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100+ Places to Visit in Malta

These are the places worth your time in Malta, from Valletta's palaces and wine bars to the Three Cities' harbour lanes, Mdina's silent streets, the Sliema seafront, the fishing harbour of Marsaxlokk and the quiet coves of Gozo. Classics sit beside hidden corners many visitors miss, so every kind of traveller finds something to love.

Places to Visit in Valletta

Panorama of Valletta
Photo: Olga Prystai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Arts and Culture

  • St John's Co-Cathedral (Valletta)
    A dazzling gilded baroque interior with two Caravaggio paintings in the oratory.
  • Grandmaster's Palace (Valletta)
    State rooms and an armoury from the days when the Knights ruled Malta.
  • Fort St Elmo and National War Museum (Valletta)
    A star shaped fort telling Malta's story from the Great Siege to the Second World War.
  • Casa Rocca Piccola (Valletta)
    A noble family palazzo still lived in, with wartime shelters beneath it.
  • Lascaris War Rooms (Valletta)
    Underground tunnels where the Allies ran the defence of Malta and planned the Sicily landings.
  • National Museum of Archaeology (Valletta)
    Prehistoric treasures from the temples, including the famous Sleeping Lady.
  • MUŻA (Valletta)
    The national community art museum in a former Knights' auberge.
  • Manoel Theatre (Valletta)
    One of Europe's oldest working theatres, lovely for an evening show.

Things to Do

Restaurants

  • Noni (Republic Street, Valletta)
    Creative modern cooking built on Maltese ingredients in an elegant townhouse.
  • Under Grain (Valletta)
    Inventive fine dining in the basement of a boutique hotel.
  • Rubino (Old Bakery Street, Valletta)
    A historic former confectioner serving traditional Maltese dishes and the famous cassata.
  • Is-Suq tal-Belt (Merchants Street, Valletta)
    A restored Victorian market hall with a food court and grocery below.

Bars and Nightlife

  • Trabuxu Wine Bar (Strait Street, Valletta)
    A cosy vaulted wine cellar with Maltese wines and cheese platters.
  • Bridge Bar (St Ursula Street, Valletta)
    Locals sit on the steps outside with drinks, and live jazz plays on summer Fridays.
  • Yard 32 (Strait Street, Valletta)
    A gin bar in a pretty courtyard on Valletta's old sailors' street.
  • Cafe Society (St John Street, Valletta)
    A tiny bar where everyone spills onto the stepped street at sunset.

Cafés

  • Caffe Cordina (Republic Street, Valletta)
    A grand historic café on Republic Square, a classic stop for coffee and Maltese pastries.

Shopping and Markets

  • Merchants Street market (Valletta)
    A daily street market for clothes, souvenirs and everyday bargains.
  • Valletta Waterfront (Floriana)
    Restored baroque warehouses on the harbour, with restaurants and cruise ship views.

Events

  • Valletta Carnival (Valletta)
    Colourful floats, costumes and dancing fill the capital in the days before Lent.
  • Notte Bianca (Valletta)
    A night in early autumn when museums, palaces and streets open late with music and art.
  • Malta International Fireworks Festival (Grand Harbour, Valletta)
    Spectacular competition fireworks light up the Grand Harbour in late spring.
  • Malta Jazz Festival (Ta' Liesse, Valletta)
    Open air jazz concerts on the harbour each summer.

Stays

  • The Phoenicia Malta (Floriana)
    A grand 1930s hotel just outside City Gate with gardens and a pool.
  • Rosselli AX Privilege (Merchants Street, Valletta)
    A boutique luxury hotel in a seventeenth century palazzo in the heart of the city.

Nature and Outdoors

Places to Visit in Sliema

Spinola bay night
Photo: This photo was taken by Anton Zelenov. Please credit this with : Photo : Anton Zelenov in the immediate vicinity of the image. If you use one of my photos, please email me (account needed) or leave me a short message on my discussion page. It would be greatly appreciated. Do not copy this image illegally by ignoring the terms of the license below, as it is not in the public domain. If you would like special permission to use, license, or purchase the image please contact me to negotiate terms., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Things to Do

  • Tower Road promenade (Sliema)
    A long seafront walk with rocky swimming platforms and views of Valletta.
  • Sliema to Valletta ferry (The Strand, Sliema)
    A ten minute crossing with the best view of Valletta's skyline.
  • Comino Blue Lagoon boat trip (The Strand, Sliema)
    Day boats leave for the turquoise lagoon between Malta and Gozo.
  • Spinola Bay (St Julian's)
    A pretty harbour of fishing boats and waterfront restaurants, lovely at night.
  • Balluta Bay (St Julian's)
    An elegant bay with an Art Nouveau building, a church and a small swimming spot.

