Malta Travel Guide
Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean sea about 100km from the coast of Sicily. It has an incredible history from the stoic defence it put up in World War Two (it is the only country to have been awarded a George Cross) to the 6,000 year old neolithic temples that are said to be the oldest free standing structures on earth.
In its more recent history it has also been the set for many movies and shows with Game of Thrones, Gladiator and Troy all shooting scenes here and the 1980s classic Popeye even leaving the film set behind that can still be visited today!
Malta also is the 9th most densely populated country in the world with the 9th highest car ownership per 1,000 people so it makes for a pretty crazy place!
Places Of Interest In Malta
Malta Travel Guides
Things To Do
START HERE
THE OLD CITY OF MDINA
- Il Veduta – Restaurant with the most spectacular views in Malta!
- The Jesus Tree of Malta – A tree hit by lightening that now looks like Jesus on the cross.
NORTH OF THE ISLAND
- St Agatha's Tower (The Red Tower) - One of the best value attractions on the island at only €2 entry. Stunning 360° views, amazing history and even a suit of armour to try on!
- Rotunda of Mosta - Malta's Miracle Church of the Unexploded Bomb
- Sea View Cafe - A cool little cafe with the best muffins on Malta!
- Popeye Village - The film set for the 1980 Robin Williams classic was reclaimed by locals and turned into a tourist attraction.
- Selmun Palace - Malta's Real-Life Minecraft Castle
SOUTH OF THE ISLAND
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VALETTA & SLIEMA
- Valletta City Guide - A Day In Europe's Smallest Capital City- Valletta is a UNESCO world heritage site that has been isolated from modern developments due to its location on a small peninsula. Thanks to its small size you can experience most of the key sites in a day. Read my guide to find out how.
Travel Information
WHEN DID WE GO?
- We visited for 5 nights through mid November 2017.The weather reached a high of 20 degrees in the day and a low of 14 degrees at night.
- This didn’t quite tell the whole story though as the wind was quite often around 15 m/ph so the wind chill factor of being an island kicked in.
OUR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS TO GIVE AN IDEA OF COST
FLIGHTS
- AIRLINE: RyanAir
- COST: £62.50 for return tickets from London Luton to Malta
CAR HIRE
- COMPANY: Budget
- COST: £30 for Sunday-Friday rental. (Yes really! We went in the off season).
Useful Malta Information
LOCATION
Malta is a group of three Islands (Malta, Gozo & Camino) in the Mediterranean sea about 100km off of the coast of Sicily. The main island is only 27km across.
LANGUAGE
Maltese is the official language of Malta but the majority of people speak English. Malta has been governed by many different countries so the population are able to converse in a number of languages. According to the Eurobarometer poll conducted in 2012, 98% of Maltese people can speak Maltese, 88% can speak English, 66% can speak Italian, and more than 17% speak French
POPULATION
The population of Malta is around 450,000 (roughly the same as the population of Bristol). This might seem quite low but this actually makes it the 9th most densely populated country/territory in the world!
TIME DIFFERENCE
Malta is GMT +1.
THE FLAG
The flag of Malta is half red and half white which were the traditional colours of Sicily’s Count Roger who took control of the Island in 1091 after centuries of Arab rule. These flag’s colours were also used by the Knights of Malta who ruled the island from 1530-1798. In the top left corner is the George Cross which is the highest honour that can be awarded to civilians. In 1942 Malta became the only country to have been awarded the George Cross. The King’s message read: “To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta, to bear witness to a heroism and a devotion that will long be famous in history.”.
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Selmun Palace | Malta’s Real-Life Minecraft Castle
Why Visit? It’s free to wander around There is a great little walk down the path behind the …
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“Well Blow Me Down!” | 5 Fun Reasons to Visit Popeye Village, Malta
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Sea View Cafe, Melleiha | A cool little cafe with the best muffins in Malta!
Why Visit? The best muffins on Malta! Beautiful views over the bay of Mellieha A perfect little place …
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Rotunda of Mosta | Malta’s Miracle Church of the Unexploded Bomb
Why Visit? Visit Malta’s miracle church! Hit by a bomb in 1942 that cut through the roof but …
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St Agatha’s Tower (The Red Tower) | Mellieha, Malta
Why Visit? One of the best value attractions on Malta at only €2 entry (free for UK National …
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The Jesus Tree of Malta
The Jesus Tree of Malta is a lightening damaged tree that looks a big like Jesus on the …
Il Veduta: Restaurant with EPIC views over Malta
Il Veduta translates from Italian as ‘The View’ & this is a restaurant that lives up to its name. Fantastic food, reasonable prices in a spectacular setting
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