Malta is located in southern Europe and is a state consisting of the main island of Malta and four other islands in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the main island, the islands of Cozo, Comino, Cominotto and Filfla belong to the island state. The main cities are the capital Valletta, Sliema, Mdina, Mosta, Rabat, Birkirkara and Qormi.
One of the tourist highlights in Malta is the Hypogeum of Tarxien, an underground temple complex that was excavated between 1914 and 1919. Because of the ongoing decline due to the great public interest, only very small groups of visitors are admitted there, so a tour is usually booked out for weeks. Tickets are available at the archaeological museum in Valletta.
The fortress city of Valletta was built by crusaders in 1565 and is a World Heritage Site. If the weather is good, you can take a boat trip to the Blue Grotto. There are numerous beaches on the coast. The most popular are the sandy beaches of Golden Bay and Mellieha Bay. The most beautiful sandy beach, Ramla Bay, is located on the neighboring island of Gozo.
In addition to Maltese, the national language in Malta is English. That is why language trips to Malta are an interesting alternative to learning English in the comparatively cool and humid Great Britain.
Malta is known as a holiday region and is well visited. It is the climate and nature in particular that attract numerous guests to Malta. Visit handbagpicks for Malta Tour Plan. The landscapes are mostly rocky. The main island, which is also the most visited region in the country, consists of limestone rock up to 260 meters high, which rises up as a mountain range. The south and the southwest are less recommended for bathers, unless they want to jump into the sea or climb. Because the steeply sloping coastal regions in this area are really not for people who prefer the shallow sea for swimming. In addition, this region of Malta is not developed for tourism and is poorly accessible. But if you would like to experience romance in Malta, you should visit the picturesque bays in this region.
Malta climate
That climate in Malta is Mediterranean / subtropical. The winters are mild and rainy, the summers are hot and dry. The growing season in Malta lasts almost the whole year, with the exception of unusual cold spells in winter and prolonged drought in summer. Malta has only two seasons, which makes the country attractive to tourists, especially in the drier months. However, strong winds in spring can make it cold.
The water supply is a problem in Malta, the dry summer is the time of greatest water consumption and the winter time rainfall are often so violent that they drain into the sea instead of watering the soil. Malta is heavily dependent on underground fresh water reserves, which are promoted through a tunnel system. More than half of the drinking water in Malta is obtained from seawater desalination, which uses fossil fuels and causes environmental pollution. The average water temperature in January is 16 ° C and can rise to 26 ° C in August.
Snow is virtually unknown in Malta, with brief snowfalls in February 1895, January 1905 and January 31, 1962.
Malta – how to get there
Air: Malta is well connected to Europe and North Africa by air. The national Maltese airline is Air Malta (KM). Flights to and from Malta are temporarily on the flight schedule for Germanwings and Ryanair, among others.
Airport: all flights to and from Malta take off and land on Malta International Airport(MLA) in Luga, eight kilometers south of Valetta.
Ship: there are regular ship connections between Malta and Italy. Travelers can also travel directly from Tunis to Malta. However, there is no direct connection from Malta to Tunis.
Virtu Ferries operates fast catamaran ferries between Sicily (Catania and Pozzallo) and Malta all year round. Ma.Re.Si Shipping also operates weekly between Catania and Malta and also offers a ferry connection between Malta and Reggio di Calabria. Grimaldi Ferries operates the Salerno-Tunis-Malta-Salerno route once a week and Grandi Navi operates the Genoa-Tunis-Malta-Genoa route.
Malta – traveling in the country
Ship: the Gozo Channel Company offers regular services from six in the morning to ten in the evening Ferry connections between Cirkewwa in the north of Malta and Mgarr (Gozo). The journey time is between 45 minutes and 1:15 hours. Overnight ferries leave about every two hours. Bus route 45 runs regularly as a feeder from Valetta to Cirkewwa, bus route 25 runs between Victoria and Mgarr.
The Marsamxetto ferry service runs regularly between Valetta and Sliema. Arrival and departure points are the Beachin Sliema and the Tiq San Marku in the northwest of Valetta.
Car / rental car: due to the low rental car prices, it can make sense for visitors to Malta to rent a car. However, drivers should be aware that in Malta traffic rules are often ignored, roads are confusingly signposted and it can be difficult to find a parking space.
All major car rental companies have offices at Malta’s airport. There are also dozens of local providers. The prices depend on the season, the rental period and the size and brand of the car.
Buses in Malta and Gozo are operated by the Maltese public transport association, the Malta Public Transport Association, operated. The fares are cheap and the connections are regular. If you want to take the bus, you should have small change ready for the ticket purchase from the bus driver. Free timetables are available from the tourism organization, among others.
Malta’s largest bus station is in Valetta, directly below the fortifications. Gozo’s bus station is in Victoria, south of Triq ir-Reppublika.
Taxis are usually quite expensive in Malta.
