Malta is the smallest country in the European Union, and in the middle of the Mediterranean, but it boasts a wealth of amazing destinations that you and I can visit easily.

It has been at the crossroads of European and Moorish cultures since the dawn of what we call ‘Society’ – and they have the historical sites to prove it.

From the fortifications of Valletta on the main island to the rugged nature of the adjacent island of Gozo, visiting Malta is always a good idea.

Located just south of Sicily and not all that far north from the North African coast, Malta has seen countless influences since Neolithic times and is one of the most fascinating places to visit in the Med if you like to literally put your hands on Mediterranean history like I did in a 5600 yr old Neolithic Temple.

With gorgeous cities like Mdina, natural wonders like the Blue Lagoon, architectural highlights such as the Mosta Dome, and pretty working harbors like Marsaxlokk – there is something for everyone to discover on each of the 3 islands – even a movie set.

Here are 15 favorites from my recent trips that I think more travelers would benefit from experiencing. Even with only a 3 day visit, you can still end up seeing quite a lot.

Malta has been named one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 places to visit

1. You can rely on the humble city bus for travel around the main island

You can easily see almost all these cool sites while just using the Malta buses. Because of the main island’s small size, most sites are located near one another and the island is also blessed with a great public bus network – meaning that it’s easy to get around if you’re only relying on public transit like I do. The Transit hub is just outside the Valletta Main Gate near the huge Triton Fountain Plaza.

Their busses also connect to a great ferry network that connects many cities and the 3 islands – and is quite affordable. For instance, you can cut down on a lot of transit time by hopping on the passenger ferry from Sliema to Valletta or the ferry from Valletta to the Three Cities. There are also regular car ferry connections between Malta and the island of Gozo.

TRAVEL TIP: For a full day, we used the big red tourist bus, both on Gozo & on Malta to get oriented and rest our feet.

Your ticket lets you hop on – hop off all day. It’s great for an overview of the islands, but bring your map & take notes for returning to specific sites later by bus.

Please feel free to take my list as your starting point for further research. The islands of Malta really are full of underrated gems, and as you will see there is usually something to discover, even in barren fields.

2. The legendary Knights of Malta

The Knights of Malta, or the Sovereign Order of Malta, is a Catholic military order that was founded in the 11th century after the capture of Jerusalem, that has had a home in many locations like Rhodes & Cyprus – as well as Malta.

They are now headquartered in Rome, and continue their humanitarian tasks in most parts of the modern world under several slightly different names and jurisdictions, but most still use the Maltese Cross as their emblem.

They still have a major presence in Malta that we can see, and have had a huge influence on its history since they left the Holy land.

In 1530, the Knights were given permanent headquarters on the islands of Malta and Gozo in perpetuity by Emperor Charles V.

In return, the Order had to send a single live Maltese falcon to the King of Spain each year on All Saints’ Day as payment.

Yes, that Maltese Falcon. The one referenced in the movie. It’s a true story . . .

For 268 years the Grand Master paid the annual falcon until 1798 when the Order was expelled from the Maltese islands under orders from the French Directory during Napoleon’s invasion.

French rule lasted 2 years, then more upheaval by insurgents supported by the English. English rule lasted 164 years, until a peaceful independence in 1964, which the State of Malta continues in the EU today.

They recently established a mission in Malta with the Maltese Government, which granted the Order the exclusive use of Fort St. Angelo for a term of 99 years, so they’ll be settling in.

Today, after restoration, the Fort hosts historical and cultural activities related to the Order.

Their history in the Mediterranean is a complicated story for at least 4 reasons . . .

Because the Knights are the world’s oldest surviving order of chivalry and report directly to the Pope.

The Knights Hospitaller were tasked with both defending the Holy Land with arms on the one hand, and providing care to Pilgrims in need during their travels on the other.

Malta still has one of its original hospitals, the Sacra Infermia, which houses a major conference center deep inside the fortified walls, as seen here.

