Top 18 Best Places to Visit in Malta

Malta is a chain of three islands , Malta, Gozo, and Comino , sitting in the center of the Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. The main island packs a remarkable amount into a space smaller than most European cities: a UNESCO-listed capital, prehistoric temples older than the Egyptian pyramids, and some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean. Gozo is quieter and greener. Comino is almost entirely uninhabited. Together they make one of the most historically rich and visually striking beautiful islands in Europe. This guide covers the best places to visit in Malta across all three islands, organized by what you will actually find when you get there.

Malta pairs naturally with a longer Mediterranean itinerary. The Barcelona travel guide covers the western end of the same coast, and both destinations are reachable from the same London, Paris, or Rome flight hub.

Where to Stay in Malta

Malta is small enough that you can base yourself in one place and reach most of the island within an hour, but the right neighborhood depends on whether you want nightlife, harbor views, or a quieter beach setting. These five hotels span a range of styles and locations.

ME Malta is a sleek modern hotel in St Julian’s with rooftop pool and design-forward rooms, ideal if you want easy access to nightlife and dining. Hyatt Centric Saint Julian’s Malta is a polished pick in the same area with a strong rooftop pool scene and great views of the bay.

Hotel Juliani offers a more affordable boutique stay along Spinola Bay, popular for its relaxed feel and pool deck. Iniala Harbour House is the standout luxury pick on the Valletta waterfront with art-filled suites and a private spa. Barrister Hotel Malta is a smart mid-range pick inside Valletta itself, walking distance to the cathedral and the upper Barrakka Gardens.

Best Tours and Day Experiences in Malta

The most popular Malta experiences book up fast in peak season, so reserve ahead. These five tours cover the essentials and often beat going on your own.

• Comino Blue Lagoon Boat Tour – crystal-clear lagoon snorkeling
• Mdina Silent City Walking Tour – ancient capital after dark
• Gozo Full-Day Island Tour – Azure Window ruins and the Citadella
• Valletta Harbour Cruise – Grand Harbour and the Three Cities
• Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples Tour – UNESCO megalithic sites

Best Malta Travel Products

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Valletta and Historic Sites

1. Valletta: Europe’s Smallest Capital

Valletta is Europe’s smallest capital by area, covering barely 55 hectares on a peninsula between two of the finest natural harbors in the Mediterranean. The city was built from scratch in the 16th century by the Knights of St. John after the Great Siege of 1565, and the original grid layout is still intact. St. John’s Co-Cathedral is the main attraction: a plain exterior conceals a Baroque interior with a marble floor made up of 400 tombstones, and Caravaggio’s largest painting hangs in the oratory.

The Upper Barrakka Gardens look across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities on the opposite shore. The saluting battery below fires a cannon at noon and 4pm, audible from most of the peninsula. Valletta is small enough to cover in a full day; the main pedestrianized streets are Republic Street and Merchant Street.

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2. Hal Saflieni Hypogeum: Book Before Anything Else

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is a prehistoric underground burial complex carved into soft limestone between 3600 and 2500 BC. It is the only known prehistoric underground temple in the world and is one of Malta’s UNESCO World Heritage sites in Europe. Only 80 visitors are permitted per day, and tickets sell out months in advance. Book on the Heritage Malta website before arranging anything else about the trip.

The chambers descend three levels through carved rooms, oracle chambers, and burial pits where over 7,000 individuals were found. The acoustics in the lower chambers are remarkable , sound resonates at a frequency that prehistoric communities clearly used ceremonially. No photography is allowed inside, and groups are limited to 10 people per guided slot.

3. Mdina: The Silent City

Mdina is Malta’s original capital: a walled medieval city on a hilltop in the center of the island with fewer than 300 permanent residents. It is called the Silent City because no motorized vehicles are permitted inside the walls, and the narrow limestone streets are genuinely quiet in a way that most European medieval towns are not. Game of Thrones used it as a filming location for early King’s Landing scenes, which are immediately recognizable at the main gate.

The Cathedral of Saint Paul stands on the site where the Roman governor Publius is said to have converted after Paul’s shipwreck in 60 AD. Visit early morning before cruise day-trippers arrive, or in the evening when the limestone buildings are lit up. Cheaper eating options are just outside the main gate in Rabat rather than inside the walls.

