Date of trip: September 14-18, 2022
We decided on Malta for our 2nd anniversary trip and our experience did not disappoint!
Malta is an archipelago with three inhabited islands, Malta Island, Comino Island and Gozo Island. We based our stay in the old city in Valletta which is the capital. We explored Malta by foot and uber, took a ferry to Gozo and rented quads, and did a sailing trip around Comino Island.
We found that four days were enough to see the main sights, but we both agreed that an extra day would have been nice to relax and enjoy the beaches more. Staying in Valletta was super convenient, and we didn’t feel the need for a car at all. I’d definitely recommend visiting Gozo—whether for a day trip or even spending a night there. Our sailing adventure to Comino was an absolute highlight and surprisingly affordable for an all-day private experience.
Malta Island:
🔹Some basics: we flew from Paris to Malta International Airport. No visa required for us as US citizens. We opted to avoid a car rental so that Steve could relax. Plus I had read that parking was difficult and we planned to enjoy Maltese wine. Uber was easy and convenient. We used it a lot (including when I got hot on one of our hikes along the coast). We used cash in euro as currency. Most everyone spoke English and other than a few Maltese pleasantries, we didn’t know the language and got along just fine. Groceries and restaurants were very affordable compared to where we live, even in the most touristy places. My favorite spot for groceries was right across from our hotel, The Is-Suq Tal-Belt Food Market. It was a beautifully renovated food court with great restaurant food but also a grocery store downstairs where we stocked up daily. People on reviews complained about prices but we found them very reasonable (and they even gave us free items for buying so much!!!).
🔹Accommodation: We used a credit from Trip Masters to book this trip and used their default hotel which was The Gomerino Hotel. It was perfectly located in the old city and had a rooftop pool and amazing spa! We got very inexpensive massages and were surprised at the luxurious grotto and high end spa facilities. The room itself was cozy, comfortable, great shower and balcony.
https://www.thegomerinohotel.com/en/home.htm
🔹On our actual anniversary, I booked a private sailing trip around Comino. We had a captain and the entire boat to ourselves including two cabins. The captain was wonderful and even taught us how to sail. I booked this last minute in the airport on the way from Paris!
Here is the company. I highly recommend them as they were professional, punctual and allowed for some extra bonuses! I think the total cost before tipping the captain was, 550 euro.
https://outdoorexplorersmalta.com
We were gone all day, exploring by sea. Our captain took us to all the beautiful spots around Comino and we even docked and ordered lunch by boat.
Our captain let us paddle board and snorkel as well which was definitely a highlight.
🔹 Valletta, Malta’s capital, is a tiny but charming city packed with history, stunning architecture, and sea views. It’s super walkable, with cute cafes, impressive churches, and plenty of spots to soak up the different influences including North African, Ottoman and Italian.
Jurassic Park was recently filmed there.
🔹 Mdina, known as the “Silent City,” is a beautifully preserved medieval town with narrow, winding streets and incredible views from its ancient walls. It’s the perfect spot to wander, check out St. Paul’s Cathedral. We took a 20 minute uber here from Valletta. There were also tours but we wanted more flexibility.
🔹From Mdina, we walked 15 minutes to Rabat which is translated as “suburb.” We toured the old town, stopped into a cafe for a delicious and casual lunch then went to the catacombs.
— St. Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat were really interesting. The cost was only 6 euro and we were able to independently tour the ancient underground burial sites with winding tunnels and chambers. I’ve included the link for more information below.
https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/st-pauls-catacombs/
🔹Hikes and Activities
— Popeye Village, located in Anchor Bay near Mellieħa, is a colorful seaside attraction originally built as the set for the 1980 Popeye movie. Now it’s like an amusement park but we arrived too late to play unfortunately.
—Near Popeye Village, we walked to Majjistral History and Nature Park/Anchor Bay viewpoint for some scenic views.
—Our plan was to walk a trail along the coast to the beaches, but it was really hot so we just took an uber to Golden bay and Ghajn Tuffiha Beach for sunset.
—Singita Miracle Beach Restaurant offered a nice place for dinner and Maltese wine before heading back to Valletta.
Gozo Island:
Gozo Island is Malta’s quieter, greener island known for its rugged coastline, charming villages and nature.
🔹Fast Ferry: We opted for the Gozo Highspeed Ferry which took only 45 minutes. The ports were both straightforward and easy to navigate. The fare was surprisingly only 7.50 euro each!
🔹ATV rentals: We rented from Gozo Rides ATV which I’ve linked below. They were so helpful and made our trip to Gozo absolutely action packed. We toured independently but thanks to the employee who picked us up from the port, we hit all the best sites (including a sunset hike not even on the map!!). I’ve linked the map and their contact info below.
Here are all the stops we hit on our full-day tour:
🔹Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu
🔹 Wied il-Ghasri
🔹Xwejni Salt Pans
🔹Mixta Cave:
🔹Wied il-Mielah
🔹Dwejra:
The collapsed Azure Window ⬇️
🔹Hiking: This was one of my favorite experiences and I highly recommend adding this to your itinerary at sunset. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to do the entire hike but I’d definitely add at least the Munxar portion to your trip to Gozo.
I’ve linked the AllTrails to help with coordinates.
Munxar, Sanap Cliffs, And Xlendi Circular on AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/malta/munxar/munxar-sanap-cliffs-and-xlendi-circular?sh=sxlnu6&u=i
🔹Other Views along the drive and the port.
In summary:
Malta was the perfect romantic getaway for our anniversary, and I can’t recommend it enough! It’s definitely worth adding to your travel wish list. We found that three full days were enough to see the main sights, but we both agreed that an extra day would have been nice to relax and enjoy the beaches more. Staying in Valletta was super convenient, and we didn’t feel the need for a car at all. I’d definitely recommend visiting Gozo—whether for a day trip or even spending a night there. Our sailing adventure to Comino was an absolute highlight and surprisingly affordable for an all-day private experience.
As always, feel free to reach out with any questions—happy to help!
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