About Malta
The Maltese Islands, among the most charming destinations in the Mediterranean, offer the traveller a unique holiday experience. Blessed with year-round sunshine and set in crystal clear waters, Malta and its sister islands of Gozo and Comino, is a fascinating setting for a truly memorable vacation.
The islands’ numerous cultural, artistic and natural treasures are there to be discovered and are all within easy reach from all locations.
With megaliths, mediaeval dungeons and Calypso’s cave, Malta isn’t just old, it’s positively mythical. The narrow cobblestone streets of the mediaeval city of Mdina, Malta’s former capital, are crowded with Norman and baroque palaces and churches. The countryside in some areas is a treasure trove of prehistoric structures, the most ancient still standing, world-wide. Malta is very good at selling its Roman past, its copper age temple builders, and the Knights of St.John, who held mastery over the island for a good number of years and built the ‘modern’ capital city of Valletta, and it has used its rich history to crank up a formidable tourism industry.
The upshot of this is that travellers can enjoy a refreshing balance of convenience and unvarnished local charm, and can get comfort for considerably less than in many comparable Mediterranean destinations.
Whether one seeks action or relaxation, tranquillity or excitement, one can find it in Malta. For lovers of music, theatre and the arts, Malta boasts an abundant calendar of cultural exhibitions and events. For the sports lover, the islands offer golf, tennis, sky-diving, horse-riding, and unlimited possibilities for water-sports - from sailing to windsurfing and the best scuba diving in the Mediterranean.
Malta is a feast for the senses: delicious local cuisine and wines, bustling open air markets; traditional fireworks extravaganzas; delicate lace and multicoloured glassware; the thrills of the casino... All of this and more!
Malta Related Websites
About Gozo
Gozo is a third the size of Malta, (9 miles by 4) but greener and more rural. Its landscape has hills and deep valleys as well as rugged cliffs, which give natural protection to the island's small harbours and inlets. Life here moves at a leisurely pace, revolving around farming and fishing.
It is an island where time seems to have stood still. There may be deluxe hotels, wonderful small restaurants serving fish caught only hours before being served at the table, and a nightlife in summer to match the very best in Malta, but it is all charmingly concealed in a magnificent and truly tranquil landscape. Gozo is where you can also get away to secluded privacy when you want to. Little wonder it has become known as an island paradise.
To get to Gozo you take a 30 minute ferry trip from Malta's northernmost tip, during which you sail past Comino with its glorious Blue Lagoon, just visible through a narrow entrance in the rocky coastline. Alternatively you can take the helicopter service from Malta International Airport, a trip which normally takes 10 to 15 minutes.
Whichever way you choose, on landing you are instantly captivated by the island's serene charm and beauty. At every turn one finds oleanders, geraniums and bougainvillea in full bloom in summer and lush crops in the fields in winter, while picturesque villages with imposing baroque parish churches and charming farmhouses, dot the countryside.
Gozo's capital is Victoria, locally known as Rabat. Victoria is very much a mixture of the old and new. It is dominated by the ancient Citadel, with its impressive bastions and narrow winding streets.
Gozo Related Websites
|