4. The Three Cities: Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua

The Three Cities sit across the Grand Harbour from Valletta and see a fraction of the tourist traffic despite being among the oldest continuously inhabited areas in Malta. They predate Valletta as the base of the Knights of St. John. Vittoriosa (Birgu) is the most accessible: Fort St. Angelo, the Inquisitor’s Palace, and the old town streets repay a slow afternoon. The waterfront has superyachts moored in front of medieval fortifications , a genuinely strange and impressive combination.

The easiest way to reach the Three Cities from Valletta is the traditional harbour ferry (dgħajsa), a five-minute crossing for around three euros. Almost no English-language signage and very few souvenir shops , this is still a lived-in neighborhood with cafes priced for locals.

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5. Tarxien Temples: 3500 BC and Largely Overlooked

The Tarxien Temples are a complex of four prehistoric structures dating to around 3150 BC, among the oldest free-standing stone monuments in the world. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in a residential neighborhood south of Valletta that most visitors drive past without stopping. The original carved stone figures are in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, with replicas at the site in their original positions.

The temples are smaller and less dramatic than the Hypogeum, but the carved altar stones and the scale of Neolithic construction justify an hour. Combined with the Hypogeum (10 minutes away) and the National Museum, Tarxien completes Malta’s full prehistoric picture.

Beaches and Blue Water

6. Blue Lagoon, Comino: What the Photos Show and What They Don’t

The Blue Lagoon on Comino is genuinely as turquoise as the photographs suggest. The water is shallow enough to see the sandy bottom through ten meters of depth, and the color shifts from pale turquoise at the edges to deep blue at the center. In July and August it is also genuinely crowded, with dozens of charter boats anchored in the bay and hundreds of day-trippers arriving from 9am onward. It earns its reputation as one of the best beach destinations in Europe , but timing matters enormously.

Arrive before 8am on the first ferry from Circewwa (around 10 euros return), walk to the lagoon before the boats anchor, and leave by mid-afternoon when the crowds peak. September and October are significantly better: the water is still warm from summer, crowds drop by around 75 percent, and the ferry still runs. Comino has no accommodation other than one hotel, so almost all visitors come as a day trip.

7. Crystal Lagoon, Comino: 200 Meters from the Crowds

The Crystal Lagoon sits about 200 meters southeast of the Blue Lagoon on the same island of Comino, reachable by a short walk over the headland. Almost no one makes the walk. The water is equally clear, the depth is good for snorkeling, and on a busy August day the Crystal Lagoon might have 20 people in it while the Blue Lagoon has 500.

Bring your own snorkeling gear. The sea floor has rocky formations and occasional sea urchins, so water shoes are useful here too. The path from the Blue Lagoon is unmarked , walk east along the limestone coast until the second inlet opens below you.

8. Mellieha Bay: The Largest Sandy Beach

Mellieha Bay (Ghadira Bay) is the largest sandy beach on the main island, stretching around 800 meters in a sheltered bay on the northwest coast. It is the most family-oriented beach on the island, with shallow water graduating gradually from the shoreline, beach clubs, and water sports operators. The town of Mellieha above the bay has more restaurants and accommodation options than the beach itself.

The beach faces northeast and catches afternoon shade on the western side from around 4pm. It is busiest in July and August; in May, June, September, and October it is much quieter with water temperatures still comfortable for swimming.

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9. Golden Bay: Sunset Beach on the Northwest Coast

Golden Bay is the second-largest sandy beach on Malta and consistently rated the most attractive, partly for the reddish tinge in the sand and partly for the cliff backdrop on the western side. The beach faces northwest, which means it catches full afternoon sun and has reliable sunsets. A Radisson hotel sits behind the beach but the shoreline is public and accessible from the car park above.

The Riviera Beach, a 10-minute walk north, is smaller and less developed with a beachside bar and no large hotels. Both beaches are best reached by car or the 223 bus from Valletta; the journey takes around 45 minutes from the capital.

