Title Image

Malta, Comino, & Gozo

Transportation and Accommodations

Getting There

Malta

Malta has one main airport (MLA) located in the north east part of the island. The airport is sizable with frequent flights to mainland Europe. Malta is technically its own country, made up of 3 islands: Malta, Comino and Gozo. The main airport is on the largest island of the three, Malta. Then access Gozo and Comino by ferry from Malta’s northwest coast.

Gozo

Channel line ferry from Cirkewwa on Malta to Mgarr Harbour on Gozo (~30 minutes). Ferries run about every 45 minutes (for pedestrians and cars).

Comino

There is a regular ferry service from Cirkewwa (northern tip of Malta) or from Mgarr Harbour on Gozo. Note that the last ferry leaves Comino around 5:00 pm and it takes about 20 minutes to get to Comino from Malta.

There is also a boat shuttle from Marfa, northern part of the island, with about 30 seats onboard. During high season this runs every 30 minutes and a round trip ticket costs 10 euros. The trip takes about 20-25 minutes and on the trip back to Malta, the shuttle stops along Comino close to various caves.

Getting Around

In Malta, cars drive on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side. The drivers seemed a bit aggressive and there are many one-way streets. On the island, keep in mind when planning activities that there is a lot of traffic for what seems like no good reason around some of the larger towns and busier areas. Thus, account for extra time to get from place to place.

White Cabs

These cabs are typically sitting at cab stands in the cities or populated areas. They are more expensive than eCabs but provide the convenience of not having to wait for the ride. It was especially helpful when coming back late at night after meals or bars.

ECabs

This is Malta’s ridesharing company, but the app has some faults and does not work flawlessly. In general, it was about 20% cheaper to take Ecabs than White Cabs. However, the wait time for ECabs could be much longer than for White Cabs so it is a compromise. The app sometimes disconnects from the driver and it can be difficult to track the driver’s location.

Renting a Vehicle

This is especially helpful if you are comfortable driving on the left side of the road. There are many activities and attractions spread out across the island, where a car or vehicle gives you flexibility to access at your own pace. Without a car, you are dependent on cabs or public transportation and have to build in time to visit areas of the island where you are not staying.

Bus

There is a public system that helps you get around to different areas of the island, just need to plan for it to take longer due to the stops and traffic

Ferries

There are ferries that travel between a few of the cities on the islands as well. The following routes are available by ferry:

Valletta to/from Sliema

Comino to/from Malta

Comino to/from Gozo

Malta to/from Gozo

Accommodations

St. Julian’s

Area known for more nightlife with restaurants and beaches nearby. It is an okay area, but does not have too much to it. We stayed there mainly because it was close to the notable lively nightlife (Paceville). Stay here if you want to be near a lot of centralized busy bars.

Westin Dragonara Hotel

Marriott property located in St. Julians with a nice property. The hotel has an outdoor pool and is right along the water. Our room had an incredible balcony overlooking the water and was very spacious. The hotel was beyond beautiful and had much more than was needed, but provided a nice luxurious experience.

Valletta

The capital city with located on the South East side. It is a fortified city and has a very cool feel to it. I would stay here if I were to go back to Malta.

Sliema

Town located south of St. Julian’s on the coast and conveniently located

Things to do and see

St. Peter’s Pool

Great swimming spot located about a 10-minute drive from Marsaxlokk. It is not easily accessible other than by car so we took a taxi there and then walked down to the swimming cove. You can jump off a few different cliff spots and the water is very clear so it is easy to see where it is safe to jump in. There are also areas to the left and right of St. Peter’s Pool to swim, walk around on the rocks, observe the coastal views or just explore.

Marsaxlokk

Traditional fishing village with colorful boats called luzzus in the bay. On Sundays there is an open-air fish market selling the morning catch. It is located just 5 km from the airport

Valletta

A fortified city and the capital of Malta. It is a great area to wander around in with nice stone buildings. There are lots of restaurants and bars tucked away in the city. Be sure to also checkout the waterfront. Valletta can be accessed by ferry and provides a good view of the unique city.

Upper Barrakka Gardens

Located in Valletta, it is an area that provides a panoramic view of the Ground Harbor. From here, you can see the three little cities across the harbor

Blue Grotto

A bunch of sea caves on the southeast side of the island. You can take a boat tour (~20 min) that takes you through the caves and departs from the Zurrieq harbor. If you go earlier in the day, the sun hits the water through the caves in a way that illuminates the water color. It is also known for its view from above and is located about 2km from Zurrieq town.

Dingli Cliffs

This is the highest point in Malta and is located north of the Blue Grotto. It is a great spot to catch a sunset.

Mdina

Old capital city (“Silent City”) and has a very unique feel to it. There is not much to do here aside from wander around, but interesting area to stop through. Some Game of Thrones scenes were recorded in Mdina.

Meridiana Wine Estate

Famous winery with a 47 acre estate, which took over an old WWII airfield. It is centrally located on the island of Malta.

Sliema

Busier city but calmer than St. Julian’s. Once can take a ferry from Sliema to Valletta for nice view of Valletta

St. Julian’s

Busier city and the area with most nightlife. Aside from nightlife, the area is a bit run down and lots of construction

Three Cities

The three cities are built around the Grand Harbour.

