Your Malta travel guide to Valletta, Gozo and the islands between
Plan around Valletta's bastions and the Grand Harbour, the walled quiet of Mdina, Gozo's citadel and farm country, and the clear water of Comino, in any month of the year.
Guides for picking a base on Malta or Gozo
Valletta or Sliema, a beach town in the north or a farmhouse on Gozo, the bus or a hire car: these guides weigh up the choices, with prices and rules dated and sourced.
Best Time to Visit Malta: Month-by-Month Weather and Events
May, June, September and October are the best months for most visitors to Malta: a choice of sightseeing and beach weather; check actual fares and accommodation availability. Winter is mild and quiet but too cool for most swimmers.
Open guide ->Gozo Travel Guide: Ferry, Sights, Beaches and Where to Stay
Plan a Gozo trip: ferry fares as of November 2026, the Cittadella, Ggantija, Dwejra after the Azure Window, the best beaches, walking, diving and day trip versus overnight.
Open guide ->Malta for First-Timers: Islands, Airport, Money, Driving
Everything for a first visit to Malta: the three islands, trip length, choosing a base, buses from the airport, euros, English, left-hand driving, plugs and entry rules.
Open guide ->Things to Do in Malta: A Guide by Interest
Things to do in Malta by interest: UNESCO temples and the Hypogeum, Valletta and the Three Cities, beaches and dives, Gozo, food, walks, kids and rainy days.
Open guide ->Where to Stay in Malta: Best Areas by Traveller Type
Where to stay in Malta, area by area: Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s, Bugibba, Mellieha, Mdina, the south and Gozo, with who each suits and how each connects.
Open guide ->Best Beaches in Malta, Gozo and Comino: An Honest Guide
The best beaches in Malta grouped by who they suit, from Mellieha Bay and Golden Bay to Ramla, San Blas and the Blue Lagoon, with honest notes on crowds, access and sea conditions.
Open guide ->Malta 365 by the numbers
Top destinations
Comino
Comino is the tiny, car-free island between Malta and Gozo: the turquoise Blue Lagoon, quiet Santa Marija Bay and coastal walks, reached only by boat.
Gozo
Gozo is Malta's slower, greener sister island: the Ggantija temples, the Cittadella in Victoria, red-sand Ramla Bay and dive sites, a 25-minute ferry from Malta.
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk is Malta's main fishing harbour: painted luzzu boats, a Sunday fish market and seafood lunches, with St Peter's Pool and the south's temples nearby.
Mdina and Rabat
Mdina is Malta's walled hilltop former capital, quiet and lamplit at night. Rabat, just outside its walls, adds St Paul's Catacombs, the Domus Romana and village life.
Mellieha
Mellieha looks down on the long sandy beach of Mellieha Bay, with Popeye Village, the Red Tower, Ghadira Nature Reserve and the Gozo ferry all close by.
The coastlines worth planning around
Blue Lagoon
The shallow turquoise channel between Comino and Cominotto. Stepping ashore now needs a free timed landing pass booked online, and boat trips run from Malta and Gozo.
Ramla Bay
Gozo's largest sandy bay: deep red-gold sand below terraced hills, clear water and no hotels behind it. Seasonal lifeguards and snack bars are documented here.
St Peter's Pool
A deep natural swimming pool cut into flat limestone on the Delimara peninsula near Marsaxlokk. Clear water, sun-warmed rock shelves, no sand; do not rely on lifeguard cover.
Xlendi Bay
A narrow inlet at the end of a deep valley on Gozo's west coast, with deep, clear water off the rocks, cafes on the waterfront and sunset views from the cliffs.
Hondoq ir-Rummien
A small cove below Qala in south-east Gozo with deep, clear water, ladders into the sea and views across to Comino. Popular with snorkellers, with sand, pebbles and rocky bathing areas.
San Blas Bay
A small cove of reddish sand below Nadur on Gozo's north-east coast, reached on foot down a steep lane. Quiet, good for snorkelling, with few facilities.
Why Choose Malta?
Small Islands, Short Distances
Three inhabited islands sit close together, so a single trip can mix a capital city, a fishing harbour and a quiet day on Gozo without long transfers. English is an official language alongside Maltese, which makes signs, menus and bus timetables easy to follow.
Temples, Bastions and Baroque
Prehistoric temples such as Hagar Qim and Ggantija, the underground Hypogeum, the bastions the Knights of St John raised around the Grand Harbour, and Valletta itself, a fortified city on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Clear Water and Sea Cliffs
Swim at the Blue Lagoon off Comino or the red sand of Ramla Bay on Gozo, walk the Dingli Cliffs at sunset, and dive the reefs, caves and wrecks that draw divers to the islands' coast.
