Malta: A Hidden Gem in the Mediterranean

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Malta Quick Notes:

Who should visit Malta: travelers who love the Mediterranean vibe, but want something off-the-beaten-path; adventure seekers/outdoor enthusiasts; foodies; wine lovers; movie and TV lovers; and history buffs.

Why visit Malta: English is one of the official languages, the weather is incredible most of the year (they receive approximately 200 days of sunshine), and there are activities that cater to every type of traveler.

5 Days in Malta: An Overview

Nestled in the Southern Mediterranean Sea lies a small country steeped in history, perfect for travelers who love the vibe of a Mediterranean vacation but want to avoid crowds. This small country is the archipelago of Malta. Malta originally popped up on my radar as a place to visit a few years ago and again when I saw another content creator there on a girl’s trip in Summer 2023. With my career change this year it officially made its way to my list of places to visit in 2025. Little did I know, I’d be visiting before the end of 2024, and it’d be the proverbial cherry on top of all my travels and foray into the luxury travel industry. The country was everything I expected and more, and truly the only way for my experience to be better would be to visit during the summer months when I can run around in sandals and a sun dress, eating gelato before it melts in the heat, and take advantage of all the water activities (beaches, beach clubs, boating, etc).

Upon arriving in Malta, I instantly felt like I’d be let in on an insider secret. I was met at the airport by one of our on-the-ground partners, whisked away to The Phoenicia Hotel and greeted by blue skies and Grand Harbour views from my room. The Phoenician is truly a grande dame of a hotel and sits right next to the capital of Malta, Valletta. The entire fortified city of Valletta is a UNESCO world heritage site and is filled with great restaurants, fascinating landmarks (St. John’s Co-Cathedral being one of the main attractions), and colorful building facades. I started my Malta adventure with breakfast and a tour of the stunning Iniala Harbour House and a tour of Valletta where we boarded a Dgħajsa (a traditional Maltese passenger boat similar to a Venetian gondola) for a ride around the Grand Harbour. We then watched the daily salute from the Battery, visited St. John’s Co-Cathedral, and ate a traditional Maltese lunch in a restaurant nestled inside the bastions. That evening, I attended a modern performance of the Nutcracker at Manoel Theatre, put on by the Museo Theatre Company, which was such a treat. If there’s one thing I love to do while traveling, it’s to experience a cultural performance of some sort. I ended the night with a smash burger at beefbar (located inside The Phoenicia) because I’d yet to try the infamous European restaurant chain.

The next day, I had arranged site inspections (tours) at The Phoenicia and the Corinthia Palace which took up most of my day. One of the fun (but very important!) things I get to do in my new job is to tour various hotels when I’m visiting a destination. It helps me learn more about the various brands, locations and nuances so I can better match my clients with the right hotel when they travel. That evening, I popped back into Valletta for a drink at Ginscal Mezcal & Tacos Bar and pasta at Zero Sei Trattoria. Both were great establishments, and I especially loved the pasta at Zero Sei (and the general Italian influence/options throughout Malta).

The third day in Malta was a very busy day visiting the island of Gozo. We took the ferry from the north part of the island, which only took 20 minutes, and spent the day exploring via e-jeep/buggy. We visited the Sanaf Cliffs, Dwerja Bay, the Salt Pans, Victoria (the capital) and Ggantija the megalithic temples on the island. There is so much to see and do in Gozo that it’s worth spending at least a day or two exploring the island – one day seeing some of the hot spots, the next swimming, snorkeling or sunbathing. Or if you are inclined to stay on the island, the Kempinski Hotel on the island is absolutely stunning. On the way back to my hotel from Gozo, we stopped by the Blue Lagoon on Malta and made it just in time for sunset. This is a very popular spot for boating during the warmer months, and if you can catch a sunset here, I highly recommend it!