Senglea

Smallest of the 3 cities

Cospicua

Accessible by water taxi from Valletta to Cospicua giving great views of St. Angelo fort. There is a panoramic lift located in Upper Barrakka Garden down to the pier level and take a shuttle boat over to the 3 cities.

Birgu (Vittoriosa)

Visit Fort St Angelo and wander through the nice streets. There are a lot of hole in the wall restaurants as well.

Spinola Bay

Located in St. Julian’s with a nice area to walk around and grab a bite

Promenade

Path running from St. Julian’s to Sliema

Beaches
Golden Bay

Vast beach, quite touristy as it is one of the most popular and beautiful beaches with a variety of water sport options

Mellieha Bay

Malta’s largest beach, with shallow water and wide stretch of sand

Pretty Bay

Shallow water

Ghajn Tuffieha Bay

Rock formations on the left hand side of the beach; take the stairs down to get to the beach.

Paradise Bay

Located close to the Gozo ferry, it is a nice beach but touristy

Ramla Bay

Red sand beach in Gozo

San Blas Bay

Lovely sandy cove in Gozo but can only reach it on foot

Blue Lagoon

Aquamarine colored water right off the island of Comino

Dahlet Qorrot

Beach in Gozo

Fomm ir-Rih

One of the hardest swimming spots to reach as it requires a 20 min hike down to one of the most isolated beaches in Malta

Water sports

Jet skiing, parasailing, kayaking, boat rentals/trips, and more options are available on the island

Gozo

One of the three islands, much larger than Comino, but smaller than Malta.

Getting to Gozo: It is about a 20 to 30 minute ferry from Malta and ferries should run 24/7, but are less frequent at night.

Djewra Bay

Azure Window 

Sadly, the arch of the window fell in the last few years due to wear from the ocean, but the remains can still be seen and you can swim in the natural pools here.

Fungus Rock

Inland Sea

Small almost entirely landlocked lagoon

Deep Blue Hole

Underwater hole that can be seen by divers

Ta’Cenc Cliffs

130m high cliffs with a scenic view

Marasalforn

Popular beach town

Victoria (Rabat)

The main city where the citadel is the fortified part of the city

Ramla Bay Beach

Red sand beach and the biggest sand beach on Gozo. There is also a natural cave window here where you can get a great view over Ramla Bay. Calypso’s Cave overlooks Ramla Bay Beach, but the actual cave is not accessible to the public.

Ta’Mena Estate

Visit Ta’Mena for a nice and local wine tasting

Xewejni Salt Pans

Operated by the Cini family and are still used for harvesting salt from the seas.

Xlendi

Fishing village and a good spot for a lunch break

Rent ATVS

Drive around the island and explore any of the above places

Comino

It is the smallest of the three island that make up Malta and famous for the Blue Lagoon that draws in tourists. If you choose to stay on Comino for some beach time, consider finding Santa Maria Bay which is known for being much less crowded than Blue Lagoon. Saint Mary’s Tower is also located on the island and you can climb it for a scenic view, but only if the tower flag is raised. Comino is worth visiting, but not somewhere you need a lot of time. Enjoy just exploring a bit past the Blue Lagoon and check out the beautiful views of the water and surrounding large rocks.

Getting to Comino: We took a ferry from the Cirkewwa harbor to Comino’s drop-off point in the Blue Lagoon. Note: the last ferry leaves the island at 5 pm so you want to make sure you go earlier in the day.

Blue Lagoon

Comino is home to the Blue Lagoon, known for its aquamarine colored sea. Many people venture over here to swim and spend time on boats in the area. The island is small and desolate, but filled with lots of tourists during the day in the Blue Lagoon area.

Food and Drink Recommendations

Raffael

Italian restaurant in Spinola Bay right on the water

Oia

Restaurant at a hotel in Paceville where we grabbed a quick drink at the bar

Fat Louie’s Smokehouse

BBQ food located in St. Julian’s if you are looking for something tasty and quick

La Pira Maltese Kitchen

Nice restaurant in Valletta that is tiny inside but has lots of outdoor seating

The Medina

Restaurant in Mdina with a little courtyard inside along with a neat bar in the back where we grabbed an afternoon drink

D’office Bistro

Italian restaurant in Valletta; we grabbed a bottle of wine and an appetizer here while it was still early

Kantina

Restaurant in Valletta with a large variety of options

Alchemy Cocktail Bar

Really cool mixology bar in Valletta with fun drinks and a good atmosphere (probably my favorite spot that we got drinks in Malta)

67 Kapitalli

Valletta coffee shop that serves coffee, snacks, appetizers, sandwiches, alcohol and more! It was perfect for an afternoon break.

Other Notes

Logistics

The outlets in the wall are different than the rest of mainland Europe and instead are like the UK. Be sure to pack the correct type of converter if needed.

Local Specials

Try Maltese wine produced on the island or Cisk beer which is the local beer.

Other

If you are a Game of Thrones fan, there are some famous scenes and locations that were filmed in Malta (i.e Khal Drogo and Daenerys’s wedding was at the Azure window and Mdina doubles as some King’s Landing locations).

Navigation

Transportation and Accommodations

Things to do and see

Food and Drinks

The owner of this website has made a committment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.