Malta an Idyllic island for a Break

The Maltese island in the Mediterranean, south of the Italian island of Sicily, has been a strategic location over the centuries, particularly during the 2nd World War (1940 – 45).

During the 2nd World War the island was repeatably bombed by the Italian and German Air Forces, but was defiant in its defence. It also used lots of underground caves, some naturally formed and some built deep into the ground to help the population survive. 

The hilltop town of Melleha created an underground cave, during the war, that was over 1 mile long, and was a hospital, maternity ward as well as stores for the military. Definitely worth a visit to the museum to find out more.

The capital city of Valletta is based around a couple of bays which makes it a scenic sight from the river cruises and ferries across from Sliema. It is worth a visit for the tight streets in the hilly capital with many museums, including the Archaeology Museum. The castle at the far end along with the churches are splendid examples of building that have been repaired along with existing undamaged buildings.

If you want a quieter location for your holiday break then head to the north of the island and Mellieha Bay which has the only sandy beach on the island. Don’t forget to take a short bus ride or drive up to the hilltop town of Mellieha with its excellent restaurants, splendid churches and great views down from the heights down to the bay below.

Another place worth a visit is the island of Gozo and any of the buses that go to the North of the island thru Mellieha automatically terminal at the ferry terminal at Cirkewwa.

The return ferry price is good value and takes about 30 minutes over to the port of Mgarr on the island of Gozo.

If you are using public transport on Malta then you are advised to get a Tallinja card either for 7 days of return journeys or a 12 single journey card. The later works out at 1.25 Euros a trip.

If you take the bus from the port of Mgarr to the capital town of Victoria, you can visit the old town quarter with its narrow streets with its churches and cafes. After a refreshment then head up to The Citadel, which has been heavily refurbished with EU money and is definitely worth your time for a visit.

If you want to avoid the very high temperatures in mid-summer then you are advised to either visit in April/May of October. The temperatures in October, for example, is in the comfortable mid 20s centigrade.

From the UK Jet2 have many services from all airports including airports such as Birmingham.