Place
Malta
Location
Malta is an archipelago in the Mediterranean Ocean about 100 km south of Italy.
Climate and Geography
The Maltese archipelago is made up of about two-dozen islands that cover 316 km², but only the largest three, Malta, Comino, and Gozo, are inhabited. The islands are remnants of an ancient land bridge between Sicily and North Africa. They are low-lying (the highest point is 253 m) and have numerous bays rimmed by cliffs and sandy beaches. Malta has no permanent lakes or rivers, although some small rivers will appear during heavy rains.
Malta’s climate is classified as Subtropical-Mediterranean. Summers in Malta are long, hot, and dry. With average highs around 30 °C, and an incredible average of 12 hours of sunshine per day in July, summers in Malta are pretty much guaranteed to be gorgeous. And they’re long too, lasting for 8 months (from April to November). With temperatures ranging from 12 – 20 °C the winters aren’t bad either, although it is windier and rainier in Malta during those months.
Description
Sometimes referred to as an ‘open-air museum’ Malta has a long and rich history. Malta is good for much more than just beach holidays. It’s home to some of the world’s oldest standing buildings and has been inhabited since the fourth millennium BC. Its unique history, climate, proximity to Europe, and reasonable (by European standards) prices for food and accommodation have made Malta a popular destination with European tourists. In recent Malta has also been billing itself as a medical tourism destination and drawing many British citizens seeking sunny destination in which to recover.
Wind, sun, and seas make Malta an ideal destination for ocean adventurers. Wakeboarding, sailing, windsurfing, and kite surfing are all popular on the islands, and with wrecks, reefs, and caves all nearby, Malta is a must-see for scuba divers. There is less to do on land than in the water, however, scenic coastal roads make for gorgeous bike rides, and Malta’s seaside cliffs are perfect for climbers of all levels.
Other Resources
- Hiking/Trekking
- Rock climbing
- Coasteering
- Cycling
- Paragliding
- Windsurfing
- Kiteboarding
- Water skiing
- Wakeboarding
- Sailing
- Scuba Diving
On a Budget?
- Accommodation on Malta does not come cheap. Some hostels have dorm beds for $30 USD per person per night, but many charge more, and campsites start at a little over $20 USD per person (site only, no tent).
More information on hostels in Malta can be found here. - Inexpensive restaurants will have breakfast for around $7-8 USD and lunch and dinner for around $11-13 USD. Of course, the supermarket is always an option.
Activities
- Malta Tourism Board
- Malta Travel Guide on WikiTravel
- Malta holidays from DirectHolidays
- Sea kayak rentals in Malta
- Malta Hikes at MaltaBulb
Have Insurance?
I like to use World Nomads. It’s not too expensive and signing up is fast and straightforward. They also have pretty good coverage for sports equipment like surf and snowboards, but it varies depending on your country of origin, so be sure double check. You can get a free quote on their website.
Photos
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Images (in order) courtesy of KNOW MALTA by Peter Grima, larrylurex, Heini Samuelsen, Twilight Tea, gnuckx, re-ality, victoriapeckham, gnuckx, and @sahxic < twitter.
Suggested Reading
Click on the images for more information
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Map
The information on this page was provided by My Destination Malta. If you want to know more about Malta they are the people to ask.
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Lived in Malta for 3 years, there’s nothing like it; much cheaper than Europe – it’s a good stop over between Europe and Africa (take a ferry from Sicily and a cheap flight to Tunisia or Eastern Europe). Some crazy spots for cliff or scubadiving.