Nature and Outdoors

  • Fond Għadir rocks (Sliema)
    Flat rock platforms where locals swim in clear water off the promenade.
  • St George's Bay (St Julian's)
    The nearest sandy beach to Sliema, small and lively in summer.
  • Għar id-Dud (Tower Road, Sliema)
    A seafront spot named after a small cave, popular for an evening swim.

Arts and Culture

  • Fort Manoel (Manoel Island, Gżira)
    A Knights' fort with a parade ground and views across Marsamxett Harbour.

Restaurants

  • Barracuda (Main Street, St Julian's)
    Seafood in an old seafront villa looking over Balluta Bay.
  • Zest (Spinola Bay, St Julian's)
    Asian and Mediterranean dishes in a restored townhouse over the bay.
  • Ta' Kris (Fawwara Lane, Sliema)
    Hearty Maltese home cooking, including rabbit and bragioli, in a former bakery.

Bars and Nightlife

  • Paceville (St Julian's)
    Malta's nightlife district, packed with clubs and bars on summer weekends.
  • Hugo's Terrace and Rooftop (St George's Bay, St Julian's)
    A rooftop bar with a pool and views over St George's Bay.
  • The Thirsty Barber (Spinola, St Julian's)
    A quirky barbershop themed cocktail bar near Spinola Bay.

Shopping and Markets

  • The Point (Tigné Point, Sliema)
    Malta's largest shopping centre, at the tip of Sliema with harbour views.

Stays

  • AX The Palace (Sliema)
    A modern hotel with a rooftop pool and views of Valletta.
  • Hotel Juliani (Spinola Bay, St Julian's)
    A boutique hotel in a restored townhouse right on Spinola Bay.
  • Hilton Malta (Portomaso, St Julian's)
    A large resort with pools, a marina and the bay a short walk away.

Places to Visit in Mdina

Victoria Malta View-from-Citadella-01
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Arts and Culture

  • St Paul's Cathedral, Mdina (Mdina)
    A baroque cathedral on the site where tradition says St Paul met the Roman governor.
  • Mdina Cathedral Museum (Mdina)
    Religious art, coins and prints by Dürer in a baroque seminary.
  • Palazzo Falson (Villegaignon Street, Mdina)
    A medieval house museum full of art, arms and curiosities.
  • St Paul's Catacombs (Rabat)
    Underground Roman and early Christian burial chambers spread over a large site.
  • St Agatha's Catacombs (Rabat)
    Catacombs with rare painted frescoes, plus a small museum above.
  • Domus Romana (Rabat)
    Fine Roman mosaic floors from a wealthy townhouse just outside Mdina.
  • St Paul's Grotto (Rabat)
    The cave where, by tradition, St Paul stayed after his shipwreck.
  • Mosta Rotunda (Mosta)
    A vast domed church where a wartime bomb pierced the roof but never exploded.

Things to Do

Cafés

  • Fontanella Tea Garden (Bastion Street, Mdina)
    Famous chocolate cake and a view across the island from the bastions.

Restaurants

  • de Mondion (Xara Palace, Mdina)
    Fine dining on a bastion terrace with island wide views.
  • Crystal Palace (Rabat)
    A legendary pastizzi bar opposite Mdina, open from early morning till late.

Stays

Nature and Outdoors

  • Dingli Cliffs (Dingli)
    High sea cliffs that are Malta's favourite sunset spot.
  • Buskett Gardens (Siġġiewi)
    A shady woodland and orange groves, rare in dry Malta.
  • San Anton Gardens (Attard)
    Formal gardens around the President's palace, free and peaceful.

Shopping and Markets

Places to Visit in Birgu

Small boat at the Senglea waterfront with Birgu in the background, Malta (PPL1-Corrected) julesvernex2
Photo: Jules Verne Times Two, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Arts and Culture

Things to Do

Nature and Outdoors

  • Cottonera Lines (Cospicua)
    Huge fortifications ringing the Three Cities, quiet for a walk.

Restaurants

  • Don Berto (Birgu Waterfront)
    Pasta and seafood on the marina with yachts and Valletta views.

Bars and Nightlife

  • Del Borgo (Birgu)
    A wine bar in old cellars in the heart of the Collacchio.

