Malta Uncovered

Today you visit the wonderful 16th century city of Valletta where you enjoy a guided walking tour. Built by the Knights of St John after a huge siege by the Ottoman Turks, it was Europe’s first planned city since Roman times.

Valletta, one of the world’s strongest fortresses, is located on a magnificent natural harbour and has changed little since it was built. St. John’s cathedral is remarkable, with overwhelming decoration and colour, an intricate marble floor, a wonderful ceiling covered in gold leaf and fine paintings with the high point being Caravaggio’s masterpiece ‘The Beheading of John the Baptist’.

You will visit the Malta Experience which tells the story of this wonderful island using the latest audio-visual techniques.

We also have a visit to the Cathedral of Saint John, with entrance included.

In the afternoon you may want to visit the archaeological museum, the Grand Master’s Palace or the National War Museum at Fort St Elmo which houses the replica of the George Cross.

Valletta has a typical Mediterranean atmosphere and appearance, with quiet squares lined with restaurants and intricate wrought iron balconies adorning the tall honey-coloured houses bedecked with geraniums and given life by the constant chatter of the Maltese greeting each other in the street.

Today we head to the sleepy island of Gozo nearby and visit its capital, Victoria, known to locals as Rabat. This charming medieval town has twisting streets and alleyways with superbly preserved battlements. Rising above the surrounding countryside is the imposing Citadel, visible from most of the island. The pace of life in Rabat is very relaxed – what could be better than sipping a coffee while watching the world go by?

A drive to the coast takes us to Dwejra Bay, where dramatic coastal formations surround an inland sea and sheer cliffs plunge into deep blue waters. It’s not difficult to imagine the magnificent Azure Window that once stood here – the limestone arch sadly succumbed to a heavy storm in early 2017.

We then visit the largest and best preserved of the island’s prehistoric temple sites, Ggantija, which is even older than the pyramids and Stonehenge. Some of the stones weigh several tonnes and stand 6 metres high: legend says they were brought here around 3600 BC by a female giant!

It may be small but Gozo’s countryside with its low hills and fertile valleys creates a feeling of spaciousness, especially when the terraced fields turn into a patchwork of wildflowers and thyme.

Today, you have a free day for you to explore as you wish. Perhaps you'll spend a lazy day, relaxing by the hotel's pool or, if you're looking to get out this morning, you could take the local bus to Mellieha Beach, a popular sandy beach nestled in a sheltered bay. It's great for swimming or snorkelling as the water is crystal clear and comfortably shallow. Behind it is a sleepy old town with many churches, restaurants and shops to explore – not to mention great coastal views.
There's also a bus to the bustling town of St Julian's where you can take in the sea views while strolling along the waterfront promenade, shop in its contemporary centre or dine in one of many fantastic restaurants. 

This morning, we take a short drive to Rabat and walk through the beautiful medieval streets to St Paul’s Catacombs, the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta. The site comprises a maze of early-Christian burial chambers dating from the 4th century, complete with over a thousand tombs.

From here, you can travel through an underground passage to St Paul’s Grotto, where the apostle was believed to have stayed after he was shipwrecked in Malta. Nearby are the Roman catacombs, a labyrinth of 3rd-century AD subterranean tombs. Beneath these lie the impressive World War II shelters, which provided a safe haven for refugees and the people of Rabat during air raids.

Next, we head to nearby Mdina, the jewel in the crown of the entire island, perched on a hill surrounded by huge walls.

There’s time for lunch before we visit the Church of Mosta, with the third largest dome in the world, amazingly decorated, but principally famous as the unfortunate recipient of a direct hit by a bomb during Mass. Fortunately it failed to explode, establishing the legend of a miracle.

Ease into the morning your way – perhaps with a coffee in a neighbourhood café, watching the day unfold around you before we set out for something rather special.

While Malta’s wines may not be as widely recognised as those of its Mediterranean neighbours, the island boasts a rich winemaking heritage dating back over 2,000 years to the Phoenicians. Today, that tradition is quietly finding its voice again – and it’s well worth listening to. Just beneath the honey-coloured walls of Mdina,, the island’s historic capital, we visit a much-loved local estate with a story of its own. Set on the site of a former wartime airfield, its vineyards stretch out towards the horizon, anchored by a striking limestone winery and an old watchtower that adds a subtle sense of history to this memorable setting. After a guided tour around the cellars, we’ll settle in to taste three of their wines – a fitting introduction to this lesser-known side of Malta.

We visit the prehistoric, megalithic temples of Hagar Qim, a UNESCO-listed site on a hilltop overlooking the sea. One of the chambers has an elliptical hole, hewn out to align with the sunrise of the summer solstice, so the rays pass through and illuminate a stone slab within the chamber!

We stop for lunch at the pretty, waterside village of Marsaxlokk. For centuries, fishermen have landed their catches and repaired nets on its picturesque quayside, which remains little changed over the years. It’s an ideal spot to relax in today, as it’s lined with cafés and restaurants. Later we visit Vittoriosa and have a short walking tour of the old, fortified city, named to commemorate the Great Siege victory of 1565.