymous: 11
Comino Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Comino?oldid=2762177 Contributors: LtPowers, (WT-en) Huttite, (WT-en) Tatatabot,
(WT-en) Meltwaterfalls, (WT-en) CloudySky, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) StuartEdwards, (WT-en) Coldsun2006, The Anomebot2,
Marek69, Traveler100, CarsracBot, Texugo, Jjtkk, DaGizza, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot, Buzzy, Addbot and Anonymous: 10
Melliea Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mellie%C4%A7a?oldid=2577933 Contributors: LtPowers, Pashley, (WT-en) FTMDave,
The Anomebot2, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 3
Gozo Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gozo?oldid=2830334 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2, Sertmann, Jpatokal, Petertzgerald, Cacahuate, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Jjtk, (WT-en) Meltwaterfalls, (WT-en) Tay, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) Idanwcd12, (WT-en) Johnmizzi, (WT-en) Scutajar, (WT-en) Vbeu, (WT-en) Etinniswood, (WT-en) Idanwcd, (WT-en)
Rohitcool, (WT-en) The Land, (WT-en) WGSOKP, (WT-en) TheDarkman, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, NJR ZA, Marek69, EvanProdromou, Wobuainile, Sapphire, Andyrom75, Jjtkk, Bokaal, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot, Matroc, Addbot, Has5477 and
Anonymous: 38
Gajnsielem Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/G%C4%A7ajnsielem?oldid=2390768 Contributors: Globe-trotter and Anonymous:
1
Victoria (Malta) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Victoria_(Malta)?oldid=2776173 Contributors: LtPowers, Vidimian, Cacahuate, Xltel, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Meltwaterfalls, (WT-en) Tay, (WT-en) PeterW, The Anomebot2, EvanProdromou, Wobuainile,
Traveler100bot, Danapit, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot, Addbot, 118.93nzp and Anonymous: 10
Xaghra Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Xaghra?oldid=2656597 Contributors: (WT-en) PeterW, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2,
Texugo, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, Matroc and Anonymous: 9
Xlendi Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Xlendi?oldid=2600825 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2, LtPowers, (WT-en)
Tatata, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) PeterW, Mey2008, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, Delusion23, Texugo, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot and
Anonymous: 5
Malta Island Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Malta_Island?oldid=2835576 Contributors: Wrh2, LtPowers, Vidimian,
ClausHansen, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Bill Ellett, The Anome, JuliasTravels, CarsracBot, Melsomj, Texugo, Traveler100bot,
Xwejnusgozo, Nastoshka, YiFeiBot and Anonymous: 2
Cottonera Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Cottonera?oldid=2773966 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2, Jpatokal, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Pashley, Xltel, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Ilkirk, (WT-en) Roe, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) Faraway, Ikan Kekek, The Anome, LilHelpa, Texugo, Traveler100bot, DaGizza, Wrh2Bot, Matroc, Addbot, Xwejnusgozo,
Kwallmann and Anonymous: 11
Marsaxlokk Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Marsaxlokk?oldid=2704612 Contributors: LtPowers, Xltel, ClausHansen, (WT-en)
Burmesedays, (WT-en) WindHorse, (WT-en) Hscholz, (WT-en) PeterW, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, Marek69, Texugo, Traveler100bot
and Anonymous: 7
Mdina Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mdina?oldid=2627679 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Jjtk~enwikivoyage, (WT-en)
Tatatabot, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) W66LinkBot, (WT-en) Meltwaterfalls, (WT-en) Flickety, (WT-en) PeterW,
(WT-en) Vbeu, Ikan Kekek, Jonte--, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa, Marek69, Texugo, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot, Addbot, AntonBryl and Anonymous: 14
Rabat (Malta) Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rabat_(Malta)?oldid=2670714 Contributors: LtPowers, Vidimian, Jonboy, (WTen) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) FTMDave, The Anomebot2, LilHelpa, Jjtkk, Traveler100bot,
Wrh2Bot, Matroc and Anonymous: 9
San Gwann Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/San_Gwann?oldid=2738443 Contributors: Jpatokal, LtPowers, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Fastestdogever, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot, AntonBryl and Anonymous: 8
Sliema Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sliema?oldid=2636858 Contributors: Jpatokal, LtPowers, Saqib, (WT-en) Morph, (WTen) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Duskromano, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) Vbeu, (WT-en) Loodee14, Eco84, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2,
LilHelpa, Strainu, Melsomj, Texugo, Inasbot, Traveler100bot, Wrh2Bot and Anonymous: 17
18.15. TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
49
St. Julians Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/St._Julian{}s?oldid=2746918 Contributors: Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Petertzgerald,