Plus, the Knights Hospitaller had to serve under their rival order: the Knights Templar.

The Mediterranean during the heyday of the Knights was a region of continuous conflict.

Barbary pirates from north Africa were in search of slaves and raided islands and cities, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire was continuing its military expansion westward toward Spain.

The Templars were part of the Order with serious fighting troops from the Crusades against the Moors.

And yet, they continue to pursue the oldest medical mission in the world.

Templars ceased to exist, but the Hospitallers still exist, working today as the Knights of Malta.

Worldwide, its 13,500 members, 80,000 volunteers, and over 42,000 medical personnel – doctors, nurses and paramedics – are dedicated to the care of underserved and needy populations.

This wide-ranging mission includes the poor, the sick, the elderly, the disabled, the homeless, terminal patients, lepers, and all those who suffer.

The Order is especially involved in helping victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters by providing medical assistance, caring for refugees, and distributing medicines and basic equipment for survival.

3. St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta

This unique Roman Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the ruling Order of St. John between 1572 and 1577.

The exterior façade is rather unassuming, with a doorway that is flanked by doric columns supporting an open balcony from which the Grand Master of the Order used for proclamations on important occasions.

But don’t let the style put you off from going inside . . .

Overall, the exterior is rather plain and fortress-like, reflecting the military style of the Order in the years following the successful Great Siege of Malta in 1565.

Once inside St. John’s, it’s easy to be dazzled by the dramatic contrast of the 17th century gilded walls and ceilings adorned with historic Baroque frescoes and glittering gold leaf by Italian artist Mattia Preti among others.

It is often considered one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe.

Also noteworthy is the fact that the ceiling and column carving of Maltese limestone was all undertaken in-place rather than being carved independently and then attached to the walls. This ultimately helped the co-cathedral survive extreme damage during WWII, when Malta was under constant aerial Nazi attack.

But don’t twist your neck too much staring at this ornate splendor over your head. Be sure to watch where you’re going – and admire the vast marble floor covered with stone images of scriptures, skeletons, and banners. It’s a big part of any visit.

The many stories of those below are celebrated in Italian, Malti, and Latin on this very artistic marble tombstone floor. Here are some examples of the complex marble work that is worth seeing in person.

The whole marble floor is a segmented series of tombstones over individual crypts, housing the remains of about 400 knights & officers of the Order of Malta.

As if the architecture wasn’t enough to draw you here, two of Italian artist Caravaggio’s major works hang as altarpieces at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. They are the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Jerome Writing. I’ll go into detail about these in the next section below.

4. Caravaggio’s baroque masterpieces

The religious Baroque Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) arrived in Malta in July of 1607. His paintings combine a realistic observation of the human condition, both physical and emotional, with a use of dramatic light, and they had a formative influence on all of Baroque painting.

Caravaggio, throughout his entire life, had a penchant for self-destructive behavior. He was notorious for being arrested for fighting and brawling that escalated to stabbings and fatalities as he grew more famous, even when such behavior was common.

He had just spent months hiding in Naples after killing a man in a brawl in Rome. While there he leveraged his commercial success in Rome in less than a year by achieving ten commissions, including a number of large and very prestigious altarpieces. In other words, he was doing well commercially.

” In 1607 Caravaggio was still an outlaw – at risk of being tracked down by his enemies: the family of the man he had killed. Naples, close to Rome, may have seemed comparatively exposed. His patrons & protectors, the Colonna, the Giustiniani, the banker Ottavio Costa, all had strong links with Malta and the Knights – and it may have been felt that joining the Order would give Caravaggio immediate protection and aid in procuring a Papal pardon for his eventual return too Rome.

The Grand Master of the Knights, Alof de Wignacourt, was keen to enhance the prestige of his Order and his capital – and the prospect of having one of the leading artists in Rome & Naples as de facto court painter must have been an appealing one. And so Caravaggio went to Malta.”

