Travel guide to Malta - Life With Bugo

Malta was the 1st country we took our baby, Adanna to. She had just turned 5 months and we had just received her shinny new passport. It was also the first time Mr E and I were travelling on our British passports as new citizens. So for us, this trip was somewhat a celebration of our new life as parents and British citizens. This travel guide to Malta covers our 6-day trip to the underrated but beautiful island.

About Malta

Malta is a small archipelago and an island country in Europe. It sits in the centre of the Mediterranean sea and has been inhabited since 5900BC which I find fascinating. Malta is the 10th smallest country in the world and its capital city, Valletta is the smallest national capital in the European Union.

It actually comprises of 5 islands. Malta, Gozo, Comino are inhabited while Kemmunett and Filfla are uninhabited. Its official languages are Maltese and English. Maltese is a fusion of a Sicilian dialect of Italy and North African Arabic. This is no doubt as a result of its proximity to North Africa and Sicily. The street names in Maltese resemble Arabic letters and I understood immediately the influence North Africa has had on this island. A good number of Maltese speak Italian as well.

Malta is very Catholic. Walking around the island, there are statues of Virgin Mary all around. From front doors, to sidewalks to obscure corners, Virgin Mary is praying down at you. I don’t think I have seen a country more Catholic than Malta. It has over 350 churches, which is a lot considering how small the island is. A Malta Pass is useful to save coins as you will notice everything has a fee.

Travel guide to Malta - Where to stay in Malta

We stayed at The Hyatt Regency Malta in St Julian’s. Our room felt like a “home away from home” – big, yet quite cosy and always so clean. We booked a balcony with sea view room and they were kind enough to provide a cot for our baby, Adanna. Although the hotel is near Paceville aka Malta’s party central, it was located off the main roads so was VERY quiet. The staff was absolutely lovely too and I totally recommend for couples, friend groups and families with kids. The hotel is very close to St George’s bay, a beach right in the heart of the city.

It has a roof top terrace with a swimming pool that overlooks the city. The terrace was the most perfect place to grab a drink from the poolside bar, relax after a day of wandering and watch the beautiful sunset.

As this was our first trip away with Adanna, we were particular about her being comfortable. We also wanted a familiar name so we did not have to wonder if there’d be any surprises. The Hyatt is a chain we have stayed at a few times so we knew what to expect at least, as a minimum. I cannot recommend this hotel enough especially if travelling with a baby. It is also perfect for couples looking for a well-recognised yet intimate hotel.

Travel Guide to Malta - Getting around Malta

We took a taxi from the airport, Malta International Airport to the hotel. This was organised by our hotel for a rate. For getting around Malta, we used uber and bolt taxis for all our trips. Taxis in Malta can be expensive. I am not sure what I expected but they are definitely more expensive than most European cities I have visited. The concierge at the hotel explained that it is cheaper (and more popular) to rent a car. In order to get around and get the best out of what Malta has to offer, renting a car does make the most sense.

If renting a car, make sure to get a small one as the roads are quite narrow. Parking is also a nightmare so the smaller your car, the easier to navigate the island.

Travel Guide to Malta – 10 things to do in Malta

1. San Anton Gardens

The gardens are attached to San Anton Palace, which is the official resident of the President of Malta. It is located in Attard. Although the palace was not open to the public when we visited Malta, the gardens are free to visit. The palace was built in the 17th century and the gardens have been open to the public since 1882. For Game of Thrones fans, the palace was used in filming. The scenic gardens are perfect for kids, doggies on a leash and anyone who loves being in nature.

2. Mosta Dome

The Mosta Dome, also known as Rotunda of Mosta is a major landmark and the most famous church in Malta. Mosta Dome was completed in the early 1860s and is known as the “miracle church”. During the World War 2, an aerial bomb fell into the church during mass but miraculously did not explode. The bomb was later diffused and a replica is currently on display in the church

Aside from the deep history, it is a really beautiful Basilica. There is an entry cost, which I found weird but it soon became apparent that you pay for most things in Malta including visiting historic Churches.

