A treasure trove of historic gems, architectural masterpieces and dreamy bays, Malta certainly packs a lot into its sun drenched shores.
So if you want to make the most of your time on this Mediterranean island paradise, I suggest you go with those who can whisk you straight to the best bits. Step forward award-winning escorted tour operator Titan Travel, which creates exciting and fun-packed trips all about ‘seeing and doing’.
Its eight-day Historic Gems of Malta tour – a deep dive into the country’s past, visiting fortress cities and natural wonders, punctuated by stops for aperitivos – sounded like time well spent to me.
I joined a group of travel-loving over-50s, led by knowledgeable guide Joseph, to explore its three cities and shores. My fellow solo travellers were all in good spirits and up for an adventure. I had good vibes about this group from the word go.
The obvious starting point is Valletta, Malta’s capital, with its collection of fortifications. Built in 1552 by the Knights of St John, Fort St Elmo is known for its starring role in the Great Siege. Also there is a gold mine of artefacts, military paraphernalia and insights into Malta’s vivid past in the National War Museum.
Pride of place goes to the George Cross medal awarded to the entire population of Malta in 1942 after holding out in a famous Second World War siege. I strolled the walls with my fellow travellers and took in the panoramic views over the Grand Harbour and across the water to Fort St Angelo. The tour then continued to the Upper Barrakka Gardens with its sculptures and water features. It’s also a place where you can witness soul-stirring gun salutes.
For a more tranquil spot, the Lower Barrakka Gardens, features scenic pathways adorned with flowers, statues and fountains, as well as a Doric temple commemorating Sir Alexander Ball, the British naval captain who captured Malta from the French in 1800. One overriding impression of this fascinating island is that nowhere does opulence quite like it. In Valletta’s grid of narrow cobbled lanes, is the impressive St John’s Co-Cathedral.
Built between 1573 and 1578, its exterior is relatively plain. Inside however, its lavish baroque-style redesign completed in the 17th century will knock your socks off, along with Caravaggio’s masterpiece of John the Baptist.
Meanwhile the Mosta Rotunda in the small city of Mosta boasts the third-largest unsupported dome in the world, with an outside diameter of more than 184ft. The interior is painted blue, gold, and white, and features stucco mouldings. It also displays a replica of a Second World War bomb that crashed through the dome but miraculously did not detonate!
Dominating the narrow streets of the city of Mdina is St Paul’s Cathedral, a lavish 17th Century baroque building and one of Malta’s greatest ecclesiastical gems. Its ceiling and dome are decorated with elaborate frescos and walls adorned with paintings by great artists.
Our home for the week was the Radisson Blu in St Julian’s on the rugged north coast of the island. Its fabulous Bridge Bar, with an elevated outdoor terrace overlooking the pool and the Med, is lovely for a cool pint of Cisk Maltese lager or an Aperol spritz, and became a regular meeting place for our tour group. One night, we enjoyed the most mouthwatering dinner at Raffael Restaurant in nearby Spinola Bay.
Maltese food is heavily influenced by neighbouring Sicily and Italy, as well as North African and classic Mediterranean cuisine. The Pesce alla Maltese (swordfish cooked in a tomato, onion, celery, caper and olive sauce) paired with another Aperol Spritz overlooking the diminutive bay is the definition of living la dolce vita.
Another foodie pick is Valletta’s revamped Strait Street, a narrow side street packed with restaurants and bars. Or you can head to San Paolo Naufrago on Saint Lucia’s Street, where eating pizza and pasta on the steps is a norm. For something for the road, grab a pastizzi – the Maltese equivalent to a pasty – from the Cafe Cordina.
We also spent a day exploring Gozo, Malta’s little sister island, which boasts the hilltop walled capital of Victoria, where a maze-like citadel towers over the city. There is the wonderful baroque Gozo Cathedral with its richly–painted ceiling, as well as the Gozo Museum of Archeology displaying carvings from the Ggantija temple complex, one of the oldest stone buildings in the world.
While you’re there seek also out Gozo 360, a 30-minute audiovisual show detailing the island’s history. One of the highlights of Titan’s epic tour was the day trip which began in the fishing village Qrendi. After visiting Hagar Qim megalithic temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site, we took in one of Malta’s most eye-catching natural wonders – the Blue Grotto, a complex of six natural sea caverns where the water is a dazzling azure.
The tour also takes in the ‘silent city’ of mysterious Mdina. Encircled by the golden walls of the hilltop citadel is a tangle of shaded lanes and piazzas, monasteries and museums, some of which are hidden behind unassuming doorways.
While there’s a day-to-day agenda on the tour, free time is always factored in, so you can take each stop at your own pace and sign up for Titan’s optional excursions (the Grand Harbour Cruise or Malta War Museum). Along the way, I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my fellow Titan solo travellers who had all gone with the same goal – to enjoy the adventure of exploring new places with like-minded people. Majestic Malta is certainly a must-do island escape. And it’s even better when you’re enjoying it with some new found travel mates.
Book the holiday
– Titan Travel offers an eight-day Historic Gems of Malta solo escorted tour from £2,795pp. Includes seven nights accommodation, 10 meals, four excursions, VIP door-to-door travel service, services of a Titan tour manager and flights from Heathrow or Gatwick on October 7.
-Or based on two sharing and departing on September 17 from Gatwick starts at £1,995pp. Call Titan on 0808 2391 428 or visit titantr avel.co.uk. More info at visitmalta.com