Authors Peter Robb & Helen Langdon

There is much speculation about why he would leave all this progress after only a few months to end up on a tiny island ruled by warriors noted more for fighting than for artistic appreciation.

It was certainly a tactical move to both escape from Roman capture and to reinvent himself as a servant of the Order under the patronage of Alof de Wignacourt, the Grand Master of the Knights of Saint John.

 De Wignacourt was so impressed at having the famous artist as official painter to the Order that he inducted him as a Knight. No matter his strategy, in less than a year he descended into fighting again in August, which led to imprisonment by the Knights in Valletta – but once again he fled and managed to escape to Sicily.

While in Malta he also painted a Portrait of Alof de Wignacourt and his Page, who was his patron and the Grand Master at the time, as well as portraits of other leading Knights of the Order. The above Portrait is currently hanging in the Louvre, in Paris.

By December of 1608, Caravaggio had been defrocked in absentia as a “foul and rotten member” of the Order – not six months after his induction in the Oratory for his largest commission.

This last ceremony took place in the same spot, but before the finished canvas – about where I stood for my not-too-clear picture.

We can all still visit 2 of his major works from this wild and brief Malta stay that hang in St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.

They are the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Jerome Writing. Both are considered masterpieces for their technique as well as their subject matter. The use of lighting is profound.

This large, dramatic painting depicting The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608) by Caravaggio is the most famous work in the Co-Cathedral.

This is certainly one of Caravaggio’s top 5 masterpieces. It’s the largest canvas he ever painted and the only painting signed by him found so far. The canvas is proudly displayed by the Order in the Oratory for which it was originally commissioned, in spite of their trouble with him.

Restored in the late 1990s in Florence, this painting is one of Caravaggio’s most impressive uses of the chiaroscuro style for which he is most famous, with a circle of light illuminating the brutal scene of St John’s beheading at the request of Salome who is waiting.

In another nearby Oratory of the Co-Cathedral hangs another Caravaggio piece, Saint Jerome Writing (1607–1608). This can be compared to Caravaggio’s earlier version of the same subject created 1 year earlier. It is often called St Jerome in his Study and is housed in the famous Borghese Gallery in Rome.

Ironically, in 1984 the painting was cut out of the frame, stolen from the Co-Cathedral, and then held for ransom. Luckily the painting was recovered, but in the process, the masterpiece was damaged and needed restoration before it could be put back on display in its current location, where I took this picture.

5. Valletta’s Grand Harbor

The Grand Harbor is Malta’s major port, and has been described as Malta’s greatest geographic asset and the main reason for Valletta’s huge fortifications. You can see the cruise-liner terminal that is located along the old seawall of the old Valletta Waterfront with easy access to Valletta city.

Using the above picture as a reference, the harbor mouth is facing north east and is bounded on the left by Saint Elmo Point and its isolated breakwater and is then bounded on the right by Ricasoli Point.

The left side shore in the picture is called the Sciberras peninsula, and is covered by the walled city of Valletta and a suburb Floriana.

The Sciberras peninsula also divides the Grand Harbor from a second parallel natural harbour, Marsamxett Harbor, which is out of view on the left. It is pictured here as seen from a passenger ferry coming from Sliemma towards Valletta.

The main waterway of the Grand Harbour continues inland almost to the ancient Phoenician settlement of Marsa, which is now a commercial & industrial hub.

The right hand shore of the harbour is formed by a number of inlets and headlands, principally Rinella Creek, Kalkara Creek, Dockyard Creek, and French Creek, which are covered by densely populated towns like Kalkara and the Three Cities of Cospicua,  Vittoriosa, and Senglea.

The Three Cities passenger ferry stops at all three spots and is a fun ride. It’s also a good way to gather just how big this harbor is . . .

6. Mdina, the silent city on the hill

Mdina is a fortified city in the Northern Region of Malta which served as the island’s capital from Phoenician antiquity to the medieval period of the Knights.

