Malta was such a dream destination to visit and I still can’t believe how magical the experience was. I’m going to be completely honest, Malta was not on my radar until my two friends from NYC decided to plan a week long trip this Fall. Naturally, when I heard that my friends were coming to Europe I immediately decided to tag along and I’m so happy that I did. Visiting Malta in October meant that the temperature was in the mid 70s and the beaches were empty of Summer tourists. It was truly the the best backdrop for hours of laughing, feminist rants and bottles of wine with friends. Nicole and Jenirae, thank you for choosing Malta, doing all of the research and planning a truly perfect vacation!
THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS
After booking my ticket to Malta I told my little brother that I would be visiting an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. He then immediately let me know that Malta is most likely the country that Atlantis was inspired by! This made my excitement for the trip sky rocket because I was always a big fan of the movie Atlantis with Milo and Kida. According to my brother, and a little internet research, historians believe that Malta and Atlantis are one in the same. Some of the most convincing evidence includes writings from Plato that describe an island in the Mediterranean sea that sunk into the ocean. This description from Plato dates to the same time that historians say Malta was hit by a major Tsunami. In addition to Plato’s witing, Malta is also home to Megalithic temples that are the oldest free standing structures in the world. Needless to say, I’m convinced and I can’t believe I went to the Lost City of Atlantis.
Amazing Airbnb
To kick off my praise of Nicole and Jenirae’s research and trip planning skills, I want to call out how amazing our first Airbnb was in Gozo. We stayed at a Farmhouse called Dar Ghax-Xemx and it was breathtaking. You can check out the Airbnb listing here. The front of the Airbnb had an electric blue door and when you walk inside it opened up to a two bedroom, two story home with a spiral staircase and private roof. I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about what the Airbnb would look like, because Nicole and Jenirae planned everything, so when we showed up to the house I was shocked by how amazing it was. Needless to say, I ran up the spiral staircase and down the outside staircase several times admiring the beautiful Farmhouse. The Airbnb location was also ideal as it was located in the main city of Victoria within the island of Gozo. We could walk from the house to all of the cafe’s, churches and shops in under 10 minutes. I don’t think we could have gotten a better location and part of me wants to go back to Malta just for the Airbnb.
RAMALA BAY
The first beach that we went to on Gozo was Ramala Bay, which is located on the North Eastern side of the island. Most beaches in Europe are rocky, which was a slight culture shock when I went to my first beach in Europe, but Ramala Bay beach has sand! The beach is actually known for it’s golden-red sand and sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. When we went we spent most of the time tanning on the beach and talking about life over limoncello cocktails. We ventured out into the crystal clear water a few times to cool off from the Maltese sun. Afterwards I rocked the towel skirt and cover up combo on our Uber ride back to the house. Truly a fashion icon.
WINE TASTING
Yet another amazing night and experience that I must thank Nicole and Jenirae for planning. For our first dinner in Gozo we went to Maldonado and had a wine tasting and dinner through Airbnb experience. If you’re interesting in booking this tour for yourself, you can find the link here. The experience included a 4 course meal and a wine tasting from 8 local wineries in Gozo. The night was curated and led by the owner of Maldonado and the food was cooked fresh by the chef in the kitchen a few feet away.
In order to enjoy the entire meal, I took my first ever Lactaid pill and decided to hope for the best. The courses started with an appetizer of Winter Melon and Prosciutto with soda bread crumbs and fennel pollen. I asked for no Prosciutto and the dish was still incredible. It was smoky and sweet at the same time. I can’t remember the last time I had Winter Melon, but this dish defiantly topped it. The wine pairings with this course were the Tal-Massar “Tanit”, the Marsovin “Blanc de Cheval” and the Marsovin “La Torre” The Tanit was a Vermentino, the Blanc de Cheval was a Chardonnay, the La Torre was a Girgentina and I was a tipsy.
After starting off with a light and refreshing appetizer we dove into Nettle Macaroni and Cheese with sprouted brassicas, cranberries and cream. This meal was 100% the reason I took the Lactaid pill and I am so grateful that it worked because this was the best pasta dish I’ve had in awhile. The wine pairing for this portion of the meal was a Meridiana “Fenict” Cabernet Savignon Rose from Malta. I am not normally a fan of Rose, but when it’s hand selected by a local chef and paired with cheese Nettle mac and cheese… I think I can survive.
The third potion of this meal was a Pan seared Lampuki with anchovy cream, glazed chicory with orange. I didn’t know what Lampuki was when we were at dinner, but I looked it up afterwards and it is just the Maltese name for dolphinfish or Mahi Mahi. Apparently, the Lampuki migrate through the Maltese water at the end of August to December an they’re popular fish to see on Maltese dinner plates this time of year. The wine pairings for our fish dish switched to red and we had a glass or two of San Niklav Estate “Dispatch” Sangiovese-Mourvedre and the Delicata “Gran Cavalier” Merlot.