10. St. Peter’s Pool: The Local Secret

St. Peter’s Pool is a series of natural rock pools on a flat limestone shelf on the southeast coast near Marsaxlokk. The rock surface is solid enough to sunbathe on, the pools are deep enough to swim in, and there is a natural diving platform above the main pool. No beach clubs, no sunbeds, no facilities , it is almost entirely local.

Getting there requires a car (park on the Delimara Peninsula and walk 20 minutes) or a bus to Marsaxlokk followed by a taxi. The pools are genuinely quiet on weekdays; on summer Sundays, arrive before 9am or accept the crowds.

Gozo Island

11. Victoria (Rabat): Gozo’s Capital

Victoria, also called Rabat, is the capital of Gozo and sits on a hill in the center of the island. The Citadella fortress crowns the town and is visible from almost anywhere on Gozo. Inside the walls are a cathedral, a small museum complex, and one of the best panoramic views in the Maltese archipelago from the upper ramparts. The town below the Citadella has a daily market and restaurants serving Gozitan food at prices well below Valletta.

The ferry from Malta takes 25 minutes and runs continuously throughout the day from Circewwa. Gozo has a reputation for slower, more traditional Maltese life , Victoria is the place where that difference is most visible.

12. Ggantija Temples: Older Than Stonehenge

The Ggantija Temples on Gozo are among the oldest free-standing structures on earth, built between 3600 and 2500 BC , over a thousand years before Stonehenge and roughly contemporaneous with the first phase of the Egyptian pyramids. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the same prehistoric temple network as Tarxien and the Hypogeum on Malta. The scale of the stones is the first thing that strikes visitors: some limestone blocks weigh over 50 tonnes and were moved without wheels or metal tools.

The visitor center next to the temples has clear displays on construction methods and what is known about the culture that built them. The site is more spacious than Tarxien and in better condition, with enough room to walk through the original corridors and touch the stones. Combine with the Citadella for a full morning before heading to Ramla Bay.

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13. Dwejra: The Azure Window Site and What Remains

Dwejra is a coastal area on the west coast of Gozo made famous by the Azure Window, a natural limestone arch that collapsed in a storm in March 2017. The arch is gone, but the area remains worth visiting. The Inland Sea , a small lagoon connected to the open Mediterranean through a natural cave , still runs boat tours through the sea tunnel and out into open water, which is one of the more unusual short boat trips in the islands.

The Blue Hole, a natural dive site just north of where the arch stood, is considered one of the best shore diving spots in the Mediterranean, with a cave system descending 15 meters and connecting to an underwater arch. Dwejra justifies the trip even without the Azure Window.

14. Ramla Bay: The Best Beach on Gozo

Ramla Bay is Gozo’s most popular beach and the best sandy beach in the Maltese archipelago for those who prefer sand to rock. The sand is a distinctive reddish-orange from the iron-rich limestone eroding off the cliffs above. Roman ruins sit just behind the beach, and the excavated remains of a Roman villa are visible near the car park.

The beach faces north and gets morning shade from the western cliffs; afternoons are in full sun. It is quieter than any equivalent beach on the main island in all but the peak of August. Combine with a morning at Ggantija Temples (20 minutes by car) for a well-rounded Gozo day.

Scenic Spots and Local Life

15. Dingli Cliffs: The View Nobody Talks About

The Dingli Cliffs on the southwest coast of Malta drop 253 meters straight into the sea, making them the highest point in the archipelago. The view from the clifftop takes in the entire southwest coast and the uninhabited island of Filfla in the distance. On a clear day, the faint outline of Sicily is visible to the north. Almost no organized tourists come here , no entrance fees, no barriers, no queues.

The cliff road runs for several kilometers and is walkable in both directions from the main viewpoint. The best light is late afternoon when the sun moves toward the sea and the limestone shifts from white to amber. The nearby Buskett Gardens, Malta’s only significant woodland area, has walking trails through pine and citrus groves and combines well with a Dingli visit.

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16. Marsaxlokk: Sunday Market and Fishing Boats

Marsaxlokk is Malta’s main fishing village on the southeast coast, about 15 kilometers from Valletta. The harbor is lined with traditional Maltese fishing boats (luzzu) painted in bold primary colors, and the Sunday market runs along the waterfront with fresh fish, vegetables, local lace, and food products. The fish market operates daily but is busiest Sunday mornings when the whole village turns out.