During the Arab occupation of Malta, the city adopted its present name, which derives from the Arabic word medina. The city is still confined within its massive walls, and has a current population of just under 300, but it is connected to the commercial town of Rabat, which has its own modest population of about 12,000.

It was founded as Maleth in around the 8th century BC by Phoenician settlers, and was later renamed Melite by the Romans. The city remained the capital of Malta throughout the Middle Ages, until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530, when Birgu became the administrative center of the island.

Mdina remained the center of Maltese nobility and religious authorities but it never regained its earlier importance, giving rise to the popular nickname the “Silent City” by both locals and visitors.  When you walk around, it really is quiet due to the very low population and few cars moving around. It’s fabulous at night too, when the lights come on to light up all the limestone.

Mdina is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and it is now a popular tourist attraction due to the architecture and commanding views of the island all the way to the sea.

7. The mosaics of the Domus Romana

Between the towns of Mdina and Rabat there is a small museum built around the ancient ruins of an aristocratic town house, or domus, from the Roman era. Archeologists have concluded that the villa was built in the 1st century BC, and was occupied until the 2nd century AD.

As was typical of Roman architecture, it was inspired by earlier Greek architecture with a colonnaded peristyle featuring intricate mosaics that are the highlight of the site today, some depicting mythological scenes and others simply of decorative patterns.

The ruins were accidentally discovered by landscapers in 1881, and while little remains of the house structure, remarkably the beautiful floor mosaics have survived intact.

They are among the best examples of Hellenistic style mosaics using two distinct types of tiles (or tesserae) that have been found anywhere in the Mediterranean and are comparable with others found in Pompeii or Sicily. They used:

This particular floor imitates a highly popular motif which may have been first painted by Greek artists.

Luckily, a number of 1st century AD statues of the imperial Roman family, along with coins, glassware, tableware, bath accessories, amphorae and other fine artifacts have also been found in the domus.

All of these items together imply that the villa may have been more important than average, since it required so much artistic and administrative work on the site. Perhaps an envoy, or regional governor? They’re still figuring it out.

Until the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an additional excavation and study scheduled onsite that still might yield more conclusions based on the artifacts from that period. It may resume in the summer season of 2021.

8. Ggantija Temples on Gozo Island

This amazing site is the earliest of the many Megalithic Temples on Malta. It’s the 2nd oldest man-made religious site on earth. Really? Yep, really.

Together with Malta’s other similar Neolithic structures, these have been designated by UNESCO as a single protected World Heritage Site – the Megalithic Temples of Malta.

Their makers erected these two temples during the Neolithic Age between 3600–2500 BC, which makes them more than 5500 years old. There is consensus now that they’re the world’s second oldest existing man-made religious structures  after Gobekli Tepe in Turkey. That’s the last of the Stone Ages, and the beginning of man’s farming culture. Almost everything in Western Civilization has happened since then. Almost everything.

The temples consist of stone ruins for ceremonial fertility rites. Researchers have found that numerous figurines and statues found on site are typical of those associated with that cult. According to the folklore on Gozo, a giantess who ate nothing but broad beans and honey bore a child from a man of the common people. With the child hanging from her shoulder, she built these temples and used them as places of worship.

They are laid out in a clover-leaf shape, with inner-facing blocks marking the shape. The space between the walls was then filled in with rubble.

A series of semi-circular apses is connected with a central passage.  Archaeologists believe that the apses were originally covered by some type of roofing, maybe straw. The five apses contain various altars. Researchers have found animal bones on the site that suggest the space was used for animal sacrifice.

The finished product is a remarkable feat when considering they were erected before even the wheel had been introduced – plus no metal tools were available to these isolated islanders.

Small, spherical stones have been discovered on the site, however. Archeologists believe that they were used as ball bearings for the transporting of the enormous stone blocks used for the base of the temple walls, but there is much more to learn about their methods, like has been done in Egypt with the pyramids.

