An Average Joe’s Travel Guide to Malta
By: Raul Rene Lepșa
Tags: Adventure, Travel, Malta, Vacation, Travel Tips

I. General tips

1. (How to) Travel by bus

Although taxi & Uber are pretty reasonable, you can easily get by bus to most places. Hiring a scooter or a car can also be an option, but keep in mind they drive on the left and the streets are very narrow and crowded. Parking spaces are scarce. There are bus passes with 12 journeys for €15.

Keep in mind that in high-season if the bus is too full it won’t take any more passengers. So it’s really important to try to catch the bus close to its departing location and not to be shy to force your way to the front of the queue when boarding. This generally applies to the lines that are most used, like the ones going to Cirkewwa (Gozo) or the ones between Sliema and Valetta.

Use Google Maps. It gets you everywhere and it has a pretty accurate integration with the bus schedule. Search for bus routes that are more direct. There are usually multiple bus lines between 2 given points, but some take detours and you can end up with spending twice as much time.

2. Book accommodation in the center of the island

Book in a city with good bus connections (St. Julian’s, Sliema, Valetta). There are things to do on all sides of the island and if you’re not close enough to the center it will take a lot of time to travel back and forth, since most buses have Sliema and Valetta as starting points.

We stayed in St. Julian’s. It’s nice but a destination for party people and we I didn’t know that beforehand. It’s really nice and lively, but be aware there are tons of discos and noise on the streets until late at night and you have to find a quiet accommodation if you want to get some rest.

If I were to go again I would probably choose Sliema because it’s quieter than St Julian’s and not as expensive as Valetta. It also has very good public transport connections.

3. When to visit. Water. Sunscreen

Choosing the best time to visit Malta depends a little on what your intentions are. Usually late spring (may, beginning of June) and early autumn (September) are the best choices, because it’s way too hot in the summer and you’ll get an unpleasant feeling staying outside. If you’re planning to take a few swims and/or snorkels, I’d go with late spring / early summer. We visited in the first week of June and the water was amazing. It was hot outside especially at noon, but not too unbearable.

Always have water and sunscreen with you (especially high-season). Don’t get fooled by the 30–31 degrees, it’s easily over 40 under the sun and there isn’t much shade on the island. Keep this in mind especially when you travel to more remote locations, like caves, wild beaches and so on.

II. Things to do (for a 3–7 days stay)

1. St. Peter’s Pool & Marsaxlokk fishing village

St. Peter’s Pool

St. Peter’s Pool is hands down my favorite place to see in Malta. It’s a remote deck with soft limestone and a pool with turquoise clear water. Everybody’s cliff jumping and cheering for one another so you definitely have to jump if you decide to go. Atmosphere is relaxed and we didn’t have second thoughts about leaving stuff unattended; felt like a big community.

It’s ideal for taking a couple of baths, nice photos, and getting some tan. No more than 2–3 hours. Be there before 11 because at noon it can get crowded.

Also enjoy the walk to the pool. It’s a 2.3km walk from the bus station on a country road that seems to be in the middle of nowhere.