Dguillaume, Jjtk~enwikivoyage, LtPowers, Inas, ClausHansen, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Bill Ellett, (WT-en) Lorna45, (WT-en)
Loodee14, (WT-en) Zuiderdamm, Mey2008, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, CarsracBot, Jjtkk, Traveler100bot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot,
Matroc, Addbot and Anonymous: 8
Valletta Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Valletta?oldid=2757891 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Wrh2, Jpatokal, Syced, Pbsouthwood, Ypsilon, LtPowers, Inas, Pashley, Tsandell, Jonboy, Saqib, Epolk, ClausHansen, Stefan2bot, (WT-en) Morph, (WT-en)
Tatatabot, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Episteme, (WT-en) Valtteri, (WT-en) Panos, (WT-en)
, (WT-en) Rouge,
(WT-en) Zepppep, (WT-en) Quirk, (WT-en) Meltwaterfalls, (WT-en) Hscholz, (WT-en) CloudySky, (WT-en) PeterW, (WT-en) Kellymac, (WT-en) Auburntigers1, (WT-en) Faraway, (WT-en) Vallettasuites, (WT-en) Jattard, (WT-en) Darkbear, (WT-en) Excelsiormalta,
(WT-en) Europeantourist201, (WT-en) Mizzn004, Thehelpfulbot, Ikan Kekek, The Anomebot2, Sumones bot, Yvwv, Texugo, WOSlinker,
Jjtkk, Delirium, Inasbot, SteveRBot, Wrh2Bot, Matroc, Addbot, AntonBryl, Pjamescowie and Anonymous: 60
18.15.2
Images
File:2012-09-24-Malta-Gozo_(Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann)_096.JPG Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/6/6a/2012-09-24-Malta-Gozo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_096.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors:
Own work Original artist: Dietrich Michael Weidmann
File:2012-09-24-Malta-Gozo_(Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann)_124.JPG Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/f/ff/2012-09-24-Malta-Gozo_%28Foto_Dietrich_Michael_Weidmann%29_124.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors:
Own work Original artist: Dietrich Michael Weidmann
File:Azure_Window_Gozo.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Azure_Window_Gozo.JPG License:
CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Erik1980
File:Carnival_in_Valletta_-_Show.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Carnival_in_Valletta_-_Show.
jpg License: CC BY 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Ronny Siegel
File:Comino_Quarantnestation.JPG Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Comino_Quarant%C3%
A4nestation.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Wusel007
File:Comino_St_Marys_Tower.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Comino_St_Mary%E2%80%
99s_Tower.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Wusel007
File:Fort_St_Angelo.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Fort_St_Angelo.jpg License: GFDL Contributors: Own work Original artist: Rolf Palmberg (WT-en) Roe at en.wikivoyage-old
File:Ftira.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Ftira.JPG License: Public domain Contributors: Own
work Original artist: Slganado
File:Gozo-citadel-cathedral.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Gozo-citadel-cathedral.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Thyes
File:Gozo_view_-_Citadel,_Gozo.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Gozo_view_-_Citadel%2C_
Gozo.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Chrisportelli
File:Kinnie.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Kinnie.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.5 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Gibmetal77. Original artist: Gibmetal77 at English Wikipedia
File:LocationMalta.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/LocationMalta.png License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Malta-senglea-sunset.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Malta-senglea-sunset.jpg License: CC
BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Myriam Thyes
File:Malta_-_St._Julian{}s_-_Triq_San_Gorg_-_Spinola_Palace_Garden_04_ies.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/2/20/Malta_-_St._Julian%27s_-_Triq_San_Gorg_-_Spinola_Palace_Garden_04_ies.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: Frank Vincentz
File:Malta_01_bus.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Malta_01_bus.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: -jkb File:Malta_Mdina_BW_2011-10-05_13-41-26.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Malta_Mdina_
BW_2011-10-05_13-41-26.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Berthold Werner
File:Malta_Regions_map.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Malta_Regions_map.png License: CC
BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work based on the map of Malta by Xander, and Perry-Castaeda Library Map Collection Malta Maps
Original artist: Burmesedays
File:Map_mag.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Map_mag.png License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors:
Designer: FatCow Web Hosting (Transferred by TarzanASG) Original artist: The original uploader was Mey2008 at German Wikipedia
File:Marsaxlokk_malta_market.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Marsaxlokk_malta_market.jpg
License: CC BY-SA 1.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Hendrik Scholz
File:Mdina005.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Mdina005.jpg License: CC SA 1.0 Contributors: ?
Original artist: ?
File:Pastizzi.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Pastizzi.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Contributors:
Flickr Original artist: Charles Haynes
File:Qarga_Bagli_Mimli_(Stuffed_marrows_-_Maltese_Style).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/
b4/Qarg%C4%A7a_Bag%C4%A7li_Mimli_%28Stuffed_marrows_-_Maltese_Style%29.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: originally
posted to Flickr as Photo of Stued Marrows - Maltese Style Original artist: Foodista
50
File:Rabat_1.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Rabat_1.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors:

