Is Malta Worth Visiting?

TLDR: In this guide, we answer the question: “Is Malta worth visiting?” and provide you with a clearer answer than just ‘yes’. After all, if you’re a family with young kids, your needs are going to be a whole lot different than if you’re looking for a romantic weekend getaway, or you’re a solo traveller looking to make friends.

But if you do want a quick answer 😉

Jump to: For Families | For Party Animals | For Couples | For Solo Travellers | For Retirees

Too busy to read? Listen to summary

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The Quick Yes – Malta is marvellous

Being an island group in the middle of the warm Mediterranean sea, with amongst the best annual sunshine exposure you’re going to get in Europe, sunseekers will definitely appreciate Malta. The water is great for snorkelling and scuba diving, so PADI fans will appreciate it, as will anyone who likes a bit of history on their trips.

The Quick No – Malta is meh

While there are some family activities to take in, such as Playmobil Funpark, a waterpark and the standard spots like Aquariums, it doesn’t compare for kids as somewhere like Antalya or another all inclusive resort haven such as Corfu.

Lots of blogs will tell you about the lovely beaches in Malta, but over half of them are rocky and the sandy ones are pretty small. Out of peak months, these can be a little quieter, but in the holiday periods, you aren’t going to be able to guarantee much space. Part of the reason why Malta has such a rich vein of military history is because of the absence of beaches and the deep water port ability of the island; making it naval vessel friendly. So, if you want beaches in the Med, Malta isn’t so good for that.

Still, if beaches are a nice afterthought, and your kids prefer exploring historic ruins, then Malta can still be a great place to visit to make a break from the normal family vacation spots.

Common complaints

• Getting around: As tourism grows, so does the traffic. This does make it a bit congested at times, and is a frustration for locals certainly. Plan it into your schedules – traffic jams. If you don’t like walking and a stickler for time keeping, Malta is probably not for you.
• Not much beach action: Beaches are not all sandy, and they aren’t massive. If you love the beach, you may end up crowded on them and a little underwhelmed. If you’ve ever sat on a beach in Croatia, you’ll know what I mean.
• Not so suitable for longer trips: Unless you’re all about slow travel and are planning on joining some local clubs and getting to know people, you may find that for some traveller types – namely families, 4-5 days is adequate. Any longer, like a two week trip and you’re probably going to be looking forward to heading home.
  
  For party animals in peak season with the festivals ongoing, you’re probably never going to want to head home.
• The heat in the day: You’re close to North Africa. You’re in Southern Europe. And the world is getting hotter, with more people on the island, more buildings to absorb the heat and they are pretty much all white. Yes, it gets hot.
• Cranes: With so much development ongoing, you do unfortunately find pockets of the island with cranes littering the skylines.

Just to add a little more to this. If you’ve ever walked around London you will know how confusing the roads can get compared to a grid system city like NYC. This is the difference between Roman planning vs more modern planning. Malta suffers from this, and at times it doesn’t have the infrastructure to make getting around the island as convenient as more developed destinations.

That’s part of the charm too, but a rapidly developing patch of land with a less than suitable canvas to start with, can make it a little frustrating for some visitors who may struggle with accessibility. Namely disabled visitors, parents with young kids, and older guests.

Top reasons to visit Malta

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For everyone there are those general reasons to make visiting Malta worthwhile. Of course you have great weather, pretty things to look at, whether its a lagoon, a coastal bay, a harbour with shiny white boats or a massive range of historical buildings; and you also have prices that are not as offensive as somewhere like Hvar in Croatia, or Ibiza, Spain. It’s a fairly well price balanced.

But for every traveller type, there are different things that make a trip worthwhile to them. So, I’ve pulled on my own experiences visiting Malta, and two good friends of mine from the country, to help me identify why Malta may be worth visiting for your needs. Here goes…

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For Families

Whether you have young ones or tweens, these are the spots recommended by locals that make Malta worth visiting for families.

#1 Upper Barrakka Gardens of Valletta

For a great picnic spot Valletta is home to the public gardens of Upper Barrakka. With its panoramic views overlooking the Grand Harbour, visitors are blessed with a view of the great naval port of this UNESCO World Heritage city.