Lastly, for dessert we had Boca Negra with Chantilly cream, honey, carob sugar and pistachio. We paired this Bourbon Chocolate Cake with Galley’s Liqueuer Wine from Gozo and it was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.
This meal was one of the highlights of my trip!
SHEEREN
On our late night walks back to the house we were graced with a visit from our favorite neighborhood cat, Sheeren. We sang Ed Sheeren to him under the full moon and I’m sure he’ll never forget us.
SUNRISE
I love watching sunrises, especially from the rooftop of a house in Malta. Seeing pink sunrises and sunsets always makes me think of the old saying – Pink sky at night, sailors delight. Pink sky in morning, sailors take warning. Thankfully in our case, these pink skies in the morning didn’t foretell bad weather. Just a beautiful start to another great day in Malta.
STARTING OFF AT CAFES
While we were in Malta we started each morning with 2 hours of coffee and croissants at local cafes. We never intended the meals to last for two hours, but when you’re on island time there isn’t really much you can do about that. In the end, it was really nice starting out slow every morning and people watching as the tiny towns in Malta woke up.
PORTRAIT FRAME PHOTOSHOOT
This photoshoot has a really funny backstory and I can’t help but laugh when I look at the photos. These photos are the result of an impromptu photoshoot suggested by our driver in Malta. We were in the car and trying to rush to catch the next ferry off of Gozo. As we were rushing to make the boat, our driver decided we wouldn’t make the ferry and instead we should go see this well known picture frame statue. She then pulled a u-turn, drove to this giant picture frame and had us do a mini photoshoot. I loved the spontaneity, but also I felt a little hungover from our wine tasting the night before. I thought that Nicole and Jenirae were enjoying the photoshoot too, but once we were all safely on the ferry an hour later we realized that we were all hungover and struggling during our photoshoot. Looking back on this little random moment in Malta makes me laugh so much and I’m grateful for our driver who gave us this random, yet hilarious, memory.
TAKING MY BOAT TO COMINO ISLAND
To get to the island of Comino we had to take a boat from Mġarr Harbour on the South East corner of Gozo. This was also the same port where we arrived to Gozo from Malta. The experience of buying a ticket for the boat ride was a little stressful, but the best advice I have for you is to haggle. There are three little stands that all sell tickets to Comino island and they are all in competition with each other. When we walked up to the first tent they quoted us at 15 euros a person. I told them I would go check the price of the ride with the other rental stands and the guy at the first tent tried hard not to get me to walk away. I stuck with my gut and walked to the next stand to see how much they would charge. He said he would only charge me 5 euros a person and that he would take us to the Caves on the way back. I took that information back to the first tent and they said they would match the rate and also take us to the Caves. Boom. We just saved 30 euros and got to go on a mini cave tour too! The experience only got better when the boat arrived and it was called “Jade.” It was definitely a sign that I’m in the right place…relaxing on the back of a boat on the Mediterranean Sea.
BLUE LAGOON
The Blue Lagoon is one of the iconic beaches of Malta because of it’s crystal clear and bright blue waters. The only way to get to the lagoon is by boat, but the ride and added cost is definitely worth it. The beach is nestled alongside a rocky cliff and surrounded by caves. We spent our entire time at the Blue Lagoon in the water because the shore was really rocky and not comfortable unless you purchase one of the lounge chairs being sold by random people on the beach. Instead we swam across the water to the other side of the beach inlet. It was an easy swim and only slightly terrifying to be out in open water in the ocean.
Seaside Picnic
There is nothing better than a beach picnic. One big tip for Comino island is to bring your own food. Once you’re there, there really isn’t a ton of food. There are about 4 food trucks, but odds are they’re jacking up the price and you’ll be paying 3x more than what you should for a food truck meal.
CAVE TOUR
On the way back from Comino Island there is an option to go on a tour of the caves around Comino island. We were able to add on the tour for no extra cost, so we had a beautiful free boat ride around the island.
BLUE HOLE
The Blue Hole is Malta’s most popular scuba diving and freediving destination because of it’s clear waters and 10 meter depth. During October and November the water visibility is at it’s clearest, so when we were there we saw several divers jumping into the depths below. To get to the blue hole you have to climb around the cliffs on the rocky bay and traverse the tides, but the magical views are worth it.
Il-Kartell Restaurant est 1973
One of the best parts of traveling with other people is being able to try lots of dishes at dinner. For one of our meals we went to Il-Kartell Restaurant in Marsalforn and shared a delicious meal by the ocean. We ordered Brushetta and Octopus Salad to start, then we added on Srozzapreti Calamari E Zucchini and the Salmon Special of the day. Using our new knowledge from the wine tasting, we paired our delicious meal with bottles of Maltese red wine.
