How to spend 5 days in Malta
Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean, which stays fairly warm all year round. I have been lucky enough to visit Malta twice, staying in St Julian’s / Sliema area both times. This blog post gives you ideas of how to spend 5 days in Malta. As the island is so small, a car is really useful for seeing the sights. The Maltese drive on the same side of the road as the UK which is very handy!
1.Visit the Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is situated on the Southern coast of Malta and is a complex of seven caves, all of which you can see on a boat tour. On the drive to the Blue Grotto, there is a gorgeous viewpoint looking down at the Blue Grotto – it’s well signposted. You can park up on the side of the road and walk down a few steps to the viewpoint. Look how stunning it is!
According to Malta Uncovered, the Blue Grotto got its name in the 1950s when a British soldier visiting the area compared it to Capri’s famous Grotta Azzura because of its amazing clear, bright blue waters.
There is a 20 minute boat trip around the seven caves which is only €8. You don’t need to book in advance as there are plenty of fishing boats available for the tours. Each boat takes 8 people so it is an intimate tour. The captain tells you a bit about each cave as you travel around on the boat.
There are a few restaurants in Wied iż-Żurrieq, right by the Blue Grotto. We dined in StepIn Bar & Restaurant as the views over the Blue Grotto were just so stunning. The menu has a variety of choices at average prices – we had the fresh tiger prawns which were delicious.
- Day trip to Gozo and Comino
A trip to Malta is not complete without visiting the island of Gozo. We have visited twice – once through a Combi Tour (Gozo and Comino) offered by Barbarossa Excursions and once taking the car on the ferry.
Visiting Comino
On the Combi Tour, our first stop was Comino. We passed some amazing caves – sadly we could not actually go in or through them but they were pretty awesome to look at!
The Blue Lagoon was pretty stunning as long as you are on the quieter side (which we were) otherwise it can seem a little touristy. I did not know that lagoon means deep and blue is from the legend that says if you drink water you turn blue! You could jump off the boat at the sides for a swim in the clear waters. Lastly, we headed to Santa Marina Bay for more swimming before heading to Gozo.
Visiting Gozo
Gozo is a small fishing village, only 9 miles by 3 miles, with a population of around 32,000 people. To reach Gozo you can (i) go on an organised tour; (ii) take a car on the ferry from ?irkewwa terminal (situated at the Northern part of Malta); or (iii) get the ferry as a foot passenger. If you are driving, you pay for the ferry on the way back (€15.70 for one car and one passenger and €4.40 for extra passengers).
If you have any time before visiting Gozo, Paradise Bay is a secluded small beach only a 5 minute drive from the terminal.
Gozo Excursion
After visiting Comino, we travelled to Gozo and started our tour after lunch. Our guide was informative and friendly giving us a good insight into the history of Gozo. There were a maximum of six people on the jeeps – five in the back and one in the front. Depending on the size of the tour, there can be 4 or 5 jeeps at one time travelling around the island.
We headed to the North West of the island via the capital Victoria and started exploring. We headed to the previous location of the Azure Window which was a 28 metre tall natural arch in Dwerja Bay. It was one of Gozo’s major tourist attractions but was destroyed by a storm in March 2017.
We also travelled to the new window that is forming where you can see Sicily on a clear day 60km away. Whilst not as impressive as the Azure Window (at least from the photos I have seen) it was still forming and is more hidden.
Our guide also took us to the natural salt pans built by Romans, which were used to preserve food. The salt (or sala) was used to pay soldiers, which is where the word salary comes from! I found that rather fascinating!
Lastly we were taken to Ghajnsielem Church which was built in 1932 with over 1800 handcrafted designs. A really impressive structure with some gorgeous mosaics outside.
An organised tour is a great way to see plenty of Gozo in a short time.
Self drive around Gozo
Driving around Gozo fairly challenging in areas with windy, bumpy, steep roads. We had to trust our instinct not to attempt some roads – our enormous car insurance excess was also on our minds!
