Malta is a small country in the Mediterranean that doesn’t quite have the tourist numbers of continental Europe just yet, which makes it a much more relaxed and a cheaper place to visit. It has a beautiful coastline and despite its size, there is plenty to do. I have outlined a three day itinerary below, with details on things to do and how to get around.
Contents
Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Malta
Day 2: Comino Island and the Blue Lagoon
Day 3: Gozo
Valletta
Getting Around Malta
The public transport in Malta is fairly decent, with a relatively extensive bus network. Every bus ride costs €2.50 (apart from the airport ride which costs €3), and you can buy individual tickets on the buses by tapping your card or using Apple/ Google Pay. You can also opt to buy a travel pass if you’re going to be in Malta for a while and will be using public transport for all of your journeys. It includes some ferries too. The cheapest pass starts at €21, and you can buy them all over the country. There are kiosks everywhere, next to most big bus stops and in the airport.
From the airport to Valletta and Sliema, you can take the X2 or TD2 bus, and then change or walk to your destination. Look at Google Maps for your best option - it works very well in Malta. You can also get a Bolt or an Uber from the airport, and the price will vary from between €15 and €30 per trip (to Valletta).
View from Valletta
Where to Stay in Malta
Most people stay around Valletta. It’s more expensive to be right in the city so I’d recommend staying in Sliema and getting the ferry across. The accommodation is half the price or less, and the ferry only costs €3.80 for a return trip. If you have a public transport card, it covers the cost of the ferry. The ferry goes every half an hour during the day, and it only takes a few minutes to cross the harbour.
Airbnbs are a good option in Malta, with lots of rooms available. Hostels also provide a cheap alternative if you are travelling solo. If you have extra time in Malta, consider spending a couple of nights on Gozo too. More on that below!
Blue Lagoon
Day 1: Malta
Malta is an island with a lot to offer, all within a fairly short distance by public transport. If you only have a day on Malta itself, here are the highlights.
Explore Valletta
Malta’s capital, Valletta, is a very small city but has plenty of charm. It has nice old streets, a friendly and laid back atmosphere, and has great views of the harbours and ocean. The Upper Barrakka and Lower Barrakka Gardens both provide good views and a nice place to have a seat and take in your surroundings. Apart from those, there aren’t that many hotspots within the city itself. I recommend just walking around and getting lost in the streets. You can easily spend half a day exploring here, and there are lots of food options everywhere too.
St Peter’s Pool
About an hour and a half by bus (with a short walk included) from Valletta is St Peter’s Pool. The bus drops you in the nearby town of Marsaxlokk, and from there you walk about 20 minutes to the pool. This is a large area of rocks with a sheltered swimming area. It’s a great vibe there with lots of people hanging out, jumping off rocks, and swimming. The sun is on it in the morning, but sunset is also a great time to visit. There is a bar there selling food and drinks if you need, but it closes at 7pm. It’s completely free to enter St Peter’s Pool and the pool itself doesn’t technically have an opening or closing time, but you don’t want to be there when it’s dark!
St Peter's Pool at Sunset
Tigne Point Rocks
In Sliema, opposite Valletta, head to Tigne Point for the rocks and beach there and a great view of Valletta across the water. There is a great swimming area, rocks to jump off, and it’s relatively quiet too.
The view from Tigne Point
Day 2: Comino Island and the Blue Lagoon
For your second day in Malta, head to Comino Island (between Malta and Gozo) to visit the famous Blue Lagoon and next door Crystal Lagoon. There are several ways of getting there: either by private boat, organised tour, or public ferry. If you opt for a private boat, you’ll have to book in advance. This is obviously the most flexible but also the most expensive option.
Blue Lagoon
The public ferry leaves from the Cirkewwa port, which is about an hour’s bus ride from Valletta. It goes every hour and costs between €10 and €15 euros for a return trip. For the best experience at the Blue Lagoon, be on the first ferry at 8:30am. You’ll avoid most of the crowds which is a huge advantage because there is very limited space to sit and relax next to the lagoon, and the boat tours will start to come around 10am.
On the walk from the Blue Lagoon to the Crystal Lagoon
I decided to visit Comino on an organised tour. I booked the day before at the ferry port in Sliema at one of the multiple stalls that line the waterfront. The company I went with was Supreme Cruises, and I can’t fault it. It cost €30, and included a stop at Santa Marija Bay before heading to the Blue Lagoon. We had around an hour at Santa Marija Bay and three hours at the Blue Lagoon, which was plenty. We then sailed back at sunset. The tour had a lot of waiting around before the boat took us over to Comino, but it was well organised apart from that. You can buy food and drinks on board and rent snorkels and masks. However, I wouldn’t actually recommend renting any of that; there aren’t many fish or corals to see, and the number of people swimming in the ocean scares the remaining fish away.