CANDY SHOP
There is a separate stomach for dessert and there is an entirely separate space for self serve candy shops in my heart.
St. George’s Basilica
St. George’s Basilica is one of the oldest on the island and it was right around the corner from our Airbnb. To get to the church and the main shopping area in Gozo you have to navigate through a maze of beautiful alleyways and narrow streets lined with colorful doors and porches decorated with flowers. The church itself is also lovely to look at and was inspired by Baroque architecture.
MDINA BED AND BREAKFAST
Our bed and breakfast in Mdina was also a huge success and once again I am grateful for Nicole and Jenirae’s planning. While we were in Mdina we stayed at Arcadia Bed and Breakfast, which is an adorable hotel hidden off the main street in Rabat. The building is narrow with a spiral staircase to reach your rooms and the location was ideal for exploring Mdina. We spent most of our time in Mdina walking around the walled off city and stuffing our face at local tea gardens, but when we were tired, Arcadia was the perfect home base to reset.
STROLLING THROUGH THE SILENT CITY
Mdina is a fortified city that was originally the capital of Malta during Medieval times. It is also one of the oldest cities in Malta and it was first mentioned in history during the Bronze Age when the Phoenicians colonized Malta. Nowadays, Mdina is one of the most popular destinations in Malta and it was the backdrop for many scenes in Game of Thrones. The town gained it’s nickname as the Silent City after the capital of Malta was transferred from Mdina to Valletta. The removal of it’s status as the capital game with an exodus of people from Mdina to Valletta, leaving the town a silent ghost town…the Silent City.
FONTANELLA TEA GARDEN
Fontanella Tea Garden is a restaurant on the north side of Mdina that offers one of the best views of the landscape. While we were in Mdina we lucked out with a sunny lunch time table without any wait time. This restaurant is notoriously difficult to get in to, so getting seated right away was a welcomed surprise. For lunch we decided to split Bruschetta, Hobż Biż-Żejt and a Smoked Salmon Salad. We weren’t sure what the Hobż Biż-Żejt would be when we ordered it, but when it arrived it was basically a Tuna Sandwich on ftira (Maltese traditional bread). It was delicious!
For dessert we finished off our feast with coffee and a selection of cakes from the bakery. We decided on the Lemon Cake, the Orange and Almond Cake and the Chocolate, Hazelnut and Carmel cake. All of the cakes were delicious, but I think the Orange and Almond slice takes the cake as my favorite piece.
MDINA OVERLOOK
At night in Mdina we walked to the overlook and stared out over the twinkling lights of Malta at night.
Palazzo Castelletti Restaurant
We lucked out with a last minute table at Palazzo Castelletti for dinner in Mdina and it was delightful. We weren’t super hungry so we decided instead to share a vegan platter and butternut squash risotto over a few bottles of wine. The food was delicious, but this was one of my favorite meals in Malta because of the hilarious conversations that ensued during our 4 hours of grazing and drinking. Our conversations ranged from politics and climate change to middle school Youtube videos and everything in between.
CAFE CORDINA
Cafe Cordina was one of the popular cafes in Valletta and while I was in Malta’s capital I started off my day with an espresso and a salmon and poached egg sandwich. Yummm
SHOPPING IN VALLETTA
Valletta is the capital of Malta and it is a maze of small shops, cafes, restaurants and gift shops. The main streets to wander around for souvenir shopping are Republic and Merchant. I spent a couple hours wandering around the little shops and finding my favorite postcards to send home to friends and family. The streets were fairly empty when I started out my day, but by the end of the day the narrow roads are packed full of people.
THREE CITIES
Next to Valletta are the Three Cities of Malta – Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. The cities are fortified neighborhoods and among some of the oldest parts of Malta. They are actively preserved to keep their history alive and they are a great glimpse of Malta’s roots.
SALTUING Battery
Every day at noon and 4pm the Maltese artillery fires a canon over Grand Harbor. The battery was constructed in the 16th century, but the tradition of firing the canon carries on to this day.
hagar qim and mnajdra templtes
Visiting Ħaġar Qim and the Mnajdra temples was one of my favorite parts of my time in Malta. The megalithic temples are from the Ġgantija phase, which started 3600 BC. The temples are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth and you can actually walk through them. It was surreal to visit something so old and walk across thousands of years of history. The temples are on the southern side of Malta and look out over the ocean in the direction of Tunisia. In fact, Tunisia is only 398 KM south of Malta, so this was the closest I’ve ever been to Africa!
As you look out over the Mediterranean sea from Ħaġar Qim you can see Filfla island, which is a popular great white breeding ground. Thankfully I learned this fun fact after I had swam in the ocean and across the Blue Lagoon…
malta is beautiful
