Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet Malta & Gozo (Travel Guide)

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The Maltese Islands are like nowhere else. Here youll find great prehistoric temples, fossil-studded cliffs, glittering hidden coves, thrilling diving opportunities and a history of remarkable intensity.

Malta and Gozo are home to some of the worlds most impressive prehistoric sites, including gigantic temples set atop sea cliffs, and the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum the 5000-year-old underground necropolis carved perfectly from the living rock. A visit to any of them will stay with you long after youve left the island.

Its also remarkable to visit somewhere where the history of savage warfare all due to Maltas geographical significance is so enduringly evident. The islands have an embattled feel, even in todays peaceful times, with their walled cities, great fortresses, fortifications running over remote hills and myriad underground tunnels that became homes away from home during WWII bombardment.

Though building upon an already overcrowded landscape is a favoured activity of the Maltese, many parts of the island still manage to retain a sense of timelessness. This back-in-time atmosphere is even more pronounced on Gozo, where horses and carts are sometimes seen on country lanes, and quiet villages combine Italianate architecture with incongruous English red post boxes and blue police lamps. Lately, however, Maltas beautiful 17th-century capital, Valletta, has received some substantial 21st-century sparkle. The city has a new Renzo Pianodesigned gateway, parliament building and open-air auditorium built on the elegiac ruins of the citys opera house.

Youre never far from the Mediterranean here; in Gozo you can see the sea from almost everywhere. The islands beaches are small and perfectly formed; there are also some breathtakingly beautiful coves to swim in. This is also one of the worlds finest places to go diving, with sites ranging from sunken WWII bombers to dramatic undersea caves. To cap it all, much of what youll eat will come from the seas bounty.

People here are warm and welcoming, but also have a certain gentle reserve. Its the kind of place where if you ask for directions youll get a cheerful reply and maybe even be guided part of your way for good measure.

The country is staunchly Roman Catholic, with mighty churches towering over diminutive villages. But theres also the beguiling mix of cultures thats stewed over generations. The Malti language sounds Arabic, but is speckled with Italian, French and English words, and local food packs in Sicilian and Middle Eastern flavours, while making use of local ingredients like rabbit and honey. Even the local fishing boats resonate with history, their prows painted with eyes as their Phoenician predecessors were several millennia ago.

Marr harbour (), Gozo
OCEAN/CORBIS

The thrilling coastline of Dwejra (), in Gozo, features some astoundingly beautiful rock formations that have been sculpted by the wind and sea. From here you can take a boat trip through the Azure Window, an arch of rock that forms a doorway to the open sea. Theres also the Inland Sea, which is a wonderful place to swim and snorkel when the sea is calm. Close to the coast, the great chunk of Fungus Rock rears from the piercing blue Mediterranean.

Azure Window, Dwejra
ALLARD SCHAGER/GETTY IMAGES

Valletta

Maltas capital () is a remarkable city. Its the size of a small town easy to explore on foot, and laid out in a harmonious grid formation. The tall, gracious houses are distinctive for their wood-and-glass balconies, which give them a top-heavy look. The hills mean some of the roads are so steep they have to be stepped, and the roller-coaster streetscape allows mesmerising views along the straight, narrow lanes and out to sea.

Street looking down to the sea, Valletta
JEAN-PIERRE LESCOURRET/GETTY IMAGES

Victoria

The II-Kastell of Victoria () is an evocative place to wander this tiny medina (walled city) almost seems to grow out of its rocky outcrop. It was built after a particularly devastating raid on the island, when almost every Gozitan was carried off to slavery; there was a time when the entire population of around 3000 used to sleep here at night. Sweeping views can be had from its battlements.

Cathedral of the Assumption, Victoria, Gozo
FOTOSOL FOTOSOL/GETTY IMAGES

Sunday Lunch in Marsaxlokk

It gets packed every Sunday at the small coastal town of Marsaxlokk (). Locals and tourists throng to visit the buzzing fish market, where you can buy all manner of sea bounty, from colourful rock fish to baby sharks. The harbour bobs with colourful fishing boats painted with the eye of Osiris a tradition thats thought to hark back to the Phoenician era. The seafront, lined by excellent fish restaurants, is a great place for a long lazy lunch a favourite activity of locals as well as visitors.

Harbour scene, Marsaxlokk
CRAIG PERSHOUSE/GETTY IMAGES

Mdina & Rabat

Maltas tiny sometime capital (), itself a lovely town with some fascinating sights, many of them underground.

Medieval street, Mdina
COLIN DUTTON/SIME/4CORNERS

aar Qim & Mnajdra Temples

These great prehistoric structures () are among Maltas finest and most atmospheric, partly due to their breathtaking location they are set high up on the edge of coastal cliffs that are carpeted by wild flowers in spring. There are magnificent views out to sea and over to the distant islet of Filfla, and marked nature trails around the surrounding countryside.