Just a three-hour flight from the UK, the island of Malta sees little but sunshine from April to October and offers gin-clear water, fabulous seafood, luxurious hotels and a fascinating history that belies its meagre size.
Compact and charismatic, the capital Valletta offers a lively mix of culture, cuisine and heritage, perfect for a short city break or a relaxed longer stay.
Malta’s Mediterranean warmth stretches across the seasons, from spring wildflowers and walks to vibrant summer festivals and sea-drenched days.
Michelin-starred dining, seafood markets, Maltese wines, traditional pastizzi; food here is a mix of everyday and high-end.
Gozo and Comino offer quieter alternatives to the main island, with clear water for snorkelling and the iconic 'luzzu' boats dotting their peaceful harbours.
History is part of the everyday here, from the Megalithic temples to the Three Cities and the streets of Mdina, there's no need to go far to find it.
There is much more to Malta than meets the eye. Its capital, Valletta – described by UNESCO as ‘one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world’ – is a hub of buzzing bars and design hotels. Its array of restaurants (several with Michelin stars) champion seasonal produce and the freshest of seafood.
Across the harbour from Valletta, the famous Three Cities are so beautifully preserved they feel like stepping into a 17th-century time capsule. Inland, the walled medieval capital of Mdina sits atop a crag, its picturesque streets lined with bougainvillea and romantic old palazzi. Far older still are the megalithic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, which rank among the oldest structures in the world, built more than 1,000 years before Giza’s Great Pyramid.
Then, of course, you’ve Malta’s many snorkelling and dive sites, including caves, reefs, wartime wrecks and world-renowned spots like the Blue Hole on Gozo and Comino’s Blue Lagoon, a sheltered cove with a white-sand seabed and implausibly clear water.
Clocking up over 300 days of sunshine each year, Malta is ideal for those in search of a warm-weather escape. Spring (April to June) and autumn (September and October) are ideal times to visit. A series of festas (feast days) runs almost without stopping from June to September. To catch one out of season, coincide your trip with the Feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck in Valletta on 10 February. Also worth a trip is Notte Bianca in October, a spectacular nocturnal celebration in the streets of the capital.
Bringing an unprecedented level of luxury to the Maltese Islands, the 23-suite Iniala Harbour House has been cleverly engineered from four 19th-century townhouses overlooking the Grand Harbour in Malta’s capital, Valletta. The views from its rooftop restaurant – which won a Michelin star within six months of opening – are simply unbeatable.
Standing at the city gates of Valletta, the Phoenicia is Malta’s longest established 5-star hotel, combining top-flight luxury with a standard of service that’s substantially above and beyond the norm.
This 17th-century palazzo has been daringly transformed into a high-design boutique hotel, just a five-minute walk from St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master’s Palace.