I had planned to travel to Malta twice before, but something came up both times. Now I’ve finally managed to arrange the trip.
Since the archipelago is not large, it can be explored quickly. My plane departed on Tuesday afternoon (February 25) and returned late Thursday evening. This gave me two days, which I made the most of. As usual, I was on the move from morning until evening, and I managed to see all the important sights except for one.
I booked a room through Airbnb in the town of Ta’ Xbiex. This is in a fairly central location, close to Valletta and just a few minutes from Route 1 (the main road with many buses).
Table of Contents
Public Transportation
In Malta, buses are the main form of public transportation, and the Tallinja card is the simplest solution. There’s a four-day pass (19 euros) that allows unlimited travel. There are two machines in the arrival hall at the airport where you can easily purchase one. When boarding the bus, you need to tap the card on the sensor next to the driver.
There are numerous bus routes, making it easy to get anywhere. However, you need to flag down the bus, otherwise it won’t stop! Buses depart on time from their starting stations, but due to the heavy traffic on the roads, they almost never keep to the schedule. Timetables can be found on the website.
Weather
Although the Mediterranean Sea makes the temperature pleasant even in winter (it was 15-17 degrees Celsius), the weather can be very erratic. It can cloud over and pour with rain in a matter of moments. Then after a few minutes, it stops and the sun comes out. I experienced this several times on Thursday.
The wind often blows, which can make it feel cool when it’s cloudy. It’s good to have an extra sweater with you in case the weather turns worse.
Wednesday
Mellieħa
The Blue Lagoon and Gozo Island were planned for this day, but I got off in this town to look around. It’s a pleasant little town, with a nice church and a beautiful view of the Għadira Bay. It’s worth stopping for a coffee.
Next to the town is one of Malta’s most popular beaches, Għadira. In summer and in brilliant sunshine it’s surely beautiful, but now it was deserted, making it „just” an average sandy beach.
Popeye Village
This attraction is near Mellieha, and bus 101 goes there (I boarded at the Ghadira stop, from there it’s about 10 minutes).
The Popeye musical, which was released in the 1980s, was filmed here, with the film studio building a small village. Fortunately, they kept it and turned it into an adventure park. It’s situated in a very beautiful environment, and it’s worth coming here even just for a few photos. With children, it’s worth going inside too.
From here I traveled by bus 101 to the Cirkewwa ferry terminal.
Blue Lagoon
Between the main island and Gozo is Comino, where the most beautiful beach on the island is located. Cruise boats depart frequently from Cirkewwa and Marfa ferry terminals, and tickets can be purchased on site. Several buses go here, making it easy to reach by bus.
The boats also pass by the rocks on the coast of Comino, which can be seen in various forms with large caves. They dock in the Santa Maria Bay, from where the lagoon is about 1.2 km on foot. There is a small incline along the way, but the view is worth the walk!
Even in winter, with sunny-cloudy weather, the water is wonderful. There are several food stalls on the beach. Some people ventured into the water; judging by their squeals, the water wasn’t warm. 🙂
Since several ferries to Gozo were canceled due to the windy weather, I traveled back to Cirkewwa.
Gozo
This is Malta’s westernmost member, with its center being Rabat. There are regular ferry services from Cirkewwa to the island, and tickets can be purchased at the ports. The harbor on Gozo is in the settlement of Mġarr, from where bus 301 runs to Rabat.
The Citadel rises in the northern part of the town. It would have been a shame to miss this trip! The town itself is beautiful, but the fortress and the view from there are wonderful. You can walk around the city wall, giving you excellent panoramic views in all directions.
I also looked inside the St. George’s Church in the Old Town, where the entrance fee is 3 euros. The interior is extremely decorated, well worth this amount.
From here I sailed back to the main island and took the X1 bus to my accommodation.
Thursday
On this day, only the main island was on the program, primarily the capital, Valletta, and the former center, Mdina.
Before traveling to the capital, I took a short walk towards Sliema. From here there is a very nice view of Valletta and the harbor filled with yachts.
Valletta
I traveled by bus from my accommodation to the main bus station, which is right at the gate of the Old Town. Since I didn’t want to carry my bag all day, I left it in a luggage storage (PR Luggage Storage, information can be found on their website). The fee is 5 euros for five hours, with each additional hour costing 1 euro. You need to select the duration and can pay by card. If it stays in longer, you have to pay the difference.
The Old Town is very beautiful, with many hilly streets. I really enjoyed wandering around, and it’s worth strolling through the stepped streets. The colorful bay windows on the houses are interesting and make for a very pretty sight.
I went all the way to the fort on the shore, and then along the entire seafront. There’s a very good view of the „three cities” opposite (Birgu, Kalkara, Isla), especially from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
Mdina
In the old capital there is a fortress similar to Rabat on Gozo. Several bus routes run here (51, 52, 53), and the journey takes about half an hour.
I can say the same about this as about the Citadel in Rabat. Great views, wonderful buildings, atmospheric alleys. From the city wall, you can see the northern part, and Valletta was clearly visible.
Back to Valletta and out to the airport
I returned to the capital in brilliant sunshine, so I was able to take many good pictures. I went to the luggage storage and took bus X4 out to the airport.
Summary
I have a positive opinion of Malta. Nice people, beautiful sights, and a pleasant atmosphere characterize the island. I got more than I expected. True, the weather was erratic, but it didn’t significantly affect my program.
In terms of price levels, it’s a little more expensive than Hungary. I experienced similar things in the shop and in the restaurant, but the difference is not terrible.