Why it’s worth visiting? It’s free, it’s clean and it’s family friendly. It makes for a great photo opp and is a good place to get some cooler air under some shade during the peak summer hours of 11-4.

Alternative choice? If you’re in Mdina, you can also consider Fontanella Tea Garden. This is a famous local gem, a cafe with its own lovely views, and is famous for amazing cakes.

#2 The caves of Għar Dalam

Being an island with some of the oldest monuments in the Levant, such as Megalithic structures, tells historians that these have been well trodden lands. However prior to the existence of humans, the archipelago was connected to Sicily by a submarine (underwater) plateau. Like a bridge.

This meant a variety of now extinct species lived on the islands. From dwarf elephants to hippos and a whole lot more. The caves have been a rich hunting ground for fossils and even (allegedly) Neanderthal teeth. Although this is debated somewhat.

Still, caves are cool and the experience is quite compact and manageable for kids with a short attention span. Which as a father of a 7 year old, I’m aware that their interest in even the coolest experience wanes as soon as they see someone else with an ice cream or another team’s football shirt.

Don’t expect the most extensive visual experience, or modern for that matter, but you do have skeletons of pre-historic animals, loads of bones, and a popular cave pool jumping spot. It doesn’t cost a lot, last time I checked you’re looking at about £10 for a parent and child and if you’re creative, you can make a child very excited by a short walk through an underground cave, with a few white lies 😉

Why it’s worth visiting? It makes you feel that that request to have your child out of school for a day or two for a family holiday wasn’t totally in vain. Kids love fossils, so do Dads. Mums love kids not pestering them for a moment or two.

Alternative choice? If you fancy something a bit more child focused, then head North to the National Aquarium up in Qawra which is a couple of miles east of Mellieha. It’s a bit more touristy, and they have sharks.

#3 Beaches of Mellieha

Mellieha Bay also known as Ghadira Bay is home to a bit more of a touristy vibe. It also has some of Malta’s better beaches. Firstly because they are sandy and secondly they’re a little larger with shallow waters. This means you’ve got safety covered, and space.

Probably because of the better beaches is why the tourism offer has expanded over here. My first trip to Malta was a stay up in the North here. In Qawra which is close by. We stayed at the Dolman Hotel which is now a Doubletree, I remember the entertainment facilities for kids weren’t much more than a big reception area to knee slide around in, a nice pool and locals singing American 1960-80s classics.

These days there are hotels with a lot more on offer, including waterslides and kids clubs. So I definitely missed out. But as an aside, if you’re here with kids, look for places to stay in and around Mellieha.

Why it’s worth visiting? Beaches need no explanation from me. With a beach bay that has a great kid friendly aquarium nearby and 4-5 waterslide parks, including Bugibba and Splash & Fun Waterparks respectively. The beach bay of Mellieha easily makes Malta worth visiting for families with kids.

Alternative choice? If beaches are what you are after, Għajn Tuffieħa is another bay of sandy shoreline to think about. It’s not as easy to get to if you’re booked into Valetta but very close to the West of Mellieha. It’s pretty, quiet and feels very laid back. It’s a picnic on the beach shout.

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For Party Animals

You’re looking for somewhere to have fun in Europe, and you’ve seen some cheap flights to Malta. So, is it worth visiting? This is what might keep you engaged.

#1 Paceville & St Julian’s

Would it even be Europe if there wasn’t a drinking strip? Well, fear not, Malta has its own clutch of drinking spots and harbour view bars in Paceville a drinking zone just north of St Julian’s Bay. There’s a ton of bars and clubs, including popular nightclubs such as TRUTH and the Playground.

Why it’s worth visiting? Paceville is the main spot for party animals visiting Malta and where you will find a lot of the big music festivals hosting club nights and day parties.

A little south of St Julian’s Bay and you also have Sliema, which is a short water taxi of 10 minutes away from Valetta and is both good for a party and has some nice local historical spots too. It has a sense of the Adriatic about it, in that the area isn’t spoiled with modern development that cheapens the experience.

