Things to do in  Malta

Malta’s best-known natural wonder, the Blue Grotto is a cluster of limestone sea caverns whose waters create luminous effects. Tucked into the island’s southeastern coast, the caves’ seas turn a dozen shades of turquoise when sunlight bounces off their limestone walls and central arch, making them dazzlingly photogenic. Visitors can view the caves from a cliffside observation deck or get up close to them on boat trips from the nearby fishing harbor of Wied iz-Zurrieq.

A megalithic temple complex on the island of Malta’s southern coast, Hagar Qim is one of the earliest freestanding stone buildings on Earth. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes six other Maltese megalithic temples, the complex dates back to the 4th millennium BC, and is among the best-preserved of those landmarks.

This grouping of three historic cities—Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua—look out to Valletta across the Grand Harbour. Originally enclosed by a line of fortification constructed by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century, the dockside neighborhoods were the knights’ base from 1530 until the Valletta’s founding in 1570. Today, the cities provide a scenic backdrop to the Grand Harbour.

Situated on an abandoned WW2 airfield, Ta’ Qali Crafts Village occupies a series of seemingly ramshackle Nissan huts that offer some of the best selection of authentic Maltese crafts found on Malta. It’s the place to find delicate filigree silverware, handmade lace, hand-blown glass, leather, linen and cheery painted ceramics, all created by local artisans.

Perched on eastern Valletta’s harbor walls, Upper Barrakka Gardens is one of the city’s top attractions. Created in 1661, the shaded gardens center on a fountain, statues, and colonnaded terraces that command views over Malta’s Grand Harbour.

Malta is famous for the lavish scale of its many churches (there are 25 in Valletta alone, but few live up to the grandeur of the neo-classical Mosta Dome. Its self-supporting dome measures 121 ft (37 m in diameter and is 220 ft (67 m high, with every inch of the interior covered in gilt, frescoes, and marble flooring.

Behind the misleadingly plain baroque facade of St. John's Co-Cathedral (Kon-Katidral ta' San Gwann) hides one of Europe's most spectacular churches, built by the Knights of St. John following their defeat of the Ottoman Turks in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. Today, this important religious site is one of Malta’s most visited attractions.

Originally designed in 1980 as the movie set for the Robert Altman film Popeye, starring Robin Williams, Popeye Village (also known as Sweethaven Village) has been preserved as a Popeye theme park. The popular family attraction not only lets visitors explore the purpose-built set, but hosts a range of fun and interactive activities for all ages.

Built between 3,600 and 3,200 BC, this pair of Neolithic temples are among the oldest religious structures still standing on Earth. Not much is known about their history, though the presence of animal bones, water holes, and stone hearths have led archeologists to believe that the temples may have been used for rituals or feasts.

The Knights of St. John became the toast of a grateful Europe after their triumph in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, in which they repelled Ottoman invaders. Valletta’s magnificent Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta reflects the knights’ heroic standing and the wealth lavished upon them. Construction began in 1571 on the palace to house the supreme head of the Knights of St. John.

Spread out over one starfish-shaped floor, the Malta National Aquarium is a great place to see marine species from the Mediterranean and beyond. Step inside to see hundreds of saltwater and freshwater fish species, along with reptiles and amphibians, in massive tanks designed to imitate their natural environments.

San Anton Gardens are among the most beautiful of the few public parks in Malta. They surround an ornate palazzo built by Grand Master of the Knights of St John, Antoine de Paule, as his summer residence in 1636 – it’s now the official residence of the Maltese President. The gardens were bequeathed to the public in 1882.

Stretching along Grand Harbour, below the fortified city and opposite the Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua, the beautifully restored Valletta Waterfront (Pinto Wharf) is the grand frontage of Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Right next to the cruise port, it’s the gateway to Valletta and the rest of Malta.

Situated near Valletta, the Tarxien Temples are one of Malta’s most important archaeological relics. The UNESCO-listed site consists of four remains of temple structures dating from between 3,600 and 2,500 BC, and is notable for its prehistoric art, such as carved reliefs.

A distinct landmark on the Maltese island of Gozo, the Rotunda of Xewkija was modeled after Venice’s Santa Maria della Salute and built around a too-small 17th-century church. Paid for and constructed by local parishioners, the church dedicated to St. John the Baptist was consecrated in 1978, 26 years after the the first stone was laid.