Malta
Mad About Magnificent Malta
Article and photography by Nicholas Kontis
The festival took me by surprise. It was nearing midnight on August 1, the first Sunday in the month, and the streets of Valetta were jam-packed with merrymakers — even more than usual in a city that knows how to party. A reveler told me this was the Festa San Duminku, the Feast of St. Dominic, a patron saint of the island nation of Malta.
Earlier in the evening, a statue of San Duminku had been paraded through the European capital, down Republic Street to St. John’s Square. Waving colorful banners, the frenzied throng paused at the 1571 Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St. Dominic to enjoy a fireworks show and rousing rock music played by a local disc jockey. (Think “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi.) It didn’t take long for me to get caught up in the spirit of the occasion.
Apparently, St. Dominic was quite a guy in his time (circa 1200). A Spanish-born friar who founded Catholicism’s Dominican order, he became the namesake of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, as well as patron saint to astronomy and the natural sciences. I thought of this as I stared beyond the smoke of fireworks into the starry Mediterranean sky.
Such is life in this ancient but oft-overlooked nation, a tiny archipelago of three islands. Located 50 miles south of Italy’s Sicily and 175 miles east of Tunisia, it bears some of the personality of both Europe and North Africa.
Ancient history
Maltese history dates back 7,000 years, and locals will tell you that it hasn’t changed much since the 17th century. Its area of 122 square miles, about the same as the District of Columbia, ranks it as the tenth smallest country on earth — yet with a population of about 545,000, it is the most densely populated nation in the European Union. Its component islands of Malta, smaller Gozo and tiny Comino, which get 300 days of sunshine a year, depend upon tourism to provide 15 percent of the economic foundation.
Through the ages, Malta has been conquered by many of Europe’s greatest civilizations, including Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Normans. Even the Knights of St. John hunkered down here after being evicted from Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire of the Turks. Beginning in 1814, 150 years of British colonial rule and near-constant contact with Italy shaped the island nation into a unique blend of cultures. The Maltese language, a cross between Italian and Arabic, is the official tongue. About 60 percent of locals can speak some degree of Italian, although English remains widely spoken. This linguistic diversity is a testament to Malta’s rich and varied history.
The island of Malta is only 17 miles long and nine miles wide, yet along with Gozo, it packs a splendid variety of things to do and see. During my brief visit, I marveled at prehistoric temples, fossil-studded cliffs, and clandestine coves, accented by a remarkably intense history.
Vibrant Valletta
I could happily have spent my full week in Valletta. The small city may be Europe’s most underrated capital. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980, it was still ignored by global travelers until 2018, when Valletta was named European Capital of Culture. Before that designation, a large stream of investment from the European Union led to the transformation of the City Gate, built by famed Italian architect Renzo Piano.
The city has an edge, a pulse. While Valletta’s limestone architecture conjures images of the Middle East, its forts, like those at Syracuse, in Sicily, could be from medieval Europe. Valletta’s outdoor cafes and high-octane energy could pass for any European city. A cultural capital filled with churches, museums, art galleries, and a world-class cuisine, it has also become a magnet for young people staying out late at its coffee shops and bars.
Here’s a rundown on what to do on a visit:
The Silent City: In the heart of Malta island lies its ancient capital, Mdina, also known as the Silent City. The fortified citadel sits on a hill, offering commanding views of the surrounding countryside. With its narrow streets, elegant palaces, and golden limestone buildings sheltering shops and restaurants, Mdina is an atmospheric masterpiece.
The Three Cities: Situated across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, the “Three Cities” — Vittoriosa (Birgu), Senglea (L-Isla) and Cospicua (Bormla) — are living relics of Malta’s deep maritime and military past. Among the oldest settlements on the islands, these ancient fortified towns played a crucial role during the rule of the Knights of St. John and throughout the four-month Great Siege of 1565, when the Maltese defenders turned back a force of Ottoman conquerors. Rolling Geeks offers a guided tour in a self-driving electric car with pre-programmed GPS. Perfect for travelers on a tight schedule, the talking car is your guide to the Maritime Museum, the Inquisitor’s Palace, the War Museum, and the National Museum of Ethnography.
