Malta and Gozo

Malta is less than three and a half hours away and the island is situated in the middle of Mediterranean where the sun almost always shines and temperatures rarely dip below 16 degrees! This makes it a perfect winter break destination.

We booked a walking holiday so that we could explore the island at our own pace. The whole experience from booking to returning home was well planned. The hotels made us feel at home and the representative we met at our first hotel was there to make sure everything went smoothly.

The walks themselves were straightforward and varied from traditional coastal walking around the “fish tail” of Malta, to exploring the fishing villages such as Marasaxlokk with its traditional salt beds and discovering the many narrow streets and tall walls of the capital city of Valletta. The walk information is on an app which is easy to use and shows the route and explains the sites that you are seeing as you walk past.

The unexpected bonus was Gozo - this was a two centre holiday with 3 nights on the quieter and smaller island. Gozo wasn’t as built up as Malta and it felt like stepping back in time with walks along narrow lanes with views out to the sea. In the centre of Gozo is the capital Victoria with its impressive citadel which also explains the rich history of both islands and the many influences that make up the culture of the islands. Within the citadel is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven which has a captivating dome. The building has an aperture for a dome, but this is roofed over with a flat ceiling containing a trompe-l'œil painting – one that gives the impression of a dome.  The beautiful Ta' Pinu Church in the north west of the island near the village of Gharb was on one of our walks and stays as a memory of this island.

With the holiday we were given travel passes that could be used on both islands which made exploring the islands fun. Be warned that at busy times the buses are very full! The passes where easy to use as you just needed to tap on and with the help of Google maps it was straightforward to get off the bus at the correct stop.

We visited the islands during the festival season with its impressive floats and many dancers.  The outfits worn by the islanders made it a bright and colourful experience. The festival floats tour both islands so we saw the floats a number of times.

On Malta, we stayed at the Hotel Verdi in Gzira which is on the promenade with stunning views of Valletta across the bay. There were plenty of restaurants within walking distance or you could catch the ferry to Valletta which was a short walk from the hotel. The bus stops were along the promenade so they were easy to find. On Gozo, we stayed at the wonderful Duke Hotel in Victoria. The hotel is above a small shopping centre with a fascinating supermarket in the basement – perfect place to pick up lunch, and to wonder at the many types of fish and meats that are available! Our room overlooked the small garden at the side of the hotel which was the perfect pace for an ice cream after finishing a walk. There were a number of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel which served seasonal foods and local wines.

Top Tips

Using the travel pass is really straight forward but the buses have a service number and also their own individual bus number which can make finding your first bus tricky!

There are plenty of restaurants both on Malta and Gozo but it is worth hunting down a family run restaurant to discover the real taste of these islands. The local wine is good so worth have sampling a glass or two.

The walks on the app can be completed on whichever day you choose. If you decide not to walk one day then use the travel pass to explore the island by bus.

The evenings can be cooler so take an extra layer to fully enjoy your walk back to the hotel.