Local area

Valletta (or Il-Belt) is the tiny capital of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta. The walled city was established in the 1500s on a peninsula by the Knights of St. John, a Roman Catholic order. It’s known for museums, palaces and grand churches. Baroque landmarks include St. John’s Co-Cathedral, whose opulent interior is home to the Caravaggio masterpiece "The Beheading of Saint John.”

Mdina, is a fortified city in the Northern Region of Malta, which was the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls and has a population of just under 300, it is contiguous with the town of Rabat.

More rural and greener than Malta, is known as 'the island of love and honey'. If possible, plan your trip during the week as the weekends are usually much busier. If you are not going to book an organised tour, renting a car or a scooter is the best plan. The much smaller island of Comino, lying between Malta and Gozo, is often crowded with private yachts and organised cruises filling up the bays and the tiny harbour.

These harbour cities are where the Knights of St John were based when they first arrived on the islands in 1530 until 1570. Visit the old naval bakery now housing the Maritime Museum, Fort St Angelo which the Knights made their headquarters during the Great Siege, and the Inquisitor's Palace.

The temple of Ħaġar Qim stands on a hilltop overlooking the sea and the island of Fifla. With the remarkable temple of Mnajdra found a mere 500 metres away. The surrounding landscape is typical Mediterranean garrigue and spectacular in its starkness and isolation. First excavated in 1839, the remains suggest dates between 3600 – 3200 BC, a period known as the Ġgantija phase in Maltese prehistory.

The Hypogeum is a labyrinthine complex of manmade chambers, hewn out of the limestone, some 11 metres underground. They appear to have been used both as a burial site and as a temple. Booking early is a must, if possible even prior to your arrival in Malta, as very limited numbers are allowed to visit the site each day and tours are often full. Book on heritagemalta.org