Beaches & Salt Pans
Walk or drive west from town along the promenade and youll reach the tiny sand beaches at Qbajjar Bay, backed by buildings, and the more scenic Xwieni Bay, separated by a headland with a small fort. Beyond Xwieni, the road runs along a rocky shore that has been carved into a patch
St Peters Pool
St Peters Pool is a fantastic swimming spot, a natural lido in the rocks with large areas of flat slab for sunbathing between swims. Follow the narrow road out towards Delimara Lighthouse until you are just past the power station chimney (about 1.5km from the main road), and youll
Malta National Aquarium
Opened in 2013, this glass and metal star-fish-shaped building perches in a sublime position on the Qawra headland, with endless-blue views. Its great fun, with huge tanks showing environments that mimic the waters around the islands (for example, theres a replica of the bronze sub
City Gate
The Renzo Piano–designed City Gate forms part of the architects dramatic and harmonious new development. It echoes the dimensions of the original 1633 entrance, rather than the 1960s gate that it replaced, allowing passers-by to have the sensation of crossing a real bridge, and giv
Upper Barrakka Gardens & Saluting Battery
These colonnaded gardens perched high above Grand Harbour were created in the late 16th century as a relaxing haven for the Knights from the nearby Auberge dItalie. They provide a shady retreat from the bustle of the city, and the balcony has one of the best views in Malta.The terr
Wied il
A 5km hike west along the coast from Marsalforn is the narrow, cliff-bound inlet of Wied il-Għasri. Here a staircase cut into the rock leads down to a tiny shingle beach at the head of the inlet. Its a gorgeously picturesque place and there is good swimming and snorkelling when the
San Blas Bay
San Blas, a tiny, rock-strewn bay with some patches of coarse, rust-coloured sand, is backed by steep, terraced fields with prickly-pear hedges. Theres parking space for only a handful of cars at the beginning of the very narrow track above the bay. Its a steep walk down to it, but
National War Museum
This fabulous museum reopened in 2015 in the renovated Fort St Elmo. It covers Maltas wartime history, from the Great Siege and the countrys ordeal during WWII, right up to Maltas role in the Cold War and todays Europe. There are absorbing audiovisual displays, which bring history
Parliament Building
Renzo Pianos breathtaking new Parliament Building was completed in 2014. Its design includes two massive volumes of stone that look suspended in air, but are supported by stilts. The blocks have been machine-cut to lighten their appearance, while reducing solar radiation and lettin
St Pauls Cathedral
The cathedral is said to be built on the site of the villa belonging to Publius, the Roman governor of Malta who welcomed St Paul in AD 60.The original Norman church was destroyed by an earthquake, and the restrained baroque edifice you see today was built between 1697 and 1702 by
National Museum of Archaeology
The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the impressive Auberge de Provence.Exhibits include delicate stone tools dating from 5200 BC and Phoenician amulets, and theres an amazing temple model from Ta Haġrat – a prehistoric architectural maquette. More impressive still are t
Għar Dalam Cave & Museum
The reason to head to Birżebbuġa is to see the Għar Dalam Cave and Museum, 500m north on the main road from Valletta. Għar Dalam (aar-da-lam; the name means cave of darkness) is a 145m-long cave in the Lower Coralline Limestone. It has yielded a magnificent harvest of fossil bones
Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
The Hypogeum (from the Greek, meaning underground) is a subterranean necropolis, discovered during building work in 1902. To visit is to step into a mysterious and silent world. Its halls, chambers and passages, immaculately hewn out of the rock, cover some 500 sq metres; it is tho
St Johns Co
St Johns Co-Cathedral, Maltas most impressive church, was designed by the architect Gerolamo Cassar. It was built between 1573 and 1578, taking over from the Church of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa as the place where the Knights would gather for communal worship. The interior was revam
Ġgantija Temples
Perched on the crest of the hill to the south of Xagħra, the awe-inspiring megalithic Ġgantija Temples command soaring views over most of southern Gozo. As the name implies (ġgantija – dje-gant-ee-ya – means giantess), these are the largest of the megalithic temples found on the Ma
Grand Masters Palace
The stern exterior of the 16th-century Grand Masters Palace conceals a sumptuous interior. This was once the residence of the Grand Masters of the Knights of St John. From Maltas independence until 2015 the building was the seat of Maltas parliament, before it moved into the new Pa
Doing business & staying in touch while in Malta
Malta: Doing business & staying in touch
Malta Weather, Climate and Geography
Malta Weather, climate and geography
Malta History, Language and Culture
Malta History, Language and Culture
Malta Travel Guide and Travel Information
Malta Travel Guide
