Malta is both a pretty beach destination as well as a country studded with historical gems. Your beach-bumming-scuba-diving vacation focussed on gluttony can also be given a deep cultural twist. Explore the prehistoric sites, gigantic temples, underground necropolis, ancient watchtowers, and sturdy city walls around fortress styled hilltop towns.
Food in Malta is a unique blend of Middle Eastern and Sicilian cuisines, often based on favourite local ingredients.
Malta also has an array of beaches – it is like a menu, to be precise. There is a beach for swimming, one for snorkelling, another one for serenity, yet another one for water sports, soft sand, families… the list goes on.
Best time to visit Malta
The summer months or beach time is the best time to visit Malta, which makes up season begin in end April and stretch until end October. If it is culture and sightseeing that you are seeking and not a beach vacation, then the winter months make for a great visit. The weather is cool, though November and December tend to see some showers.
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Best beaches in Malta
Beach studded Malta and its sister island Gozo spoil you when it comes to that spot in the sand. The top spot for swimming is easily Comino’s Blue Lagoon; while Golden Bay is a soft sand beauty, perfect to sprawl on. Water sports are popular at Xlendi, Marsalforn, and Golden Bay; and most snorkelers head to Wied il- Għasri, Mgarr ix-Xini, and Għar Lapsi to experience underwater heaven. Mgarr ix-Xini is also the place for foodies who wish to get an authentic taste of Malta. Other popular beaches are Ramla Bay, Ghadira Bay, St. George’s Bay, Paradise Bay, and San Blas Bay.
Places to see in Malta
Malta is a lesson in pre-history as much as it is a study in politics. Given its location in the Mediterranean, it has always been sought after – attracting waves of armies to its pretty shores. This resulted in most of them leaving the place marked with their presence – at some places, standing in stone as temples and towers, and at others, entire walled cities perched on top of hills.Visit the ancient capital city Mdina and the new capital Valletta and its museums bursting with relics from another era. There is Gozo with its pre-historic treasure and Ghaxaq with its stunning churches. Of particular interest are the underground necropolis Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and St. John’s Co-Cathedral.
Food in Malta
Step out of your hotel to discover traditional Maltese cuisine. The larger restaurants will have food with a distinct British influence, but you must hunt out other places serving local Maltese recipes with Sicilian and Middle Eastern flavours.Maltese kitchens are partial to honey and rabbit; in fact, there are establishments that are called ‘fenkata’ restaurants specialising in celebratory meals that are essentially a feast of rabbit. Another local favourite is savoury pastries called ‘pastizzi’. Dishes that stand out from the otherwise basic Maltese menu are Maltese sausages and a bread based preparation called ‘ħobż biż-żejt’. Wash these down with the non-alcoholic orange drink called ‘kinnie’ or the local beer known as ‘cisk’.
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