In June, my husband Mike, our friend Cam and I traveled to Malta. We had 4 days to fill in Europe between places we needed to be. I admit, Malta was not even on my radar. Cam, having lived in London for over a decade and bitten extensively by the travel bug, has been to every country in Europe save for 3. Mike and I were totally open as to where we went and were happy to help Cam tick off another new place. So, off we went to Malta.
The country of Malta is made up of 3 islands, Malta, the largest, followed by Gozo and Comino. Over the 4 days we explored all 3. I wish we had just a few more days. I think a week would be perfect.
Malta completely impressed us. It is both geographically and architecturally beautiful. We stayed in Valletta, the capital city, in a really lovely 2 bedroom condo we found on Airbnb. Below is a view from our balcony. We spent lots of time exploring its maze of tiny streets and alley ways, many not much wider than your outstretched arms. If you’re a fan of Game Of Thrones the streets of Valletta and many other places in Malta may feel familiar as much of Season One was filmed there. The characteristic Maltese balconies are everywhere and often brightly painted. The food was great and the people were so kind.
I high recommend renting a car. The island of Malta is not large and you get get pretty much anywhere in 45 minutes, unless of course you have navigational issues. Even with GPS getting through the labyrinth of streets can often be quite the adventure!
There are no cars on Comino but lots of boats that will take you there. Comino is most famous for the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Blue Lagoon. Go early in the day as crowds build up by early afternoon. Be sure to order the most ridiculous (and delicious) Piña Colada you’ve ever seen, see below. The water was beautiful but way, way colder than I expected. Perhaps it warms up as the season goes on by in early June it was rather brisk. At least the outside air temperatures were hot.
Mdina is on the main island of Malta and in my opinion is a must see. This ancient walled city complete with a moat dates back to the 8th century BC. The interior is lined with the quaintest doors and unique knockers.
More knockers.
On our last day we drove to the north end of Malta to catch the ferry to Gozo. Gozo is probably most known for the Azure Window, a giant archway formed in the edge of a cliff. We spent a few hours exploring the area and swimming along side it. For Game of Thrones fans, this is where the Dothraki wedding was. If I did it again I would leave 2 days for Gozo. We only had one however, and our day was pretty perfect.
After our swim we set out to explore more of the island. We walked through the Citadel and took in the views from the highest points.
We decided to go back to the Azure Window for sunset. This meant arriving back at our apartment in Valletta rather late for an early morning flight but it was so worth it. We bought a bottle of wine at a little shop and sipped it as the sun disappeared into the Mediterranean.
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