Malta Holidays
Whether you have chosen Malta or Gozo as your next holiday destination, you should plan ahead, both are tiny islands when compared to their European counterparts and although accommodation is in abundance, bed stock between mid June and mid October tends to dwindle in the first quarter of the year. As at the 2023 census Malta had a population of just over 539,000, whilst in the same year there where over 7,800,000 passenger movements at the Malta International Airport !! If you are planning to stay for 7 days or more, then finding the right holiday accommodation starts to get harder as time rolls closer to the start of your holiday. So plan and book early to secure the best accommodation at the best price for your upcoming Malta holidays.
holiday-malta.com is a user based platform where you can search and book from a wide variety of holiday properties, now commonly referred to as airbnb's, and correspond directly with hosts. Whether its near Malta's sandy beaches or in the beautiful historic capital city of Valletta. Find deals from a vast selection of Malta hotels, apartments, holiday villas in Malta or farmhouses in Gozo. You will also find useful information on popular beaches in Malta & Gozo, public transport, information on local villages, a brief introduction to the culture & history of our islands, and things to do in Malta.
Accommodation in Malta is plentiful, and there is a wide selection of hotels to choose from, which range from budget Malta hotels to up market 5 star hotels, mainly located in the top tourist destinations of St Julians, Sliema, St Paul's Bay, Bugibba, Qawra, Mellieha and the Capital City Valletta. There are of course other self catering accommodation options including private holiday villas & farmhouses generally with a private swimming pool and an even wider selection of holiday apartments dotted all around the Islands.
However, a holiday to Malta is not only about accommodation, the Maltese Islands which are located right in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, just south of Sicily and north of Libya, have alot to offer in terms of culture and history. The whole archipelago consists of the islands of Malta, Gozo, Comino, Cominetto, Filfla and St Pauls Islands, and each Island is unique in its own way.
Malta attractions
Malta and Gozo which are the two inhabited Islands, have a wealth of historic attractions and are famous for their ancient history, with well-preserved stone Temples from prehistoric times. But their fame is also due to the Two Great Sieges, one in 1565 when the Turkish Empire could not conquer Malta, and the other momentous event being the II World war (1939 -1942).
One of the dominating aspects of Malta, which is in itself a tourist attraction, is the Catholic Religion practised by the majority of Maltese which has succeeded to survive as the religion of the people notwithstanding centuries of domination by different rulers, not all of whom were Catholics. The Hundreds of Churches all over Malta and Gozo bear witness to the religiosity of the Maltese, who are proud of their traditions of worship and their celebration of Annual Festas. Malta and Gozo, are also full of Shrines, Statues, or Niches, dedicated to Our Lady and to different Saints, often found at corners of buildings. Tourists visiting Malta can of course visit Churches & Historical Places containing several important works of art.
Gozo locally called "Ghawdex" is a gem of an island, unique and mystical, full of character and charm. Gozo is somewhat more laid back than Malta, its tranquil & quiet and many Maltese tend to travel to Gozo on weekends to escape from the faster pace of Malta and spend their time by the pool with friends and family in a farmhouse or villa in Gozo.
Although the people from Gozo are widely perceived to be Maltese, they have stuck to their own identity and like being reffered to as Gozitans, rather than Maltese, this is also very evident in their accent. Gozo, with an area of 14km by 7km, is full of valleys and is surrounded by cliffs from the southwest to northwest. The Island is rural and simple, with its way of life rooted in agriculture and fishing. Gozo is currently accessible by car and passenger ferry with the Gozo Channel which operates daily service to and from Gozo via Cirkewwa on Malta and Gozo High Speed which is passenger ferry service which operates daily service to and from Gozo via Valletta on Malta.
Comino on the other hand is the smallest island of the Maltese archipelego measuring, roughly 2.5 square km in area. Comino lies between Gozo and Malta and is home to one hotel, the Comino Hotel, a few self catering bungalows and the beautiful Blue Lagoon which is visited by by large numbers of tourists and local alike, especially during the summer months. Comino has a permanent population of only 4 residents and forms part of the municiaplity of Ghajnsielem in Gozo. A visit to the Blue Lagoon on one of the many boat tours departing from Malta and Gozo, will give you enough time to stroll round this little peaceful and tranquil island.