Day four in Malta was all about getting lost in Valletta before the evening’s adventure. It was so nice to sleep in, take my camera for a stroll, and revisit some of the places we breezed past during the first day exploring. I also had a long list of food places to try and of course I barely scratched the surface – there are just too many good options! One place of note though, is Sunday in Scotland. It’s a super cute coffee shop with delicious pastries, and they have very unique chocolate bars for sale with chocolate from all over the world mixed with various ingredients. I was also on a mission to visit Stephen Cordina’s shop – he is a local perfumer – for a new candle. I love a good candle and as I was touring all the hotels, I kept noticing everything smelled so good and it turned out to be Stephen Cordina fragrances in almost all the hotel common areas. His store not only has candles, but room sprays, diffusers, soaps, lotions, bath salts and so much more.

After relaxing at the hotel for a bit that afternoon, it was time to embark on my last adventure: a quick visit to Sliema/St. Julian’s and a nighttime visit to Mdina (the old capital). Sliema and St. Julian’s is where most of the nightlife is in Malta so if you’re looking to hit the clubs, those are the places! They are a quick 15-minute drive from Valletta so super easy to get to. A lot of the larger hotel chains (Intercontinental, Westin, Marriott, etc.) have locations there as well. Mdina was so special and unlike anything I imagined. It’s the old capital of Malta, a fortified city up on the hill approximately in the middle of the island. It’s called the Silent City from when the capital moved to its current location in Valletta and Mdina became somewhat of a ghost town and now only about 250 people live there. It can get very busy with tourists during the day, so a nighttime visit allows for some breathing room and allows you to really experience the silence. A few noteworthy things in Mdina include visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral (which is the official cathedral of Malta), seeing the Mdina Gate which was featured in Game of Thrones, and visiting the Xara Palace Hotel for an incredible meal. We ate at Trattoria AD 1530 and had the best pizza, pasta and wine. And if you save room for dessert (spoiler alert: I did not), you should visit Fontanella Tea Garden, a cozy tea house famous for its handmade cakes.

I had a long travel day back to Raleigh on the 5^th morning of my trip – I was up early enough to watch the sunrise over Malta and witness golden hour as we took off over the island. It gave me a lot of time to reflect on the week and all that I had experienced and it’s safe to say, I can’t wait to return. I love being out on the water and dining outside (especially at the seaside!) in the warmer months and feel like the country has so much more to discover so I’m already plotting a trip back.

Malta FAQs:

Weather: summers (July & August) are very hot, winters are decently cold because of wind, the islands receive approximately 300 days of sunshine.
Currency: Malta is part of the European Union, so the Euro is used.
Language: Maltese is the national and official language; however, English is the official second language.
Food: Maltese food has influences from both Europe and North Africa and can be described as rustic, using locally available ingredients. Their staple fast-food (and a must try) is the pastizz which is a layered buttery pastry stuffed with ricotta or pea. They are also known for their rabbit dishes and amazing seafood can be found in Marsaxlokk.
People in Malta are very religious and there are approximately 365 churches and chapels spread across the islands. They are also very open and accepting as Malta is a very LBGTQ+ tolerant country.
Souvenirs to buy in Malta: Maltese lace, silver filigree, Mdina glass, ceramic and pottery, and prickly pear liquor.
For electricity – a three-in plug system is used like in Britain.

Who should visit Malta:

Travelers who love the Mediterranean but want something off the beaten path/without crowds – it pairs well with Sicily. It has a handful of luxury hotels in various locations depending on what the clients are looking for
Adventure seekers/outdoor enthusiasts – there’s a lot of trekking/hiking around Malta and you can also ride ATVs, scuba dive, etc.
Foodies – there are a good number of Michelin star restaurants on the island and a lot of good food options aside from Michelin star restaurants. Lots of Italian and North African influence in the cuisine.
Wine lovers – Maltese vineyards are renowned for high-quality boutique wines
History buffs – the islands have been around for 7,000 years and has had lots of occupants (Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Turks, …) and played a significant role in the development of the trade routes during ancient times. It also played a significant role for the allies during WWII
Movie and television lovers – Gladiator (1 & 2), Game of Thrones, Popeye, and a ton of other things were filmed in Malta