For a personal favourite bar, check out ‘Brew’ if you like microbreweries and a massive range of boutique beers mixed with great food. For the best day party, you can’t go wrong with Toy Room. The best ranked club on the island though are the two listed already, Truth and Playground. That being said, great clubs often have terrible review scores where disgruntled wannabe patrons don’t get in and then write some comical verbal diarrhea about the place.

Alternative choice? Try Qawra in the North – it’s a bit more laid back but isn’t without a good selection of bars. Cafe Del Mar is probably the big winner up here, particularly for sunset drinks. But don’t expect the same level of carnage.

#2 Isle of MTV Music Festival

From the Isle of MTV Music Festival, to Elrow Island and Defected Malta; there is a lot of top end music talent that descends onto the island each year. The dance music scene has really picked up, particularly where promoters are conscious of over tourism in some parts of Europe and overpricing in others. It’s also a way for those production labels to add a bit more revenue to their business too.

But, in doing that, it has put Malta on the dance festival map.

Isle of MTV is amongst the biggest of the annual music events, it is 1 week long and happens around July every year.

Why it’s worth visiting? It attracts thousands of similarly minded party animals, it comes with a lot of after parties and events each night of the week and it’s free. Yes, free. It’s actually Europe’s biggest free music festival.

Worth it right?

Alternative choice? Elrow Island in August and Defected Malta is in October. If you’re missing Ibiza after the annual closing party of DC10 this summer, you could always grab a cheap flight over to Malta for a bit more Ibiza style music in October. If you are visiting the White Isle too, check out my guide on where to stay in Ibiza.

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For Couples

Weekend break or short trip to somewhere new that feels like you’ve made an effort to be a little more adventurous than just sit beside the same pool at the same hotel in the same resort as others do every year. Let’s not fall into that trap hey?

#1 Valetta is lovely

If you’re like me, one of the things I loved to do most with a partner is just bimble around and explore rabbit warren style side streets and boutique places to eat and drink. Valetta has this in spades, as well bars on the waterfront, historical buildings, great restaurants, beaches and very picnic-able gardens.

For a couple of days as a couple, Valetta is a lovely place to visit and offers a new vista in Europe you may not have done before.

Why it’s worth visiting? Being the capital it’s well connected to all services and other parts of the island. It is a mini-Malta. So if you want to do a bit of everything without traipsing around the whole island during very warm times of the year, Valetta meets that need. Beaches, bars and the best nightlife.

Often people bypass paying attention to the capital as they are in the resorts of Mellieha or off on excursions, but there’s a lot to do here and it’s just a nice safe city for couples to enjoy without feeling uncomfortable or caught in the middle of it all.

Alternative choice? As well as Mdina, you can consider Vittoriosa (Birgu). Which is a historic smaller town on the island. Great for strolling along the promenade, grabbing a coffee and just getting away from the main busier enclaves.

#2 Blue Lagoons

Just the words ‘Blue Lagoon’ sounds pretty romantic right? Connected by a short boat ride from Malta is Comino one of the smaller populated islands in the group, and it’s here where you will find swimmable lagoons and turquoise waters.

I don’t know if Turquoise means clean, but it does look nice on the eye. It also makes for a really memorable experience that is highly couple friendly.

Why it’s worth visiting? Snorkelling, a tiny island, a little boat trip, the word lagoon and it’s the bluest waters you will see for a long time. When I did this boat trip it was horrific weather and the ferry’s alarm was sounding. But if you are going in the summer, when the waters are calm and on a little boat tailormade for this trip, it’s going to be a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.

My Tip: Arrange for later in the day so you’re in the water after 4pm. It makes it less heat intense and it gets you in the water for sunset.

Alternative choice? Instead of heading off to Comino, you could venture over to Gozo for a bit of a hike, see some new buildings, grab a bite to eat, before snorkeling in the Blue Hole. This can get busy during peak months, but does look cool and if done as part of a whole day, it’s a real box ticker.

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For Solo Travellers

Barring the obvious solo travel hacks such as bar crawls on Paceville and staying in hostels to make a trip more fun, there are plenty of other reasons to enjoy Malta as a solo travellers. The kind of solo traveller who is going to appreciate Malta is someone who enjoys learning a little bit too. It’s a place littered with historical interest and if you’re travelling by yourself, having something to do which doesn’t require other people makes a visit much more enjoyable.

