Malta – Europe’s tiny little wonder | Explore its multi-cultural past and stunning coastline
When I first decided to go to Malta, I didn’t know much about the country – other than having a vague association with Popeye. By the end of my week long stay in the country, I had fallen in love with this beautiful island country. Malta begs you to slow down and take the time to savor the history and the beautiful coastal landscape.
Cultural Capital of Europe
Over the years, Malta has had a long history of conquests. The Arabs, Ottomans, French, Spanish and the British all ruled the islands of Malta at some point of time in the history. This multi-cultural past reflects in the language, cuisine and the diverse ethnicities living on the island. My trip in Malta started off in Valletta, Malta’s fortified capital city located on a hilly peninsula. With over 300 monuments, the city is nothing short of a large open-air museum, and the most densely packed historical area anywhere in the world. In 2018, Valletta had been declared as the culture capital of Europe, an honor which is highly sought after.
Lose yourself in the past
One of the best ways to experience Valletta is on foot. I spent 3 days zigzagging through the narrow steep alleys and historic buildings – which have hardly changed over the last few centuries. Occasionally, I would pop into a cozy café to get a caffeine fix.
On one of the beautiful winter afternoon, I hopped on a luzzu, a traditional Maltese fishing boat, to the tri-cities across the harbor. Exploring the harbor cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua is a great way to get a taste of authentic Maltese life, since most of commercial tourism is contained in Valletta itself.
Blue Grotto and natural arches
After a few days in the capital city, I hit the highway. The main road through Malta’s largest island runs for mere 27 kms. However, there’s a lot which is packed in such a small area. One of my favorite trips outside Valletta is a day trip to Blue Grotto. Towering cliffs descend down into a majestic blue. The huge natural arc here is quite the attraction, with boat trips getting you closer. I got to fly my drone around for a bit, before it got too windy.
Head out to Marsaxlokk, a beautiful fishing village
About 30 mins south east of the island, Marsaxlokk is a beautiful fishing village. I highly recommend coming out here for half a day, especially if you are a photographer. The calm, narrow inlet here forms a perfect natural harbor, and is always buzzing with activity.
Popeye movie set from the 80’s
The iconic film set from 1980’s is still intact and has now been converted into a theme park. If you are a Popeye fan and heading to the Gozo and Comino islands, this is a fun little stop on the northern end of the island.
Cross the Gozo channel to Comino and Gozo islands
Malta has couple of other tiny islands which I loved exploring. Gozo is a small island connected by a 25 mins ferry from Cirkewwa , a port on the northern end of the main island. I rented a car from Valletta, and loved being able to drive my car on to the ferry and to the islands. Comino, sandwiched between Malta and Gozo is a great stop for beach lovers and snorkeling/diving fans. There are plenty of calm lagoons, and diving spots to merit spending at least a couple of days on both islands.
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One thought on “Malta – Europe’s tiny little wonder | Explore its multi-cultural past and stunning coastline”
Bravo Parveen…Got very good knowledge.. you inspire me to travel more..