3. Mdina

Malta’s Mdina was actually our welcome to Malta. It was the first place we visited and realised afterwards that we would enjoy our trip. Although it is one of Malta’s main tourist attractions and therefore, usually very busy, it is one worth every minute of your time. Mdina is the finest example of an ancient walled city in Europe. It has the perfect mix of baroque and medieval architecture and is called the “Silent City”

To read more about our lovely half-day visit to Mdina, I have written a blog post. It includes everything we did; where we went, ate and all the fun we had.

Related Post: Half-Day visit to Malta’s Mdina

4. Blue Grotto

We headed to a spectacular viewpoint to see the grotto in all its glory. It felt like we had a drone’s view of one of the most popular sights in all of Malta. The viewpoint is off the main road off Wied iz-Zurrieq and is perfect to visit on a sunny day. It is the perfect shade of blue that drifts to an emerald green as the light hits the water. We went just before 9am, as the spot does get quite busy especially with tourist buses.

5. Popeye village

Popeye was the sailor guy from our childhood cartoons, who had superhuman strength after eating a can of spinach. When I found out that the village where the 1980 live production was shot exists, I knew I had to see it. Today, it has been turned to a theme park village. You will meet Popeye and his friends; there are water games, food stalls and it is a great day out. I think it is special for those of us who grew up watching Popeye cartoons or if you are a kid at heart. However if you are not interested in going into the village, head to the viewpoint and see a drone like view from above.

6. Beach day

In Malta, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches. As it was Adanna’s 1st beach experience, it had to be special! There was one close to our hotel in St Julian’s – St George’s Bay, which was literally off the main road. However it was not a natural beach and also looked like a grown up beach club. Therefore, I knew it was not the one lol.

We decided to visit Golden Bay beach from the few recommendations we had received from hotel staff. It is in Mellieha and on the north west coast of Malta. It is a sandy beach with clear, turquoise water. There is no traffic noise and it is a few minutes walk from the main road. We got here around noon, found a nice spot, hired sun loungers for €6 each and parasol for 4€ and spent our lovely Sunday afternoon relaxing. I am proud to report that Adanna aced her first beach experience. She loved dipping her toes in the water and looked happy to be out.

Other beaches that were recommended:

Mellieha Bay
Gnejna Bay (hike required)
Ghajn Tuffieha Bay (hike required)
Blue Lagoon Comino
Ir-Ramla il-Hamra, Gozo

7. Valletta

Valletta is Malta’s walled capital city. It is also the smallest capital city in the EU and a UNESCO heritage site.

We visited St John’s co-cathedral, wandered around Valletta while spotting colourful doors and gorgeous balconies. St John’s co-cathedral was simply magnificent. Entrance was €12 per person and we got to see the most stunning baroque architecture and Caravaggio’s paintings. I thought it was really expensive; however, seeing Caravaggio’s paintings made it worth the cost.

Then we checked out Upper Barrakka gardens, which is located in the center of Valletta and overlooks the Grand Harbour. We ended our day in Valletta by chilling at its waterfront. It is the perfect spot to watch time go by slowly and people watch.

8. The fishing village of Marsaxlokk

The traditional fishing village of Marsaxlokk is one of the most picturesque villages I have ever seen. It has recently become a popular tourist attraction and I totally understand why. We went quite early in the morning and had it mostly to ourselves as the locals were setting up their stalls. Marsaxlokk is also popular for its fish market, which is open on Sundays. On other days, the harbour is a tourist market, selling souvenirs.

The beauty of this village starts with the fishing boats that are brightly painted and designed. They sit on the water and as the wind blows, they dance slowly against the blue skies as backdrop. I was so glad we went early, as we were able to enjoy the scenic sight without any tourists around. We felt like locals just having a wonderful Maltese morning in the sunshine.

9. Dingli Cliffs

Dingli Cliffs is the highest part of the island and although there are more impressive cliffs, this is one for the books. The views are stunning nonetheless and if you are brave enough to move to a tip, you would easily be mesmerised by what is in front of you. It is also a beautiful walk heading up the cliffs; one might even say a hike.

