What makes this island so special? Well… It could be the history, the beaches and warm weather all year round, its warm hearted people (almost everyone) and let’s not forget the night life, discos and number of wine bars around the island. As soon as you board the plane or arrive at the airport ask the first Maltese person to highlight which are the places you must visit, if he doesn’t help you then he’s not Maltese or maybe he was busy.

There are many things you can do and visit in Malta but it won’t be easy to visit all places unless you are planning on living in Malta (not a bad idea), so we have provided a list with the places to visit, beaches and nightlife in Malta.

Things to know about Malta

Geography

Apart from Malta there are a number of smaller islands which altogether form the Maltese archipelago. The islands which compose the Maltese archipelago are Malta and Gozo which are the two main inhabited islands; Comino lies in between the main islands; and several other small islands around the coast.

The Maltese archipelago is located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea. (If you try to find it on a world Map you will only see the word Malta). The islands are about 93 Km south of Sicily (on sunny days some even claim they can see Sicily, they surely have good eyes) and about 350 Km north of Libya (never heard anybody claim he could see Libyan coast on a sunny day).

A quick look at Maltese History

In the early days of Mankind when Ryanair and Airmalta (Maltese national airline) were not available for travelling to Malta, the islands were a sought after location due to their location in the heart of the Mediterranean. The ruler of Malta had control of the Mediterranean and was an important step for moving from Europe to Africa, so it should not come as a surprise that Malta had a number of rulers.

Maltese inhabitants and rulers during the years

Prehistoric People

Although its really hard to image what the prehistoric people in Malta were like and how they lived, some insight into what they deemed important can be glimpsed from the number of megalithic temples that have stood up to time and natural elements. These structures are the oldest free-standing buildings in the world, predating the Egyptian Pyramids and England’s Stonehenge.

Below is a list of prehistoric sites we think you should visit. Unless you are planning to spend a long holiday in Malta or you’re an archaeologist you won’t visit all these temples.

Suggestion 1: Since Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples are very close to one another you could allocate a day to visit these temples and then enjoy the views and site seeing at Wied iz-Zurrieq. (You can take a boat tour to view the Blue Grotto).

Suggestion 2: When you visit Malta you must spend at least a day on the sister island, Gozo. There are a number of lovely beaches, the citadel, Dwejra, the Azure Window and much more. During the visit to Gozo you could allocate some time to visit the Ggantija temples.

Suggestion 3: If you really enjoy history, love gazing at monuments that were built over 4000 years ago and want to learn about historical Malta and its first inhabitants you could allocate a full day to visit the temples and caves in Malta.

List of Pre Historic temples and caves

• Tarxien Temples (An archaeological complex)
• Ggantija Temples in Gozo (The earliest Neolithic, megalithic temple complex)
• Hagar Qim Temples (A megalithic temple complex found on the on the southern coast)
• Mnajdra Temples (A megalithic temple complex found on the on the southern coast)
• The Hypogeum (A prehistoric underground cemetery complex)
• Ghar Dalam (The home of the first inhabitants of the area)

Knights of St John

All of the above rulers had an impact on the Maltese islands but in our opinion the greatest influencers where the Knights of St John. They were sovereigns of the island for 270 years, from 1530 to 1798 (expelled from island by Napoleon Bonaparte).

Suggestion 4: If you enjoy history and sight seeing you could allocate a full day to visit the places listed below in Valletta.

List of Places to Visit in Valletta

The capital city – Valletta was built by the Knights of St John

• National Musuem of Archeology
• National Museum of Fine Arts
• St Johns Co-Cathedral
• Grand Master’s Palace and Armoury
• Manoel theatre
• Auberge de Castille
• Upper Barracca Gardens
• Lower Barracca Gardens
• The Siege Bell Memorial
• Mediterranean Conference Centre & The Malta Experience
• Fort St. Elmo
• War Museum
• Auberge de Baviere
• Casa Rocca Piccola

To find more information, please continue browsing the site or click on PLACES TO VISIT