Rabbit on the menu: Napolitana pizza may be ubiquitous in Naples, but the Maltese are even more rabid in their passion for rabbit. It’s called fenek and it’s the national dish: On average, Maltese eat almost seven pounds per person, per year. A great place to try it is Aaron’s Kitchen, established in 2010 by celebrity chef Aaron Degabriele. “Our culinary scene does indeed include rabbit,” the chef told me, “but it also features pasta. Our local ravioli, Ravjul Malti, is made of cheese from sheep’s milk and parsley. Pastizzi are our savory flaky puff pastry filled with ricotta cheese and curried peas. Also dear to the Maltese identity is our sourdough flatbread, ftira.”
Stroll Merchant Street: The heartbeat of Valletta runs through Merchant Street, its main thoroughfare, where you’ll find souvenir shops, restaurants, coffee and gelato cafes, along with boutique hotels. On weekends, you’ll find live music and revelry in the city’s center. During the warmer summer months, the city is alive into the early morning hours.
Malta by the sea: Masaxlokk is a picturesque fishing village located 20 minutes’ drive from Valletta. Here you’ll get an authentic glimpse into Maltese seafaring life. The colorful luzzu fishing boats — green, red and blue — draw tourists for photos. And every Sunday sees a bustling fish market: When I asked a local fisherman what time the market closed, he responded: “When the fish are gone.”
Day trips depart Masaxlokk for swim stops at St. Peter’s pool and Ghar Dalam Cave, the oldest prehistoric site in Malta. It’s close to the Blue Grotto, a natural wonder made up of six sea caves. When the sun reflects off the sea, the grotto gleams with a blue glow that illuminates its narrow, arched entranceway.
Camino: Though too crowded in the summer months for my taste, one can’t argue that the turquoise waters of the Blue Lagoon on Malta’s small third island of Camino are a Mediterranean paradise. I learned the hard way that it’s best to arrive early in the day or come for a sunset swim.
Going to Gozo
“You must go to Gozo. There is much to do there,” said John Caruana. His family owns the outstanding Avalon Boutique Hotel where I stayed in Valletta. “It’s much quieter than Malta and easy to get around.”
Gozo is Malta’s little brother, a quick and easy escape, 45 minutes by fast ferry. Many travelers consider its 5-star Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz (see page 81) to be the best hotel in the country. While the hop-on, hop-off bus is an excellent way to view more of the island, I used the Bolt (app Uber Malta) to take quick rides to a few of Gozo’s highlights.
I headed first to Victoria, the island’s sleepy capital, to explore the towering Cittadella, or Castello Gozo, a fortified medieval acropolis. In the 15th century, the citadel laid the foundation for what became the historic core of Victoria.
I explore rugged Dwejra Bay. With waves crashing upon dramatic rock formations, I marveled at the fossil remains of sea urchins compressed into disc-like skeletons, embedded into the base of the formations. There is excellent swimming and sunbathing here.
I found Ta’Pinu Shrine, one of the most religious sites in Malta, in the village of Gharb. Known for its miraculous healings, the Roman Catholic Basilica is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Ta’Pinu. To this day, the spiritual site attracts pilgrims and visitors worldwide.
No visitor should miss the Neolithic Ggantija Temples, constructed around 3500 BC, predating both Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, the gigantic stones have stood on the edge of the Xaghra plateau for over 5,600 years.
I ask my Bolt driver, Ruben, moonlighting from his job as a high-school teacher, to help me understand the interwoven complexity of Maltese culture. He answered: “We were conquered by Arabs in 870, so as blood we are closer to Arabs. But in religion, we are closer to Europe, as we are Christians, which makes us quite a complex people.”
How to get there
I traveled to Malta with Variety Cruises, my favorite small motor-yacht cruise line. Variety runs a week-long sailing from Naples with stops in Sicily, ending in Valletta, Malta. While there are numerous international flights, I jumped at the opportunity to enter Malta by sea.