Weather in Malta
The Weather in Malta can be described as typically Long Hot and Dry Summers, Warm Spring and Autumns, and Short, Cool Winters, with most of the rainfall falling in the months of December through February. Weather conditions are perfect between Easter and Mid-June, that is, if you like warm (not too hot) days and pleasent evenings. During this period beaches are not crowded, and its much easier to find a Hotel in Malta, or alternatively self catering apartments & villas at much cheaper rates than in the high season of June to September, where availability starts to become a luxury due to the high number of tourists visiting the Maltese Islands during these months.
Between April and August it rarely rains and the days slowly begin to warm up considerably, month on month, with August being the hottest month of the year. In fact the highest temeprature ever recorded in Malta was in August 1999 when the temperature hit 44*C (111*F) in the shade at Luqa Airport...now that's pretty hot!!
If you are visiting Malta in the Summer Months do not forget your Sunblock...you will definately need it, otherwise you may risk getting sun-burned.
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Table Of Average Temperatures In *C |
||||
|
MONTH |
HIGH TEMP |
LOW TEMP |
SEA TEMP |
HOURS OF SUN |
|
January |
16.1 |
10.1 |
15.4 |
5.46 |
|
February |
16.1 |
9.9 |
14.9 |
6.36 |
|
March |
17.8 |
11.3 |
15.0 |
7.33 |
|
April |
20.1 |
13.1 |
15.9 |
8.46 |
|
May |
24.4 |
16.5 |
17.5 |
9.99 |
|
June |
28.7 |
20.3 |
21.1 |
11.23 |
|
July |
31.5 |
22.7 |
24.1 |
12.15 |
|
August |
31.8 |
23.5 |
25.8 |
11.36 |
|
September |
28.5 |
21.5 |
25.2 |
9.00 |
|
October |
25.4 |
18.7 |
23.2 |
7.22 |
|
November |
21.1 |
14.9 |
20.6 |
6.50 |
|
December |
17.4 |
11.7 |
17.4 |
5.20 |
The Beaches in Malta
Beaches in Malta, which are probably the main atrraction for many spending their holidays in Mata are also plentiful. The most popular sandy beaches are found in the north of the Island, driving towards St Paul's Bay and Mellieha, with the most renowned being the picturesque Ghajn Tuffieha and neighbouring Golden Bay/Rivera beach, which are sandwiched together between scenic cliffs. Here one can enjoy a a breathtaking sunset and a great cliff walk. Gnejna Bay, which is next to Riviera Beach, is a little quieter and widely known for the fact that it is a nudist beach. Though topless bathing/nudity is illegal in Malta it seems to be oddly accepted here. If you are up for a somewhat treacherous walk alongside the beach and are willing to be daring, then this is the place for you! For crystal blue waters similar to that of the Blue Lagoon look up Armier Bay. In the locality of Mellieha and surrounded by small fields Armier is quiet as it is traffic-free, safe for children with kiosks and paddle-boat rentals at hand. Little Armier, which is the smaller of the two beaches in the same bay also has many boat houses belonging to the locals. Further North in Mellieha is Malta's largest stretch of sand, Ghadira beach, which tends to be over-crowded on weekends, so getting there early for the day is advised. There are several other beaches spread around the islands coasts from sandy beaches to rocky beaches and the best way to explore these little beaches is to rent a car, and use a conventional paper map which point out all the little inlets and coves.
Malta history
If you like history, you will love Malta, museums & other historical places of Interest in Malta & Gozo are also ample. It's position, at the hub of ancient trading routes, meant that nearly every great civilization in the history of the world has left its mark, amongst the Phoenicians, the Arabs, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Ottoman Turks, the Crusader Knights, the French and the British. It was the Knights of the Order Of St John, however, who left a lasting impact on the island. There are a few places you must definately visit whilst in Malta, which include:-
* St John's Co Cathedral in Valletta, where one will find bautiful works of Art by Mattia Preti and Carravagio amongst others, inlaid marble tombs and more.
* The Inquisitor's Palace in Vittoriosa, one of the very few suriving places of its kind.
* The Hagar Qim Temples dating back to somewhere between 3200 to 3600 BC and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
* Ghar Dalam Cave which is Malta's oldest pre historic site, with bones of Ice Age animals clearly visible inside the cave.
The list goes on and on, there are numerous places of interest to Visit in Malta, which of course depends on how much time you have allocated for your holiday in Malta. The best resource for culture and heritage is the Heritage Malta website, where you will find infomative information of places to visit around the Islands of Malta and Gozo.