I could go on and on about this site. I took maybe 45 pictures while I was there, because I didn’t want to miss anything. It’s mesmerizing because of all that has gone on with mankind while these stones sat here on this tiny island in a big sea. The stones remind me a bit of those on Easter Island. It’s impossible for me not to ask a dozen philosophical questions in a place like this.

I bet you would too . .

9. Tarxien Temples

This site consists of three attached, Neolithic Age temple structures near a main suburb of Valletta that date to between 3600–2500 BC.

Together with Malta’s other similar Neolithic structures, these have been designated by UNESCO as a single protected World Heritage Site – the Megalithic Temples of Malta.

The main entrance is an archaeological reconstruction that dates from 1956, when the whole site was restored. During that same time, many of the hand decorated slabs discovered on site were relocated indoors for protection at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

The first temple dates to approximately 3100 BC and is the most elaborately decorated of all the temples on Malta.

The middle temple dates to about 3000 BC, and is unique in that, unlike the rest of the Maltese temples, it has three pairs of apses instead of the usual two.

The east temple dates from approximately 3100 BC.

The remains of another temple, smaller and older, having been dated to 3250 BC, are visible further towards the east.

One unusual thing about this temple complex is the intricate stonework. There are images of domestic animals used for animal sacrifice that are carved in relief, at the altars – and screens that are decorated with spiral designs and other patterns.

One dramatic example is the wall between the South and Central temples and containing a relief showing a bull and a sow.

Additionally, evidence of cremation has been found at the center of the South temple, which is an indicator that the site was reused later as a Bronze Age cremation cemetery.

Especially interesting is that Tarxien provides a rare insight into how the megaliths were constructed, unlike Ggantija: stone rollers were left outside the South Temple.

10. Rotunda of Mosta

It is the 3rd largest freestanding dome in Christendom. In Mosta of all places.

It’s worth a short day trip by bus to find the gold dome on top of the stately Parish Church of the Assumption in the small town of Mosta – a town of about 21,000 population. It is beautifully decorated inside in shades of blue, gold, and red.

The church is noteworthy just for its neoclassical structure, but the dome, commonly called the Rotunda of Mosta, is inspired by Rome’s Pantheon and is one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. The oculus is perfect.

In the 1830s, Mosta’s residents raised funds for the erection of a new church on the site of the existing one, which was carried out so that the newer structure came up around the old one which was later demolished.

This ensured that there was always a church to pray at. After 27 long years of elaborate construction, the church was officially dedicated in 1871.

It holds a special place in the little town, as it also survived a German aerial bomb that fell through the roof during a church service in World War II

On 9th April 1942, as 300 people sat in the church waiting for mass to begin, a bomb dropped by the German Luftwaffe pierced the dome, bumped into the wall, and rolled across the floor until it came to a stop.

It failed to detonate, and so did two other bombs that had fallen outside.

Bomb experts removed and dismantled the explosive, then disposed of it out at sea.

The religious Maltese people viewed the escape as a miracle, and they kept a replica, which today can be seen in a sacristy at the back of the church, ready for your selfie. I chose the dome . .

11. Phoenician cart tracks

All over the Maltese islands are unexplained ruts on the bedrock. These ‘tracks,’ as they are known, are heavily weathered and some examples have been found under the sea, just off the coast, or ending abruptly at cliff edges, thus suggesting a prehistoric origin. They are totally unique and nothing like them has been found anywhere else.

There are many theories on the origin of these man made structures. Perhaps it was an ancient irrigation system or a way of marking ceremonial routes, although the most reasonable is that they’re the result of wooden sledges being dragged over the same route for hundreds of years by the industrious Phoenicians, creating the deep grooves. Similar sledges had been used in Egypt during construction of the pyramids, so the technique was in use. Nowadays, we use this type of cargo sledge only on hard ice as seen below in the Antarctic.