Experiences worth the trip
Scuba Diving in Malta and Gozo
Dive scuttled wrecks such as the P29 and Um El Faroud, the Blue Hole at Dwejra and shallow Comino caves, with clear water and many sites reached from the shore.
Snorkelling in Malta, Gozo and Comino
Snorkel rocky coves and sea caves around Malta, Gozo and Comino, from the Blue Lagoon to Ghar Lapsi and Mgarr ix-Xini, with clear water and easy shore entries.
Comino Boat Trips and the Blue Lagoon
Take a boat to Comino for the Blue Lagoon, sea caves and the coast of a near-empty island. Landing at the lagoon now uses a free booking system (as of November 2026).
Grand Harbour Cruises and Ferries
See the bastions of Valletta and the Three Cities from the water on a harbour cruise, a traditional dghajsa water taxi or the catamaran ferry to Sliema.
Sea Kayaking in Gozo and Comino
Paddle a sea kayak along the cliffs of Gozo and across the Gozo Channel to Comino, with stops in caves and coves that boats and walkers rarely reach.
Sailing and Yacht Charters
Charter a yacht with or without a skipper from the marinas around Valletta and in Gozo, and sail to Comino's anchorages, Gozo's bays and the harbour fortifications.
Don't Miss These Events
Malta Carnival
Five days of float parades, costumed dance companies and grotesque masks in Valletta and Floriana before Lent, plus Gozo's darker, home-made carnival in Nadur.
Holy Week and Easter in Malta
From Palm Sunday to Easter morning, parishes across Malta and Gozo stage Passion processions with statues, costumed figures and band music, led by Good Friday.
Malta International Fireworks Festival
An April fireworks festival run by the Malta Tourism Authority, opening in Gozo and moving to the Grand Harbour for competitive pyro-musical nights and a finale.
L-Imnarja (Mnarja)
Malta's old harvest feast of St Peter and St Paul: an evening gathering in Buskett Gardens on 28 June, then traditional races below Mdina on the 29 June holiday.
National parks
Majjistral Nature and History Park
Buskett Gardens
Ghadira Nature Reserve
Simar Nature Reserve
Taste of Malta
Pastizzi
Malta's favourite savoury snack: small, flaky pastry parcels filled with ricotta or mushy peas, eaten hot from pastizzerias, bars and kiosks.
Ftira
Malta's flattened sourdough bread, shaped by hand and filled with tomato, olive oil, tuna, capers and olives. Inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2020.
Stuffat tal-Fenek (Rabbit Stew)
Rabbit stewed slowly with wine, garlic and tomato, its sauce served on spaghetti and the meat with potatoes. The dish behind the Maltese fenkata, a shared rabbit feast.
Lampuki Pie
A pastry pie filled with lampuki (dolphin fish) and vegetables, made with fresh fish during the lampuki season, associated with late summer and autumn.
Aljotta
A light, garlic-led Maltese fish soup with tomato and herbs, made when the catch is plentiful. Found at seaside restaurants and in family kitchens.
Bragioli (Beef Olives)
Maltese beef olives: thin slices of beef rolled around a savoury stuffing and braised until tender. A family Sunday dish, served with potatoes or with the sauce on pasta.
Timpana
A rich Maltese pie of macaroni in a meat and tomato sauce, bound with egg and cheese and baked in pastry. A special-occasion first course before the main dish.
Kapunata
A cooked vegetable mix of aubergine, peppers, tomato and capers, served as a starter, a side or a dip with bread. Vegan and full of summer flavour.
Hungry now? Browse the island's best restaurants →
Plan Your Malta Trip
Entry rules, transport, local customs and emergency numbers for Malta, Gozo and Comino.
Visa & Entry Requirements
Malta is in the EU and the Schengen area: check the 90-in-180-day rule, passport validity and the EU Entry/Exit System.
Read more ->Travel Insurance & Safety
What a GHIC or EHIC covers at state hospitals, where private cover still matters, and current UK and US travel advice.
Read more ->Transportation
Buses, ferries to Gozo and Comino, taxis and car hire, and a reminder that Malta drives on the left.
Read more ->Local Tips
Church dress codes, tipping, three-pin plugs, a few Maltese words and what to pack for each season.
Read more ->Emergency Contacts
Call 112 for police, ambulance and fire, plus hospital, coastguard and embassy numbers.
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