If you’re a sociable solo traveller and fancy something to read next, try this: How to make friends while solo travelling.

#1 PADI promotes it

If you’ve got your PADI license for scuba or just fancy some interesting snorkel spots, there’s a pretty solid infrastructure for it all across the Maltese islands. From the Blue Hole in Gozo, the Blue Lagoon in Comino, reefs, wartime maritime wrecks and more, there are a lot of organised groups that you can hop on as a solo traveller in Malta and not feel out on your own.

Why it’s worth visiting? Pre-arranged tours/dives are some of the best ways to get some social engagement locked in, while doing something you enjoy. Some of the better scuba focused trips will be over in Gozo, St Paul’s Bay and Cirkewwa. Cirkewwa is probably the most in demand spot. There’s two maritime wrecks, a reef and a very high quality PADI dive school over there. It’s a bit of a hub over on the west of Malta. But you’ve got a ton of choice and where you’ve got deep water harbours and underwater cave formations, it’s just a fantastic mix of everything for scuba fans.

One of the best in the Med.

PADI has a list of dive course/trips etc, on their own site here

Alternative Choice? If scuba is not your strength but you want to step into the water with other people, you can do a lot worse than my last trip which had me jump on a cruise around Comino on a cat. The catamaran has an open bar and where the nature of the trip was clearly about having a bit of a drink as well as the lagoon swimming, you can’t help but meet people. Instagram follower count +4

Personal recommendation: Blue Lagoon Catamaran Cruise with Lunch and Open Bar

#2 Exploration = Exercise

Dingli Cliffs is a lovely coastal walk and not too tough, while Għar Ħasan Cave is a bit more of challenge. Both offer hikes that bring you in front of amazing views, with a real range of effort required. And that goes for much of the island group. There are some fantastic walks that traverse a lot of the available land quite quickly. In some cases, walking (if you can handle the heat) is the best form of transport here – it’s cheap to do (free) and it’s also a way to keep off the inevitable travel weight you put on.

Three great reasons to love hiking in Malta.

If you’re on your own and don’t have to worry about kids, then you really can set your own schedule.

As someone who travels on their own a lot, you do a lot of walking.

Well, I do anyway. It’s a great way to see a lot of sites, do some exercise, be flexible as to your daily plans and listen to a podcast.

Sometimes, I rawdog it and listen to the sounds of the wild, but I do love me a walk with a soundtrack.

Why it’s worth visiting? Not every solo traveller is disgruntled their mates at home can’t come. Some of us do like our own company, and so hiking is understandably popular amongst many of us.

If I told you I know a hike or two, that includes getting a tan, seeing rugged clifflines and caves, turquoise Mediterranean waters, swim spots, old fortified towns, cute shops and ends up with a Kennies and a Pastizzi; you’d probably not entirely understand what some of those things are and also wonder how you could do that all in a day.

That’s the possibility of a compact Mediterranean island called Malta. You can see a lot in one good hike.

Personal tip: Go to Is-Serkin Bar in Rabat for the local’s favourite place to get Pastizzi. It’s a traditional Maltese croissant like savoury pastry, made with a range of different fillings. They are cheap and yummy. Don’t eat too many. Or do, and walk back.

Alternative Choice? Prefer to explore the island off your feet? There are some great kayak tours that operate around the island. Some of them are shorter self-guided ones, and others are organised trips. I’m more of a trip person, as I like to meet people, and I think Kayaking is mint for this.

Why? Well everyone is on their own in a kayak.

You’re all in the same boat….

I’m sorry that was a dreadful pun.

A quick search on somewhere like Getyourguide.com will spin up a load of ideas, we booked onto this one and the reviews say it all: Kayak tour Malta

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For Mature Travellers

You’ve worked hard all your life and now you want to see some of the world you’ve lived in. Here are a few reasons to make a trip for older legs worthwhile.

#1 The Hypogeum

If you’re planning on a retirement tour of the world, you may as well book in a trip now to the Hypogeum. With limited space and an experience that is at the top of most travellers lists, it gets booked up months in advance.