The best example being at ‘Clapham Junction’ on the south of the island near the Dingli Cliffs.

Thus named because the complex pattern of ruts was supposed to resemble the railway tracks at Clapham Junction railway station in London, England.

12. Popeye’s Village

Calling all Robin Williams fans . . . The 1980 film Popeye by Robert Altman, & with Robin, was shot in Malta, and its Sweethaven Village was never fully taken apart. The set remains on the island as a sort of misplaced relic outside of Mellieha.

The film itself was a box-office bomb. But rather than tearing the set down or leaving it abandoned, the islanders made lemonade out of this lemon – and took over the abandoned set, hired actors, and the Popeye Village theme park was born.

Some statistics: Over 20 wooden structures were built. They started with tree trunk logs imported from Holland & wooden shingles from Canada – plus 8 tons of nails & 2000 gallons of paint. And before that, they built a 250 breakwater to protect the filming area from the Mediterranean Sea. Quite the project . .

The Village is open to the public seven days a week, and beyond the film set itself, has a number of family attractions for visitors. There are shows, rides and museums, as well as play houses where kids can explore. Children and other fans can even meet the main characters such as Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto,  and Wimpy.

13. The National Military Museum at Fort St. Elmo

Since 1975, parts of Fort St. Elmo, on the eastern edge of Valletta, have housed the National Military Museum, formerly named the National War Museum, which contains famous military equipment and other displays related to their involvement in World War I and II. It makes for another great day trip for history buffs of all ages.

Included in its renovation and renaming in 2015, the museum added artifacts to expand the scope of Malta’s military history from the Bronze Age to Malta’s entry into the European Union in 2004. That helped put the great wars in a better context. A special treat for me was the military armor of both the Order of St John and the Ottoman Turks from the great siege. This is THE source . . .

In 1552, four Italian architects were commissioned to begin the construction of the fort – and for 400 years a number of expansions and renovations were made – adding Italian, French, Spanish, and British influence to the original structure.

The result is a 50,400-square-meter complex with intimidating defense walls and parade grounds that is now incorporated into a larger harbor fortification complex. Originally built to house 800 knights and soldiers, the fort currently houses only Malta’s police academy.

The Lower Saint Elmo was built much later in the 18th and 19th centuries. The work included building a massive outer fortification, called the Carafa Enceinte, that faces the sea. When you walk around the Fort you will see that this is the most dilapidated part of the fort.

Further inside the walls is the museum located in the Old Drill Hall of Lower Saint Elmo. Their actual building was originally a gunpowder magazine, that was converted into an armory in around 1853, and during WWII anti-aircraft gun crews were trained there.

Certainly, the museum’s most important collection is about World War II . There are various photographic panels showing life in Malta during the war, especially the hardships of civilian life and damage from aerial bombardment.

Some of the highlights include the fuselage of the Gloster Sea Gladiator N5520, which is the only survivor from the Hal Far Fighter Flights, a Willys Jeep named ‘Husky’ used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower before the invasion of Sicily and later by Franklin Roosevelt while visiting during the Malta Conference, from January 30 to February 3, 1945.

The collection also contains wreckage from crashed aircraft, captured German machine guns, torpedoes, trench mortars and other weapons.

Luckily, while the Upper Fort was being restored in 2014-15, some archeological excavations were made and various elements of the original pre-1565 fort were uncovered. Along with those discoveries were the foundations of a windmill, and long-unknown tunnels leading to underground rooms.

This was an important find because little of the original fort exists, mainly because it was covered over and rebuilt in 1566 after the great Ottoman siege. It again underwent a lot of wall expansions between the 17th and 19th centuries and even more of the earlier walls and buildings were covered.

Since the mid-20th century, the vast open spaces of Fort St. Elmo have also been used for historical military reenactments and modern police training. (There is plenty of room for socially-distanced visitors during Covid-19.)