We visited the capital Victoria to walk the citadel walls and parked in town and walked to the citadel which was around 10 minutes. There are no entrance fees to walk the walls and they only take around 20-30 minutes (and luckily are not particularly steep!).
After Victoria, we drove 15 minutes to Marsalform, a old fishing village in the North of the Island which is now a busier seaside resort (did not feel commercial to us though!). We eat at a beaurtiful location by the sea at Otter’s Bistro.
The calamari starter was SO fresh and delicious. We absolutely loved the Strozzapretu al manzo e parmigiano too – Grade AAA fillet of beef trimmings, pan-fried with onions, garlic and basil, tossed with rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes.
Only 5-10 minutes from Marsalforn are the salt pans which are part of the Gozitan tradition of sea salt production as I mentioned above as part of our guided tour.
From there, we tried to visit Tal Mixta Cave (around 15 minute drive) but the roads scared us! They are rather steep, bumpy and windy and we did not want to risk not getting our large deposit back on our car.
We headed back towards the ferry terminal and stopped off at Xatt L-Ahmar which was a quiet bay. The road down to the bay was still quite scary! If you are a really confident driver, then self-drive is a great option but, if not, a guided tour is definitely the best way to see the island.
- Day trip to Valletta
One of the top things to do in Malta is to visit the capital, Valletta. From Sliema / St Julian’s you can get the water taxi bus or taxi. With traffic and stops, the bus takes around 30-40 minutes. As we were only a 15 minute walk from Sliema Waterfront, we caught the water taxi. it is only €3 return taking less than 10 minutes.
The walk from Valletta harbour to the main centre is a 15 minute walk uphill. We saw a small hop on / off shuttle which was €5.
Valletta is surprisingly small so you explore it all on foot within the day. One of the nicest things to do in Valletta is to wander and weave through the streets. Some of the streets have beautiful vibrant colours and others have a faded rustic décor.
With a baroque facade, St John’s cathedral is a beautiful church in the heart of Valetta. The church was built by the Knights of St John and was complete in 1577.
Republic Square is an open piazza in the centre of the City with bars and restaurants with outdoor seating. Near there is La Pira, a rustic restaurant offering Maltese cuisine.
Upper Barrakka Gardens
A must see are the Upper Barrakka Gardens which are a 5 minute walk from the main centre. The gorgeous panoramic views overlooking the harbour are amazing! With the arches displaying the harbour and the three cities it is extremely picture worthy. There is no fee to enter.
If you fancy visiting the three cities of Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua you can get the elevator down to the harbour front from the Upper Barrakka Gardens and go on a boat trip. We didn’t have time to do this but it seemed rather reasonable value and Birgu has existed since the Middle Age.
Near the Upper Barrakka Garden is Castille Square, a large piazza featuring Auberge de Castille, which was built in 1570 as the home of the Knights of Saint John.
Lastly, the Tritons’ Fountain located just outside the City Gate of Valletta is worth a visit!
- Visit Mdina and Rabat
Mdina is Malta’s old capital city (before Valletta) and is a encased in walls with cars only allowed access with prior permission. Combine a visit with Rabat, which is situated just outside the walled Mdina. It is a 20/25 minute drive from Sliema and there is a fairly large car park in Rabat.
Rabat is charming with its small streets, rustic, faded architecture yet with bursts of colour from doors and florals.
Mdina is a great place to spend the afternoon and it is particularly peaceful without cars. There are so many narrow and windy roads to wander around – it’s a small city so it is not overwhelming to walk around.
The views of Malta are wonderful from Fontanella Tea Gardens and the city walls nearby. There are not many places to eat and drink so Fontanella is pretty popular.
- Relax and wander around St Julian’s and Sliema
Whilst there is not much culturally to see in St Julian’s and Sliema, they are both pretty harbour towns with plenty of restaurants and bars. You can watch the world go by sitting by the harbour and take advantage of some excellent happy hours which start in late afternoon.
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