Why island hopping is the best way to explore Malta’s highlights

Foodies will appreciate the high-end restaurants in Valletta, including five with Michelin stars serving fresh local produce on stylish harbour-side terraces. Equally, heading inland for a vineyard tour and sipping wine made from Maltese grapes is a great way to get an authentic taste of the island.

Beyond Valletta and The Three Cities, the island’s former medieval capital Mdina is a walled warren of narrow passages well worth exploring on foot. To journey even further into the past, visitors can head underground to the prehistoric rock-cut Hypogeum sanctuary or peruse the ruins of ancient temple Ħaġar Qim.

Hidden treasure

But it’s Malta’s laid-back little sister isle Gozo that boasts the most ancient of Malta’s mysterious monuments. Also credited to the Unesco World Heritage List, Ġgantija Temples are thought to be the oldest freestanding structures in the world, dating back more than 6,000 years to a time before the Pyramids and Stone Henge. The National Museum of Archaeology in the quaint island capital Victoria sheds light on the remains of a long-lost civilisation.

Underwater adventurers will find sunken treasure in Gozo too, considered by famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau to be the best diving spot in the Mediterranean. Its handful of excellent dive centres can take divers to reefs and caverns submerged in the unspoilt island’s crystalline waters.

Lagoon life

Indented with sparkling grottoes and hidden coves, Malta’s shoreline makes a striking setting for a coastal break. Famous locally for its calm shallow azure waters, the Blue Lagoon on the pocket-sized isle of Comino makes a perfect day trip for travellers who enjoy swimming and lulling in idyllic coves, while the nearby lesser-known Crystal Lagoon is ideal for floating around little caves and exploring by kayak.

Organised boat trips and ferries leave regularly for Comino from neighbouring Gozo and Malta, and the island’s small size means it can be easily navigated on a day’s hike along sun-baked tracks.

Though the islands combined cover a smaller area than Greater London, there’s always more to explore in Malta, and hopping on a boat gives visitors the greatest scope.

Learn more about Malta at malta-training.com and on TTG’s dedicated destination hub.