14. The George Cross for Bravery

By the end of World War II, British Malta had the dubious distinction of being the most bombed place on earth.

During the great siege of WWII, Italy and Germany besieged Malta, then a British colony, from 1940 to 1942 with aerial attacks.

Even a replica of the letter and the George Cross for the bravery of the Maltese people that was awarded to Malta by England’s King George VI in April of 1942, is on display here in Fort Elmo.

The George Cross was later incorporated into the flag of Malta in 1943 and has stood proudly in the designs of the flag.

15. Bonus 1: The painted luzzu fishing boats

A luzzu is a traditional style of open fishing boat that was developed in early 20th century Malta, following in the style of much older boat designs like the ferilla.

The luzzu has survived because of its durable design and stability at sea, even in bad weather. Originally, they were equipped with sails, but nowadays almost all are motorized, with onboard diesel engines.

The luzzu always stand out in the harbor because of their double-ended carvel-built hull that’s brightly painted in yellows, reds, greens and blues.

On the bow is normally a pair of painted eyes that are probably the modern remnant of an ancient Phoenician seafaring custom. The painting of the eyes was also practiced by the ancient Greeks – and is often inaccurately referred to as the Egyptian Eye of Horus.

Well-known since antiquity, the port city of Marsaxlokk was used as a harbor by Phoenicians and Carthaginians – and also has the remains of a Roman-era harbor.  The village is now popular among locals and tourists alike for its picturesque walkways around the coast and harbor, its restaurants, as well as for its handy and safe swimming zones.

This small fishing village has a sheltered inner harbor and is a tourist attraction known for its luzzu, harbor views, fishermen, and lengthy history, now with a population of about 4000.

Most of Malta’s fish supplies are caught by fishermen coming from this port, as about 70% of the Maltese fishing fleet is based here.

Large schools of swordfish, tuna, and others are fished between spring and late autumn.

On weekdays, the catch is taken to the central fish-market in Marsa, but on Sundays, at the huge open market, fresh fish is sold directly to locals right on the quay next to the fresh fruits & vegetables from the local farms in the south part of the island.

Every Sunday the market is focused naturally on many kinds of regional fresh fish, vegetables, and fruit, but during all other days of the week it houses a tourist market with other goods.

So, any day is a good day to visit the market. . .

15. Bonus 2: The Blue Lagoon of Camino

The Blue Lagoon is a picturesque bay with a white sandy beach and rich marine life. It is popular with scuba divers, snorkelers and swimmers who marvel at the pristine cyan water. Other beautiful beaches on Comino include Santa Maria Bay and St. Nicholas Bay.

Comino is the smallest of the 3 major Maltese islands and is known to have been inhabited by farmers during Roman times, but for long periods in its history it has been sparsely populated, privately owned, or abandoned entirely.

The rugged coastline of Camino is noted for the sheer limestone cliffs, and deep caves which were popular with pirates and local marauders during the Middle Ages. For centuries it was used as a staging post for raids on unprepared commercial boats crossing between the 2 big islands of Malta and Gozo.

Nowadays, it is only frequented by large numbers of tourists and tour boats – not pirate ships, so there’s no worries there. It’s a great way to recover from all the visits to other sites on Malta.

There are so many gorgeous spots to choose from, it is almost impossible to name the most beautiful places in Malta.

For such a tiny country at the crossroads of European cultures, Malta boasts a wealth of amazing destinations. Gorgeous cityscapes, natural wonders, architectural highlights, and pretty man-made attractions – there is something for everyone to discover here.

Please feel free to take this inspirational list as your guide. I did my best to select my top places to see in Malta, plus the easy bus system. Just watching indigenous people is its own kind of fun.

The islands of Malta really are an underrated gem, and as you can see there is always something new to discover right under your feet.

Sources: Wikipedia, Times of Malta, Government of Malta, Malta Uncovered,