Older than Stonehenge, this megalithic site is limited to 10 people at a time and showcases an ancient people that have disappeared.

What you get therefore is an intimate and mystical experience of ancient history in this subterranean burial chamber, with tours led by exceptional guides, who speak English as a first language. You are also likely to find these types of trips contain a similar age range visitor type. One note of caution. The underground chambers are not wheelchair accessible, although the top floor and visitor centre is. It’s not going to be a lot of fun if you can’t actually see inside. So, bear that in mind.

Why it’s worth visiting? Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is amongst the earliest built records of human civilisation, it’s a UNESCO landmark, predates the Pyramids of Egypt and is a lot like coming to England and not seeing Big Ben (Yes, or Stonehenge)

Alternative choice? If you can’t get into the Hypogeum, head over to Qrendi and explore the Mnajdra & Ħaġar Qim Temples. Based on the west of the island, these prehistoric temples are situated in this pretty little town with some lovely surrounding views. The area is slow paced and is also home to more modern history with RAF Qrendi former airbase of the Royal Air Force (UK).

#2 Lookouts with no legs

A trip to the Red Tower (St Agatha’s Tower) in Mellieha gets you some incredible views out into the sea, as you’d expect, given it is a coastal watchtower.

There are a number of good viewing spots like this which are perfect for those who don’t fancy or can’t do intensive walks.

Why it’s worth visiting? The Red Tower looks like it should have been in Game of Thrones, particularly given how much of the island group was – but it’s a 17th Century real life bastion instead.

Painted red so soldiers would recognise it coming in to shore, it looks pretty magnificent. What makes it even better is it offers great views with next to no walking involved to get to it.

Alternative choice? Marsaxlokk. This is a quiet, somewhat sleepy fishing village which comes to life with its popular Sunday market. You can explore the village and see the fishing trade in action, while sampling local foods and produce. Nice views, great seafood obviously and it just has a nice gentle pace about it. About 10km Southeast of Valetta, it’s a 30 minute bus or 15 minute car ride.

As much walking as you wish and somewhere you can enjoy, just being sat down and people watching.

So, when’s best to go to Malta?

Depending on whether you have kids or not, want to save money, or just struggle with peak sunshine, you may find the best time to visit Malta is different for each. If you’re after music events or festivals, these will come at different times of the year too, so to make it easier, here is a little guidance on each season and what it holds for visitors.

My tip: For me, I like a music event or the option of it, but I probably can’t hack the peak weather or the crowds. I sacked off Dubrovnik one year after a day because of it, and Malta can get very similar. The best time of the year I feel is Sept/October or April to May. Still sunny, not much rain, cheaper to visit, less busy but still with plenty to do.

Sources: Weather – UK’s Met Office | Accommodation Pricing – Budgetyourtrip & Statista

Summer (June to August)

It’s hot, it’s busy, it’s more expensive and it’s when a lot of the best music festivals are on. Real dilemma there!

Daytime temperatures average around 28–32 °C in June–August, with July and August being the hottest months.

For party animals who want an alternative to Ibiza, this is when you want to be here, for everyone else, you may want to hold off.

Hotel Pricing: £160/$180 per night average
Big Events: Isle of MTV – Summer Daze – Delicata Wine Festival – L’Imnarja Summer Folk Festival
Weather: Virtually 0 days of rain!

Spring (April to May)

This is the sweet spot. The weather is good, but it’s not so bad as August, and the crowds are a little lower in number. This means pricing is also a little lower too. For mature travellers and more flexible solo travellers, who don’t need marquee dance festivals on their itinerary, this time of the year could work out perfect.

With this slightly more palatable weather, you also have a more green look to the island which makes for a nice view if you’re out walking. Hot days and dusty fields can take its toll.

Hotel Pricing: £90/$110 per night average – Source: Budgetyourtrip
Big Events: Valletta Green Festival – Medieaval Mdina Festival (Both in May)
Weather: Expect average temps of around 25 degrees and a few days of rain.

Autumn (September to November)

Warm weather, less crowds with music events on still such as Defected Malta. Expect the odd storm, and a bit more rain, but for the most part it’s still very much beach weather and the humidity is a lot lower.

I personally prefer September to October.