Events

  • Birgufest (Birgu)
    Streets lit by thousands of candles in October, with open museums and music.
  • Regatta on Victory Day (Grand Harbour)
    Traditional rowing boats race on 8 September as the Three Cities cheer.

Stays

  • Cugó Gran Macina (Senglea)
    A boutique hotel in a historic Knights' building on the waterfront.

Places to Visit in Marsaxlokk

Marsaxlokk Boat
Photo: Vlad beu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Shopping and Markets

Things to Do

Restaurants

  • Tartarun (Marsaxlokk)
    A favourite for fresh fish and seafood on the harbour front.

Nature and Outdoors

Arts and Culture

  • Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Temples (Qrendi)
    Prehistoric temples on the southern cliffs, aligned with the sun at the solstices.
  • Tarxien Temples (Tarxien)
    Prehistoric temples with spiral carvings in a quiet town setting.
  • Għar Dalam Cave (Birżebbuġa)
    A cave with fossils of dwarf elephants and hippos from the Ice Age.

Events

  • Village festa season (Across Malta)
    Summer weekends of fireworks, band marches and decorated streets in every parish.

Places to Visit in Gozo

West view of Ramla Bay, Gozo 20110428 1
Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Arts and Culture

  • Cittadella (Victoria)
    A fortified hilltop town with a cathedral and views over all of Gozo.
  • Ġgantija Temples (Xagħra)
    Some of the oldest freestanding buildings in the world.
  • Ta' Pinu Basilica (Għarb)
    Malta's national shrine, standing alone in the countryside.
  • Ninu's Cave (Xagħra)
    A small stalactite cave reached through a family home.

Nature and Outdoors

  • Ramla Bay (Nadur)
    A red golden sandy beach in a green valley.
  • Dwejra and the Inland Sea (San Lawrenz)
    Cliffs, Fungus Rock and a lagoon linked to the sea by a tunnel.
  • Xwejni salt pans (Marsalforn)
    Centuries old rock cut salt pans still worked in summer.
  • Wied il-Għasri (Żebbuġ)
    A narrow sea gorge with a tiny pebble cove for a quiet swim.
  • San Blas Bay (Nadur)
    A small red sand beach reached by a steep path through orchards.
  • Mġarr ix-Xini (Xewkija)
    A fjord like inlet with clear water and a watchtower.
  • Ta' Ċenċ cliffs walk (Sannat)
    A flat clifftop walk with huge sea views and cart ruts.

Things to Do

  • Xlendi Bay (Xlendi)
    A narrow bay with rock swimming and seafront restaurants.
  • Ta' Kola Windmill (Xagħra)
    A restored windmill showing old Gozitan rural life.
  • Diving at Dwejra (San Lawrenz)
    The Blue Hole and Inland Sea tunnel are among Europe's famous dives.

Restaurants

  • Ta' Rikardu (Cittadella, Victoria)
    Gozitan cheeses, ravioli and wine from the owner's own farm.
  • Ta' Frenc (Marsalforn)
    Refined dining in a farmhouse surrounded by fields.
  • Mekren's Bakery (Nadur)
    A traditional bakery famous for ftira and wood fired bread.
  • Il-Kartell (Marsalforn)
    A seafront restaurant in old boathouses, good for fish and pasta.

Shopping and Markets

Events

Stays

Bars and Nightlife

  • Gleneagles Bar (Mġarr, Gozo)
    A friendly harbour bar where fishermen and visitors share drinks.

More to Explore

We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.

  • Valletta Suites (Valletta, Valletta)
    Characterful apartments in restored townhouses inside the walls.
  • Mint (Tower Road, Sliema, Sliema)
    A bright café restaurant known for fresh salads, cakes and generous breakfasts.
  • Isle of MTV Malta (Il-Fosos Square, Floriana, Sliema)
    A free open air pop concert that draws big crowds each summer.
  • Medieval Mdina festival (Mdina, Mdina)
    A weekend of knights, markets and costumed parades in the old city.
  • Tal-Petut (Birgu, Birgu)
    A homely restaurant serving a fixed menu of Maltese family dishes.
  • Limestone Heritage (Siġġiewi, Marsaxlokk)
    A quarry turned park showing how Malta's stone was cut and used.
  • Mediterraneo Marine Park (Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Marsaxlokk)
    A marine park with sea lion and bird shows for families.
  • Ta' Ċenċ Hotel (Sannat, Gozo)
    A low stone resort near the cliffs.
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