Things To Do in Malta
Malta has its fair share of activities and attractions which include water sports, boat trips, paragliding, sailing, yachting, windsurfing, fishing, scuba diving, rock climbing, hiking, cycling, theatre, concerts swimming with dolphins, nightclubs, casinos, poker tournaments and more. There is something going on in Malta every day. A useful resource is What's On In Malta. Nightlife is also a major attraction in Malta, with Paceville and Bugibba being the most popular areas for nighlife in the Maltese Islands. Paceville is abundant with Bars & Clubs which remain open until the early hours of the morning, especially over weekends. Here you can expect to find any genre of music in both open air and indoor locations, many of which also show English Premiership & Italian Serie A football matches. Bugibba on the other hand is also a favourite night spot with many bars but probably less clubs, this area is extremely popular with British Tourists as well as numerous locals who have summer residences in and around the area.
Maltese village feasts
Malta and Gozo are both renowned for their Feasts and Firework displays, locally refrred to as "Festas", with practically one village Festa at least once a week in different localities during the summer months. The Festa Season is a spectacle of band-marches through the streets, brass-band concerts on specially built huge stages called (plancieri) in the centre of village squares. Tall poles lined along the streets carrying large colorful and very rich banners (arbli and bandalori), stands offering all kinds of sweets and local traditional foods, (such as the famous nougat or qubbajt), religious processions with the particular Patron Saint whose feast is being celebrated, carried on pedestal by volunteers, often as a votive sacrifice and of course a firework display held in the evenings which at times could be rather noisy. The big bangs and multi-colored petards and fireworks shooting up in the night sky add plenty of noise and a sense of celebration during a Festa. St Julians, Lija, Zebbug and the Mqabba Festas are all well known in Malta and we do recommend that you attend to one of these feasts to get a real taste of the local culture. A favourite is definately the Mqabba Festa celebrating Sant Marija which takes place in mid August with wonderful firework displays which are synchronised with Music in celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Assumption, a definate "must see" during your August Holidays in Malta.
Maltese food
What about the food ? Maltese cuisine is an interesting combination of Italian, Sicilian, African and English ingredients, making it undoubtly unique. Specialities included fish, rabbit (fenek), beef olives (bragioli), baked rice (ross il-forn,) baked macaroni (mqarrun fil-forn), goat’s milk (gbejniet), broad bean paste (bigilla). stuffed marrows (qarabali mimli), oven baked savoury flaky pastry filled with ricotta or peas (pastizzi). The Malta Definitively Good Guide To Restaurants is a useful source when searching for a restaurant, whether it's child friendly, pet friendly or if you are afteran unforgettable dining experience.
Transport in Malta
Getting around in Malta is easy, moving between one village and another is usually no more than a 30 minute walk, however public bus transport in Malta is also widely available in both Malta and Gozo with most bus routes operating every 15 to 20 minutes. In Malta & Gozo, finding a cab to get you from point A to B is easy with a usual waiting time of a few minutes. There are mainly 3 companies that operate ride-hailing services on demand in Malta & Gozo, these are Uber, Bolt and eCabs. There are thousands of cabs across both islands, that service on-demand and scheduled rides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including airport transfers.
Useful information
When travelling to Malta, remember to bring the neccessary travel adaptors for your phone or tablet, Malta uses the UK 3 pin type electricity connection.
There is only one Airport in Malta, located in Luqa and most major airlines operate flights to Malta including several low cost airlines. Flights operate from major cities around Europe and connections to Australia and Asia are also available via Dubai.
Being a member of the EU, the local currency of Malta is the EURO. Banks accept all other major currencies for currency conversions. ATM machines are found all over the islands and practically in every town and village. All major credit and debit cards including Visa MasterCard, American Express, Maestro are also accepted in every bank, shopping outlet or bars and restaurants. There are a number of banks in Malta, with the 3 main ones being Bank of Valletta plc, HSBC Bank Malta and APS Bank Malta. These three banks practically control the ATM network in Malta & Gozo.
For those looking to extend their holiday beyond Malta, there is a Malta-Sicily-Malta ferry service via high speed catamarans which are run by Virtu Ferries Malta.
Spend your holidays in Malta & experience a world of beauty, diverse culture & history !