Crystal Lagoon
From the Blue Lagoon, you can walk to the Crystal Lagoon in about 15 minutes. It is much smaller but also much emptier. There were only three boats in it when I went, and a handful of people swimming. The Blue Lagoon is much larger and you can swim in multiple areas, but it’s also overrun with people which does destroy the atmosphere a bit. If you are keen, I highly recommend swimming across the lagoon to the island on the other side. There will be much fewer people there, you can climb up to the top for some great views of the lagoon, and can explore the cave there. There are places at the lagoon to buy food and drinks, and there are toilets, but bring some toilet paper and hand sanitiser!
Blue Lagoon from across the water
Day 3: Gozo
Taking a day trip to Gozo is top of my recommendations for Malta. You could spend two full days there because there is so much to do, and honestly if you have longer, consider staying on this island. It is much quieter than Malta, but it is more difficult to get around using only public transport. You have to walk a little bit to get from bus stops to the hotspots. Beware that a lot of the walking you’ll do in this case is generally in full sun and along roads without places to stop for water, so be prepared. Taxis are available, so are Uber and Bolt.
It is very easy to get to Gozo from Malta. I recommend taking the high speed ferry from Valletta. It’s a really nice boat that leaves every hour and costs €15 for a return trip. If you come from Sliema, buy a ticket at the Sliema-Valletta ferry port, and your ferry ticket to Valletta will include a free shuttle to the Gozo ferry terminal. You will also get a €3 discount on the Gozo ferry ticket.
Here are some highlights for Gozo:
Tal-Mixta Cave and Ramla Bay Beach
This area of Gozo gives you some great views of the coastline. You can take a bus and then walk from the bus stop for about 25-30 minutes to the cave. It’s a very cool cave which frames Ramla Bay Beach to provide a stunning view. Ramla Bay Beach itself is one of the only sandy beaches in Malta, and as such is very busy, all of the time. If you want to head down there, you can walk from the cave on a fairly steep and unpaved path down. Alternatively, you can take a bigger loop around via the road.
Mgarr-ix Xini Beach
Mgarr-ix Xini beach is a small rocky beach on the south eastern side of Gozo. It’s in a sort of canyon or cove which makes for a cool setting. The water is very clear and there are some rocks to climb and jump off if you want to!
Mgarr-ix Xini Beach
Victoria
Victoria is the capital city of Gozo, located in the centre of the island. A lot of buses go through it, so even if you’re just passing by, it’s worth a stop for food or just to have a look around.
Marsalforn Bay
Marsalforn Bay is another rocky beach which is accessible by bus. It’s nearby Ramla Bay so it's worth checking out if you’re in the vicinity.
Coastal Walk
While I didn’t do it, there is a coastal walk that circumnavigates Gozo. The total length is 50km, so will take more than a day, but you can very easily walk sections of it if you have the time.
Mgarr-ix Xini Beach from above
Budget
My daily spending average for Malta was £60, which included food, accommodation, activities, and local transport (not flights). I ate out for every meal, which raised this average, and my tour of the Blue Lagoon also factored into it. I stayed in an Airbnb which cost £90pp for 4 nights, which was definitely one of the cheapest accommodation options. If you cook your meals and use exclusively public transport, it is possible to spend less than this per day.
Vegan Food in Malta
While Malta is famous for its seafood, I found plenty of places offering vegan options. Here are a few of my favourites:
Food For Fit (Sliema, Malta): this place has an incredible breakfast and lunch menu
Eeet Well (Malta and Gozo): this is a chain across Malta and Gozo which has a lot of healthy options
Abrazo Sliema (Sliema, Malta): a cute breakfast and lunch spot with acai bowls, juices, toasties, and much more
Yum (Valletta, Malta): this is a Philippine restaurant which had lots of veggie and vegan options
Karamelli (Victoria, Gozo): this was a great restaurant on Gozo that had lots of vegan options and big portion sizes!
I hope this provides a good guide to exploring Malta in three days. It is a beautiful country with plenty of charm. As always, please help keep the country and ocean around it clean. Leave only your footprints behind :)
Comments