As our ship drew in towards the Maltese harbour in Valletta, the heat, the haze and the golden hue of the buildings instantly gave us that "we've been here before" feeling.
Malta is a small island nation in the central Mediterranean. Maltese is the national language, but English is widely spoken and is also an official language. The country has three inhabited islands: Malta (yes, same name as the country), Comino and Gozo, plus a few uninhabited islets.
In July 2023, we took a 5-day land-based trip to Malta, which is summer season in the Mediterranean. It let us discover a good portion of all three inhabited islands. Below is a rough guide to the top sights per island, including what we visited, in case you want to see them on a cruise stop or a land holiday.
Malta and Valletta City
On our first visit, we stayed in San Ġwann. In hindsight, we probably wouldn't choose it again, as it's a bit of a trek to the main attractions around Valletta. We stayed at Urban Valley Resort and Spa, which was a decent hotel but nothing very special to recommend. I would highly recommend choosing a hotel nearer the city centre for ease of moving about.
Here are the sights we saw during our land-based holiday, per island.
Mainland Malta
- Valletta: St John's Co-Cathedral (Caravaggio's Beheading of St John), Upper Barrakka Gardens and the Saluting Battery, Grand Harbour views, Republic Street,
- Mdina and Rabat: the walled "Silent City"
- Three Cities (Birgu, Senglea, Cospicua): a short ferry or dgħajsa water taxi from Valletta, quieter and very photogenic
- Marsaxlokk: fishing village with painted luzzu boats
- Popeye Village (Mellieħa): a fun film-set stop, good for families
Comino
- Blue Lagoon: the famous turquoise bay, very busy at midday and best early or late
Gozo
- The Citadel (Victoria): hilltop fortress with sweeping views
- Ta' Pinu Basilica: a pilgrimage site in a rural setting
Transport in and around Malta
Buses (Tallinja)
We took a lot of bus rides during our land holiday. The timetable is a bit hit and miss. A lot of buses were late, sometimes by up to half an hour, and ongoing construction moves the usual bus stops around. We found this a struggle in the extreme heat, as most bus stops have very little shade. The buses themselves are air conditioned, thankfully.
- Fares are low and differ between summer and winter. A single ticket includes free transfers for a couple of hours.
- Airport, long-distance and night routes cost a little more than standard routes.
- Visitors can buy a multi-day Explore card for unlimited bus travel across Malta and Gozo. It's worth it if you plan several rides a day.
- Free bus travel is for residents only, not tourists.
- Check current fares, routes and tickets at publictransport.com.mt.
Taxis and ride apps
- Taxis from the airport have fixed fares set by destination, per car rather than per person. The list is on the Malta International Airport website (maltairport.com).
- Bolt and eCabs operate across the island and are often cheaper than white taxis, but availability drops sharply late at night.
Ferries
- Valletta, Sliema and the Three Cities are linked by short harbour ferries, which are a scenic alternative to the bus. Search for Valletta Ferry Services for current fares and timetables.
Gozo
There are two main ways to reach Gozo.
- Gozo Channel (Ċirkewwa to Mġarr): the regular car and passenger ferry, a crossing of about 25 minutes, running around the clock. It's the most weather-resilient option. Buses 41 and 42 from Valletta head to Ċirkewwa and take roughly an hour. Fares and timetable are at gozochannel.com.
- Gozo Highspeed (Valletta to Mġarr): foot passengers only, about 45 minutes, and a better option from a cruise port because it saves the long trip north. Book ahead in summer. Search for Gozo Highspeed for fares and sailing times.
On Gozo, Tallinja buses cover the island, with Victoria as the main hub.
Comino
There's no public bus or road transport on Comino, so you get there by boat.
- Seasonal boats run from Ċirkewwa on Malta and from Mġarr on Gozo, and there are combined Gozo and Comino boat tours.
- If you step ashore at the Blue Lagoon, you need an access pass booked in advance at blcomino.com. Slots go quickly in peak summer, and the pass details and cost should be checked there.
- The island has food kiosks, toilets and showers, but it's still smart to bring water.
Because it wasn't too long since our last visit to Malta, we decided to just walk around the capital, Valletta, this time. We wanted to revisit the Upper Barrakka Gardens with their sweeping views of the Grand Harbour and see St John's Co-Cathedral again. We took our time admiring the amber-laden streets and architecture, and ate pastizzi at Caffe Cordina on Republic Street, one of the oldest cafés in Malta. The hot Mediterranean temperatures made our visit short, but perhaps next time we'll do a ferry hop to Comino and Gozo again in more favourable temperatures (winter cruise brewing, hmm).
Like any cruise stop, we had limited time in port, so everything we saw on our land holiday was impossible to squeeze in. There was no lazy dinner, no getting lost in Valletta's back streets, and no day trip to Gozo. But that's always a reason to come back for longer if you truly love discovering more of an island.
Food recommendations
- Pastizzi: flaky ricotta or pea pastries, cheap and everywhere (Is-Serkin and Crystal Palace in Rabat are famous for them)
- Rabbit stew (stuffat tal-fenek): the national dish
- Fresh fish at Marsaxlokk: especially lampuki (dolphinfish) in season
- Ftira: Maltese bread sandwich with tuna, olives, capers and tomato
- Kinnie and Cisk: the local bitter orange soft drink and lager
- Pastries and sweets: imqaret (date pastries) and Maltese nougat, often sold at street stalls in Valletta
- Honey ring and cannoli: try them at cafés in Mdina
Quick cruise-day takeaways
- Valletta only: walk from the port, no transport cost.
- Valletta plus Three Cities: harbour ferry, a few euros.
- Mdina and Marsaxlokk: bus, hop-on hop-off or a Bolt.
- Gozo and Comino: only realistic with an early start, and the fast ferry from Valletta is the better choice. Build in a buffer for all-aboard time. Consider cruise excursion that has a guaranteed return.
Malta is a common cruise stop in the Med, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to see these places over multiple visits, almost like a land holiday.
I would certainly consider visiting again as a cruise stop, maybe on a winter cruise when temperatures could be milder.