Dingli Cliffs is best described as where the sky and sea meet. Depending on the weather, the sea looks blue and you can catch the waves hitting the cliffs. I think it would be more beautiful to see at sunset; however we went in the afternoon and it was still a very pretty sight.

10. The hidden gems and villages of Malta

As much as I love being organised, I book a lot of our travel experiences when I’m in the country. Since I enjoy tailored experiences and going of the beaten path, hiring a driver for a day was the best thing we did. Our Maltese driver, Natasha drove us from south Marsaxlokk, all the way up north to Mellieha. We stopped in different villages, medieval churches and hidden gems while she told us stories about the culture and changes post pandemic and now, economic crisis. Natasha has become popular on my Instagram and has been booked by a few lovely followers. I love that I was able to connect with her and now connect other people to her.

The most notable gems we visited were Gudja and Zurrieq. In Gudja, we stopped by St Mary’s church and Din L’Art Helwa, which is a very ancient church. Zurrieq was the viewpoint for the Blue Grotto and Natasha mentioned there was a path for popular walks from there back to Dingli cliffs.

Travel Guide to Malta – Gozo and Comino

We had our day planned for a boat trip to Gozo and Comino but we had to cancel as the wind was not in our favour. If we did not have Adanna with us, it is one trip we would have done but we were not taking any chances. However, if you are ever in Malta, visiting its sister islands is a no brainer. Comino sits in between Malta and Gozo and it is where the Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon are located so it is a must visit. Gozo on the other hand is more traditional with farmhouses and massive temples.

Travel Guide to Malta - Where to eat in Malta

Luciano, Valletta

It is on Merchant street in Valletta and a lovely spot for a bit of alfresco lunching. There is indoor siting too if eating while people watching is not your thing. What I loved about it was its proximity to St John’s co-cathedral. We left the cathedral with our hungry bellies and walked 2 minutes to Luciano. I have to say that I had the best seafood pasta of our trip.

Seed, Malta

Seed is the restaurant attached to the Hyatt Regency hotel where we stayed. It is a bit more upscale with a fancy contemporary menu. We went for dinner and it was lovely but more for date nights and special occasions. Mr E had a chicken dish and I had my usual pasta. I wish I could be more adventurous with food when travelling but I guess I just like what I like lol.

Storie & Sapori

This Italian restaurant is in St Julian and is also a pizzeria. What I loved most was its location. As a professional people watcher, it was lovely to seat alfresco with a drink and watch people go by. After studying the menu for a grand total of 1 minute, we ordered the seafood pasta and really enjoyed it. Mr E thought there was more seafood than pasta lol; like are we complaining about that now?! It was yummy and we could have gone back there everyday if possible.

Is Malta expensive?

Now this is one of the most popular questions I was asked when I did a Q&A after my trip on Instagram. We travelled to Malta without much knowledge of the country. So to be honest, I had no idea what to compare it with in terms of how costly things are. Having lived in London, I always feel I don’t have the right to say anywhere else is expensive lol but let’s get into it.

Short answer, yes Malta is expensive. Obviously, it is not as pricey as Santorini or Monaco or St Tropez but it is not particularly cheap. However, I hope this travel guide to Malta has shown a balance of free versus paid for activities which reflects our trip. You can do Malta on a budget by renting a car and sticking to free activities; of which there are A LOT of them.

My final thoughts after writing my travel guide to Malta.

Malta is a very underrated country. It is not one a lot of people would consider off the top of their heads and I get it. Malta is not one of the popular European destinations like France, Italy, Spain and Greece. However, if you are like me and you love countries with so much preserved history, Malta is for you. It will give you colourful travel, locations that have featured on TV, cathedrals and basilicas too. Its European baroque architecture also makes it quite special if you love designs and buildings. All in all, Malta does pack a punch and is totally worth adding to your European travel list.

Bisous, Bugo x