Hotel Pricing: £75/$100/€100 per night average
Big Events: Defected Malta – Independence Day – Mdina Class Car Grand Prix – Victory Day
Weather: In September expect 28 °C average highs, while this drops to 18-21 °C in November.

Winter (December to March)

It gets a lot cooler and a lot cheaper. If you’re comparing the weather to back home in the US or UK, then it will still feel positively roasting in Malta, but at this time of the year a lot of the main tours and trips close down for the winter months and it’s not exactly beach weather.

Hotel Pricing: £50/$65 per night average
Big Events: More locally focused – religious events etc
Weather: Between 12-17 °C on average and more rainy days.

Malta compared to Ibiza, Hvar & Venice

Just to help you decide a little easier if Malta is worth visiting, I’ve made this table to help you visualise how the island group compares to other Mediterranean hotspots.

My own travel experience with Malta

I’ve visited Malta and it’s constituent islands a couple of times now, but spread across a pretty wide time gap. In fact, I first visited as an 11 year old with my mum and sister. My second visit was last month (July 2025). A lot has changed in that time span, from Malta being a sleepy historic island that almost felt third worldy, or at least second. These days it’s an affluent tax haven, with incredibly expensive property, a well established finance industry and a big winner from its EU integration. George Cross decorated Malta doesn’t really feel the same as it once did.

Back in the 90s, you’re still a very vivid living memory away from the island being a British territory, and a place that considered itself bonded by blood with British military history. That unifying force doesn’t appear to exist in the same way anymore. And while that saddens me as a Brit, it doesn’t make the island any better or worse as a destination for global visitors.

What still endures is an historic and aesthetically beautiful fusion of Moorish-Arabic, Roman, Ottoman, Levantine and Southern European touches. You could argue that it is one of the easiest ways to see a little bit of everything that has happened in this region over the past 5000+ years.

My second visit was as a solo traveller, more recently when I had a bit of time to spare between custody slots with my son. Looking for somewhere I could merge walking with actually doing something, a return flight to Malta just happened to pique my interest.

Not being a clubbing destination in the way Hvar or Ibiza is, worked for me, as I didn’t want to go somewhere and get FOMO because I didn’t have a gang of friends to hit the bars with.

Whats changed between then and now?

• The boat ride between Malta, Gozo and Comino is a little more comfortable
• Feels a bit less British inspired – understandable as it’s not British! 😆
• Growth in family focused activities
• Modern high spec development

My favourite places to stay:

Budget: Boho Hostel – 1000+ reviews and scores 10/10 on Hostelworld
Mid-range: Two Pillows Boutique Hostel (Private rooms from £35/$50 per night
Luxury: IBB Hotel Palazzo (Moorish inspired luxury hotel) | Celeb’s choice Phoenicia Malta Hotel (One of the best in the world)

And that’s why Malta is probably worth a visit

I’ve tried to answer a few more common questions I see on Reddit and across the web, about visiting Malta and what to know. I’ve popped them below. But in short, if you’re looking for somewhere new to visit, you can find a bit of everything to make a trip to Malta worthwhile.

You aren’t going to go home disappointed ultimately. As a final statement, if you’re a solo traveller, a rebound traveller, party animal and someone who can cope with the heat; it’s a good craic. Just go and see for yourself. It’s a win for couples who love a stroll, or cute little day dates kayaking etc, but it’s possibly less friendly for older visitors with impaired mobility.

That’s it. Thanks for reading.

Currency: Euro
Language: English & Maltese
Time Diff to NYC: 6 hours
Flight Times: London to Malta – 3 hrs 20 mins; Rome to Malta – 90 mins; No direct US to Malta flights.

Common Malta Travel Questions (FAQs)

For all the other common questions you’re likely to have if you’ve been wondering ‘is Malta worth visiting’, we have compiled some of the most common ones below. Caveat: This is my own take on the answers. So, while I may have different experiences from my trips to Malta, Gozo and Comino than others, it should stand you in pretty good stead for most traveller types. I do solo travel, I do have a child (7) and I’ve been on romantic breaks before. Although, I’m not retired just yet! But I am divorced – so make of that what you will about the amount of romantic breaks I went on.