Own work Original artist: Lysy
File:The_Blue_Lagoon.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/The_Blue_Lagoon.jpg License: CC BY-SA
3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Yulia K
File:Valletta_Sliema.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Valletta_Sliema.jpg License: GFDL Contributors: Own work Original artist: Vlad beu
18.15.3
Content license
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Malta

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Originalbeschreibung:

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Malta

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Contents

1.15 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Accommodation for longer stays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.11 Stay safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.13 Walking, Rambling and Hiking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.2 Other destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.6 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10.8.1 Golden Bay and Gajn Tuea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15.2 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18.3 Get around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18.10.2 Mid-range to High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18.10.3 Boutique & Self-Catering

18.15Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18.15.3 Content license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea that

Rabat hosts numerous historical attractions such

Sliema shopping area just north of Valletta.

1.3 Other destinations

Map of Malta with regions colour-coded

Tarxien Temples - A Neolithic temple in Tarxien.

Golden Bay - One of Maltas most beautiful sandy

Cottonera (Three Cities) The name used when

Blue Grotto - A series of seven caves and inlets on

Marsaxlokk shing village south of the island. A

Mosta Dome - the third largest dome in Europe and

Freedom Day, 31 March (1979)

Malta remained in the Commonwealth of Nations when

A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about

The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also

Maltas climate is inuenced by the Mediterranean Sea

Malta gained European Union membership in May 2004.

1.6. GET AROUND

1.6 Get around

Malta possesses its own national carrier, Air Malta, with

The Malta Public Transport website can be found here.

It is always best to pre-book your car rental online as this

Finally, the (new) bus system is still notoriously slow, with

There is GPS coverage of the Island by popular brands,

Between Malta and Gozo

Regular ights between Valletta Grand Harbour and

Scheduled helicopter service between Malta and Gozo

The boat charter industry has grown considerably in

Bilingual sign banning smoking

The ocial languages are Maltese and English. Italian is

If you visit Malta in summer, be sure you visit one of the

The Maltese people have many Christmas customs that

Distinctly Maltese cuisine is hard to nd but does exist.

Maltese sausage is incredibly versatile and delicious. It

One must also try to have a bite of ob bi-ejt, which

The local beer is called Cisk (pronounced Chisk) and,

If you have a car at your disposal, take a detour and have

1.15 Stay safe

Despite that most public parking lots are free in Malta,

People of color have been known to have experienced

Buibba, like Sliema, is where you can see the eect of

There is a megalithic temple in the centre of town which

Being more to the northwest than Valletta and Sliema one