When I last visited Valletta in Malta about ten years ago the traffic chaos, old buses, tired buildings, and average food left me unimpressed. More recently, however I had heard good things about the city and so I was tempted to return – and I’m so glad I did.
Cleaned up and predominantly pedestrianised (largely due to EU investment), Valletta feels as if it has been injected with life and energy, making it deserving of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage city. It certainly has a rich history; from 8th century Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, International Knights of St. John, Ottoman Turks, and Napoleon to the UK, it is a fascinating city to learn about.
A good starting point is a private guided tour of the city and there are a wide choice of guides – from the conventional to the quirky – including dark Malta tours.
To start our exploration we took a traditional dghjasa – a brightly painted wooden boat – across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities, where we wandered the quiet and ancient streets and learned more about the history of this fascinating island.
Back in the heart of Valletta, we visited the Upper Barrakka Gardens. Built by the Knights of Malta and embellished by the British, the gardens are situated on the top of the bastion walls, offering spectacular views of the Grand Harbour and across to the oldest fortress and the Three Cities.
There are lots of new hotels to choose from; we stayed at Iniala Harbour House, a stunning boutique property where each room is unique. Our tasting menu dinner at Simon Rogan’s Michelin-star ION restaurant was made up of one exquisite course after another, each one light, delicate, and bursting with flavour. Guests can also enjoy a delicious a la carte breakfast on the terrace of ION overlooking the harbour. The weather was still in the mid twenties in November.
As it is mostly pedestrianised Valletta is a highly walkable city, though it is worth bearing in mind that as the city is heavily stepped and often steep, it is not the city for any travelers with mobility issues. That being said, the streets were decorated with many colourful lights and the main issue for our group was deciding which of the many attractive pavement cafes and bars to choose from to listen to any of the varying strains of music that drifted up the walkways.
There is a wide selection of restaurants to choose from, including Gracy’s, where we enjoyed a long, relaxing, and highly enjoyable lunch.
Valletta is a perfect base for a long city break, but there is also plenty to explore outside of the city. Mdina is just 25 minutes drive away, and offers a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of Valletta. Strictly car free and with just 300 residents, you can enjoy wandering the streets and absorbing the sense of history, or take a break at the 17th century Xara Palace, which is now a 5* boutique hotel with an elegant restaurant.
Malta surprised and delighted me in many ways, I might have expected delicious wines but was surprised that they are produced on the island, a visit to Ta’ Betta wine estates for a wine tasting experience is highly recommended.
There is much more to explore, this was a short break and I would love to return. For a tiny island with over 300 days of sunshine a year that is just over three hours from the UK (and with English as a second official language), a visit here is effortless and interesting, the perfect choice for a long spring or autumn city break.