It’s almost time for your big summer holiday. Your sunscreen is packed, you have bagfuls of cheap holiday wear from your friendly local discount clothing retailer, and you’ve even booked your flights to Malta. It’s time to relax, unwind, and let the holiday commence.

The one thing you haven’t considered is your mankini body, which is strange because it’s been the only thing on your mind for the past few months. Since New Year you’ve been hitting the gym every evening, avoiding all things carbohydrate, and drinking water instead of lager. Isn’t the thought of returning to East Midland airport with a paunch pretty depressing?

 Visiting a beautiful island like Malta doesn’t have to mean lazing on the beach all day, eating your weight in cheese. In fact you can see a lot more of Malta (or any other holiday destination) simply by donning your running shoes in the early morning and setting out to discover what’s up.

Coastal Runs

Of course, if you’re visiting Malta in a tourist capacity it’s likely that you’ll be staying near the coast. Even the amateur runner knows that the coast provides the best conditions, due to the breeze coming in off the sea: even in the early morning temperatures can soar quite quickly. One very pleasant route you can take is from St Julian’s to Valletta, along the promenade, and back. This 15 mile route winds through the coastal towns of Sliema, Gzira, and Pieta, before coming back into St Julian’s.

Then there’s the general joy of running along the beach, dipping into the surf every now and then to let your feet cool off. Again it’s best to do this first thing in the morning, as the last thing you want to do is annoy tourists who are trying to sunbathe.

Remember to take a map with you: getting lost in a new country is no fun, especially when you’re in your running gear and the sun is becoming dangerously high in the sky. Also bear in mind that local shops will close between 12 and 2pm to allow for siestas: if you find yourself gasping for a drink at this point, you’re out of luck.

Trail Runs

Heading inland a little, you’ll find lovely rural scenery as most of Malta is made up of farmland

Malta is a pretty small island: 17 miles from end to end, so you’re never too far from an excellent trail. Depending on your level of experience, you could even run from one coast to the other in the space of a morning.

For long distance routes, it’s a good idea to start at Mdina: in the center of the island there are many routes branching out from there. Generally speaking, if you’re looking for a way into the interior, search for a farmer’s road from the village square and run up there. You’ll soon find yourself away from the hustle and bustle and enjoying the wind in your hair.

Malta Marathon

They say that once you complete a race, you should book into your next one. Why bother with the marathon in your own city when you could head to Malta? It may not be the best time for a family or romantic holiday, but if you’re really into your island running this could be the next step for you. Just be sure to stay away from the potent island wine the night before: the night after, anything goes (you’ll have earned it).

This is a guest post from James C, an online media specialist and avid runner.

Lead image by TomRaven

The post Runner’s Guide to Malta appeared first on XpatMatt.

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

Map

View Larger 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.

The post Malta Adventure Travel Guide appeared first on XpatMatt.