Our Malta Collection
Most connected with the Knights of St John, the Maltese Falcon and the George Cross, the islands that make up Malta (Malta, Gozo and Comino) offer dramatic coastlines, atmospheric ancient towns and villages, beautiful scenery and charming yet relaxed tiny fishing ports. Malta has a still visible history that stretches all the way back to the stone age as well as being central to many of the ancient Mediterranean civilisations.
St Julians has a picturesque harbour that is lined by fish restaurants. It’s a reasonably bustling place with shops aplenty and a patch of blue flagged sandy beach at St George’s Bay. The jewel in Malta’s crown is the medieval walled town of Mdina where history is ever apparent. Known as the Silent City due to it being car free, visitors will see the catacombs of St Paul, a maze of 4th Century burial chambers and a Roman villa with stunning mosaic floor. Of course, no visit to Malta would be complete without visiting the wonderful capital city of Valetta with it’s baroque architecture and little changed since it was founded by the Knights of St John in the 16th Century.
Gozo is just 25 minutes by ferry from Cirkewwa or 45 Minutes from Valetta and is often described as Malta the way it used to be. The pace of life here is far slower than on Malta but there is no lack of things for visitors to see and do - including the astonishing prehistoric Ggantija and Tarxien temples which are some of the world’s oldest freestanding structures – predating Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids. The rocks here are so large many locals used to believe the temples were built by giants. Adjacent to the island capital, Victoria, the restpred ancient town of Cittadella is made up of a maze of narrow streets and quaint alleyways that weave in and around the bastions that surround the town and the cathedral. Gozo also offers some fantastic gastronomy with Michelin plate restaurants and the best of local cuisine. The majestic cliffs and the inland sea at Dwejra offer some lovely walks with the latter being renowned as a superb spot to observe the night sky as it is free from any light pollution.
Finally, the third island in the archipelago is Comino – home to just one family and a short 10 minute boat trip from Gozo. There are plenty of daily excursions to the azure waters which are now thought of as a top diving destination across the Mediterranean. The 17th Century watchtower of Santa Marija was built by the Knights of St John and used by them as a prison. Comino is also home to the Isolation Hospital which was used in the 19th and early 20th Century to isolate anyone who was diagnosed with plague or cholera. During World War 1 it was also used to house German prisoners of war. Today, the island is mostly uninhabited which just adds to the isolation and adventurousness.