At the end of October 2019, I went to Malta for the first time. The small island was on my list for around 2 years now.
Why didn't I visited it more early?
Well, I always have a TOP 5 of countries I want to visit. Every time I can go abroad, I just look up the cheapest flight. I mostly use Sky scanner and end up booking trough Ryanair.
So by the end of 2019, Malta it was.
As Couchsurfing didn't work out that well, I booked a shared room on Airbnb. For only 10 euros a night. It was not far from Valletta, not far from the airport and very good reachable with public transport.
The plan was to stay there 2 or 3 night, rent a bike and discover the rest of the island by bike and backpack WITH my tent.
FAIL
After 1 night out, I called my Airbnb host again. He was very kind and immediately made sure I could stay the rest of my 2 weeks with him.
Malta is very easy to visit from 1 place starting every day. The public transport is on point & cheap, lots of possibilities to rent bikes, rent motorcycles and so on.
I took public transport and bought a trip cart for 15 euro (12 single trips) and within 2 hours, you can take any transfer you need.
Perfect
And so I started to wander around Malta.
11x Must see or do in Malta.
1) Valletta:
The capital of Malta. The shopping street & food street are the main ones to follow, but don't stick on them. Take the small sideways. You will find small bars, old shops/balconies/...
From Valletta there is an easy connection by ferry to go to 3-cities or Sliema. Both are highly recommended to visit.
3-cities has small picturesque streets while Sliema has more youth.
2) Blue Grotto & Dingli Cliffs:
These 2 are very easy to combine. If you love to be active; you can easily go from Dingli to Blue grotto by foot. But there is also an hourly bus connection between those destinations.
If the weather is good, definitely take a boat trip in the caves! Doesn't take a lot of time, but I found it quit impressive.
3) Popeye Village:
If you're a movie fan, than Popeye village is the set to visit. It costs a little more than you would think (20€). But for me , totally worth it! You get a free postcard & free popcorn with it.
In summer there is a possibility to swim, and it is perfect for children.
Oh, they also do themed entertainment. They dance in the streets of the village. Very nice to see.
4) Marsaskala & Marsaxlokk:
Fishermen villages. The colourful boats, fish markets, the view... Ideal to have a quite day of relaxing. You want a little bit more than relaxing?
Definitely follow the coastline towards Smartcity. One of the nicest and most silent walks I did. You can also visit St Peters pool. Nice for swimming and snorkeling.
At last, Marsaskala has an abandoned hotel with Graffiti art. So if you are into Urbexing, a must do!
5) Pembroke, White rocks:
White rocks in Pembroke is a must see for Graffiti lovers and Urbexers. Next to the coast are lots of abandoned buildings. You can get up to 3 levels with the still in good shape stairs.
The view you have is also breathtaking.
6) Paceville/St. Julians:
For all those party people out there, Paceville is the place to be. In Valletta, everything closes around 11 pm, and that's when everyone goes to St. Julians. Ideal for parties till early morning hours.
7) Comino:
The smallest Island of all 3. The perfect day trip combo for hiking and swimming. At Comino you have the Blue Lagoon. Very known for diving and swimming. And very beautiful. The Island is very small, so you can easily hike it in 2 or 3 hours. Don't forget to look for the nice views. Climb up and go further than others go.
8) Gozo:
The other Island. I've met a lot of people who visited 1 day, but I recommend you should count at least 2 days for it.
You can easily book some accommodation here or just go wild camping for 1 night. Another ideal place for hikers and bikers.
But you can also book the hop-on/hop-off bus or just take public transport.
Gozo has a heritage trail following the cliffs, with the perfect places for sunsets. You can also visit its main city, Rabat/Victoria.
9) Snorkeling/Diving:
You totally love swimming and want to discover the blue water? Lots of places offer snorkeling and diving courses/sessions. They are not that expensive.
But what I suggest, if you stay for a longer period, is to go to Decathlon and buy your own snorkeling set. You can go snorkeling for more times than just 1 and pay the same amount for the equipment as foe 1 sessions and a half. Of course, if you book a session somewhere, they might take you on to more open sea.
10) Beaches & Bays:
Malta has lots of beaches (not the sandy ones) and bays. In summer, ideal for swimming, cooling down and snorkeling. Spring and autumn you still have good days to go swimming, and less people. Out of season, you can also put up your tent in these places. On high season, I would not recommend it. They might fine you.
If you go for wild camping, choose a place where you don't disturb people and please, leave no trash!
11) Rent a bike:
Are you a sportive type, but you just don't like hiking. Than rent a bike.
Most of the times, you'll find places with electric bikes. Malta has a big amount of hills. But for extra sportive people, you can also go for the standard (mountain)bike
Up for the challenge? I know a place where you can rent a cheap bike (but he has no website).
-Let me know trough the comments if you want the contacts-
Although Malta is a very small country, 97 times smaller then Belgium, It has a lot to offer.
Some say you have seen it all in 7 days, but I highly recommend more days!
I spent 2 weeks on this beautiful island and haven't seen everything.
I completely lost my heart here. Not only the Island, the nature, the cliffs and the blue water, but also to the most amazing guy I've ever met.
My airbnb host, and these days, I also can call him my boyfriend. I've been in Malta a second time. From 21 December till 24 January (longer then planned). And thanks to the knowledge of a local, I keep on discovering more nice places.
I hope you all go to Malta one day and have an experience like I had. One of my most beautiful travels so far.