Waterfront restaurants serve the freshest seafood on the island at prices well below Valletta. Grilled lampuki (dolphin fish, the local specialty) is available from September through November. Arrive before 9am on a Sunday to beat the crowds and find parking; by mid-morning the main street is at capacity.

17. Popeye Village, Anchor Bay

Popeye Village is the wooden film set built for the 1980 Robert Altman film and kept open as a family attraction after production ended. The original painted wooden houses are maintained in their film colors, the cove below is swimmable, and the setting in Anchor Bay is genuinely photogenic regardless of the backstory. It is deliberately themed and family-oriented, but as a half-hour stop on the way to or from Golden Bay or Mellieha it works well.

The bay below the village is one of the more photographed spots on the northwest coast: the painted wooden buildings reflected in clear water make for one of Malta’s most distinctive images. The view from above the bay is free; there is a small entrance fee to the village itself.

18. The Maltese Food Trail

Maltese food is a hybrid of Italian, Arabic, and British influences shaped by centuries of occupation, and it is consistently better than travelers expect. Pastizzi are the essential street food: flaky pastry parcels filled with ricotta or mushy peas, sold hot for around 50 cents each. The best in Valletta are at Is-Serkin in Republic Street, which opens early and closes when they sell out. Ftira is the local flatbread sandwich filled with tuna, capers, olives, and tomatoes. Rabbit stewed in garlic and tomatoes (fenek) is the national dish and appears on most traditional restaurant menus.

For the most authentic food at reasonable prices, the small trattorias in the backstreets of Vittoriosa and Mdina serve better versions than the main tourist strip in Valletta. If you are continuing to the French Riviera after Malta, the guide to things to do in Nice, France covers the market and food culture there , both cities reward slow mornings and good local produce.

Frequently Asked Questions About Malta

How many days do you need in Malta?

Five to seven days covers the main island, a full day on Gozo, and a day trip to Comino without feeling rushed. Four days is workable if you focus on Valletta, Mdina, one beach, and either the Hypogeum or Gozo. Less than four days means making real trade-offs. If you want all three islands at a reasonable pace, seven days is the right target.

What is the best time to visit Malta?

May, September, and October are the best months. The weather is warm (24 to 28 degrees), the water is swimmable, and crowds at the Blue Lagoon are manageable. July and August are peak season with the highest prices and most crowded beaches. Winter (November to March) is mild by European standards and good for history and cities, but Comino ferry services reduce and some beach facilities close.

Is Malta expensive?

Malta is moderately priced by Western European standards and significantly cheaper than Italy or France for equivalent quality. A mid-range daily budget including accommodation, food, and transport runs about 80 to 120 euros per person per day. Local buses cover most of the main island for around two euros per journey. The Hypogeum is the most expensive individual attraction at around 40 euros per person, reflecting its strict visitor limits.

Is Malta worth it for a short trip?

Yes. Malta is one of the best short-trip destinations in the Mediterranean because the concentration of things to do is exceptionally high relative to its size. In four days you can cover Valletta, Mdina, one or two beaches, and a Gozo day trip , more variety than many larger islands offer in the same time. The Hypogeum and the Blue Lagoon alone justify the trip for most visitors.

Do you need a car in Malta?

Not necessarily. The public bus network covers all main towns and beaches on the main island, and Valletta, Mdina, and the Three Cities are best explored on foot. A car helps for the Dingli Cliffs, St. Peter’s Pool, and northwest coast beaches. For Gozo, a car or scooter rental for a day makes the temples, Dwejra, and Ramla Bay significantly more efficient than the bus.

Final Thoughts on Malta

Malta works because the variety is compressed into a tiny space. On a single island smaller than a mid-sized city, you have prehistoric temples, a Baroque capital, medieval walled towns, cave boat tours, and some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean. Gozo adds a slower register and the oldest temples in the world. Comino gives you the lagoon photograph that actually looks like the photograph. The places most visitors skip , the Three Cities, Dingli Cliffs, Crystal Lagoon , are the ones that tend to make the strongest impression. Start with the Hypogeum booking, plan around Comino’s crowds, and leave enough time in Valletta to get past the main street.