Malta Summary

A couple of weeks ago I took a short trip to St Julians, Malta to get away from the stress and drama of university. It was a little different to usual as I stayed in a hotel and didn’t have much time to research before I went. This lead to a lot of spontaneity and taking recommendations from people I met which turned out for the best. I wanted to summarise my itinerary and what would be helpful for visitors to know especially during winter where there are less things open.

PLACES TO VISIT:

Paceville– This is the street with all the clubs and bars. I found it was busy all the time, every evening looked like a weekend and there was always a lively atmosphere which was welcoming. At the moment due to covid, most clubs are requiring an entrance fee of between €20-€60 euro with a few drinks included depending on the day, time, and whether the bouncers like the look of you! I would say the best are Havana, Footloose and Shadow.

Sliema– This town is about 15/20 minutes on the bus from St Julians and has a lot more variety of shops, restaurants and activities. The ferry station here has regular trips to Gozo and Comino which are definitely worth visiting and costs around €15. There is a big shopping centre in Silema where full find all of the usual shopping outlets. One of my favourite European shops you won’t find in the UK is Jennyfer.

Valetta– This is Malta’s capital but is quite different from what you might expect from a city. The buildings are mostly stone and low rise which is a really beautiful change from the industrial look of most capital cities. You can get there by bus which takes about 40 minutes and costs €1.50. There are lots of independent cafes, some interesting museums and some must-see landmarks however Valetta is more expensive than the surrounding towns.

Gozo– This is an island about an hour and a half on the boat from Sliema. The main attraction is Victoria which is where you’ll find most of the shops, the St George Basilica and one nightclub. You will need to get the bus from the ferry terminal into Victoria. For the day time, the most famous beach is Ramla beach which is surrounded by fresh seafood restaurants and has a beautiful sand beach with crystal blue water.

Comino– This is the small island situated between Gozo and Malta. Here you’ll find the blue lagoon and the crystal lagoon. These are famous for the clear blue water and amazing snorkelling experiences. There is a truck just up from the lagoon which sells fresh juice using a fresh pineapple as the cup!

Tips for Malta

• Pack painkillers- In Malta you can only get painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen prescribed from the pharmacy. This also means they are very expensive at around €6 for a packet so remember to pack your own.
• Restaurants- The majority of places serve pizza, pasta or burgers so be prepared to love those things or eat in more expensive/fancy restaurants for a wider variety. My favourite place to eat was a small independent pizza place on Triq Santu Wistin just at the bottom of the stairs. 1 huge slice of pizza was €2.75 and was enough for 2 people!
• Masks- masks are still part of regulation in Malta so be careful not to get caught out without one as you can be refused entry to places.

As always if there are any other questions I can answer or you would like some more recommendations then please reach out!

Bracelet is from @elcaminobracelets on instagram