Lonely Planet Malta & Gozo

Brett Atkinson

Description

Lonely Planet's Malta & Gozo is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Sense the excitement of Valletta's current bloom, explore the ancient underground burial chambers at the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, and discover the restored fortress town of Il-Kastell in Gozo; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Malta & Gozo and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Malta & Gozo Travel Guide: Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020's COVID-19 outbreak Top experiences feature - a visually inspiring collection of Malta & Gozo's best experiences and where to have them What's new feature taps into cultural trends and helps you find fresh ideas and cool new areas Accommodation feature gathers all the information you need to plan your accommodation Planning tools for family travellers - where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for kids Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Over 25 maps Covers Valletta, Sliema, St Julian's, Paceville, Gozo, Comino The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Malta & Gozo, our most comprehensive guide to Malta & Gozo, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

Sujets

• Malta

Informations

• Publié par: Lonely Planet
• Date de parution: 22 avril 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781838695521
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 32 Mo

Extrait

Malta Gozo

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Malta & Gozo
Malta & Gozo’s Top Experiences
Need to Know
What’s New
Accommodation
Getting Around Malta & Gozo
Month by Month
Itineraries
Activities
Eat & Drink Like a Local
Family Travel
Regions at a Glance

On The Road

VALLETTA
History
Sights
Courses
Tours
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Around Valletta
Hal Saflieni Hypogeum & Tarxien Temples
The Three Cities
Vittoriosa
Senglea
SLIEMA, ST JULIAN’S & PACEVILLE
Sliema & Around
St Julian’s & Paceville
NORTHERN MALTA
Golden Bay & Għajn Tuffieħa
Mġarr & Around
Mellieħa & Around
Marfa Peninsula
Xemxija
Buġibba, Qawra & St Paul’s Bay
Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq
CENTRAL MALTA
Mdina
Rabat
Dingli Cliffs
Mosta
Naxxar
Birkirkara & the Three Villages
Fomm ir-Riħ
SOUTHERN MALTA
Marsaxlokk
Birżebbuġa
Marsaskala
Żurrieq
Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra
Għar Lapsi
GOZO & COMINO
Gozo
Victoria (Rabat)
Mġarr
Mġarr ix-Xini
Xewkija
Ta’Ċenċ
Xlendi
Għarb & San Lawrenz
Dwejra
Marsalforn
Xagħra
Nadur
Comino

UNDERSTAND

Understand Malta & Gozo
History
The Maltese Way of Life
5000 Years of Architecture

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z
Accessible Travel
Climate
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Embassies & Consulates
Health
Insurance
Internet Access
Language Courses
Legal Matters
LGBTIQ+ Travellers
Money
Opening Hours
Photography
Post
Safe Travel
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Transport
Getting There & Away
Entering Malta & Gozo
Air
Land
Sea
Getting Around
Bicycle
Boat
Bus
Car & Motorcycle
Taxi
Tours
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers

COVID-19
We have re-checked every business in this book before publication to ensure that it is still open after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 will continue to be felt long after the outbreak has been contained, and many businesses, services and events referenced in this guide may experience ongoing restrictions. Some businesses may be temporarily closed, have changed their opening hours and services, or require bookings; some unfortunately could have closed permanently. We suggest you check with venues before visiting for the latest information.
Welcome to Malta & Gozo

Malta is the most surprising destination in the Mediterranean. I love exploring Valletta’s improbable historic fortress before discovering the city’s cosmopolitan bars and galleries. Malta’s coastline conceals coves perfect both for swimming and to whet the appetite for a cuisine packed with historical influences. Across on Gozo, massive churches rise from sun-caressed landscapes, with clifftop paths running past historical monuments to hidden bays. All this and more, an easy day trip from anywhere in the country.

The Inland Sea , Gozo | EMMA SHAW/LONELY PLANET ©

By Brett Atkinson, Writer

twitter @travelwriternz instagram travelwriternz
For more, see our writers
Malta & Gozo’s Top 5

1 HISTORIC CITIES
A strategic hub from ancient times to WWII, Malta has been fought over for millennia, and the echoes of diverse civilisations linger in the country’s fortresses. Valletta is endowed with stunning architecture including the astounding St John’s Cathedral, a legacy of the Knights of St John in defending against Ottoman invasion, while the inland cities of Mdina and Gozo’s Il-Kastell first emerged from rocky Mediterranean soils during Phoenician times.

Valletta | ANTON ZELENOV/GETTY IMAGES ©

Valletta
Measuring only 1km by 600m, with every street leading to the sea, Valletta’s walls contain stunning 16th- and 17th-century townhouses fronted by traditional balconies. Recently, Valletta has bloomed with exciting restaurants, new galleries and museums, and an emerging nightlife scene.

Valletta’s old town | ROMAN BABAKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Mdina
A compact, hilltop walled city, Mdina is studded with beautiful honey-coloured buildings. During the day it’s a treasure trove of museums, artefacts and churches, while at night Mdina is appealingly mysterious: everything is closed and the ‘Silent City’ is atmospherically lit and virtually empty.

St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina | ANIBAL TREJO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Il-Kastell
The 15th-century fortifications of Victoria’s fortress town were used to shelter Gozo’s entire population during Turkish raids, a defiant history that’s illuminated in the Ċittadella Visitors’ Centre. Elsewhere, centuries-old marble and limestone backstreets lead to the beautiful Cathedral of the Assumption.

Il-Kastell, Victoria | KRIVINIS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
2 ECHOES OF PREHISTORY
Located at the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta dates back more than 5000 years, and punctuating the country are poignant and alluring reminders of some of Europe’s earliest civilisations. Temples and towers built amid coastal views provide evidence of the surprising architectural sophistication of prehistoric cultures, while a subterranean necropolis carved out of ancient rock offers a fascinating insight into the historic mists of early millennia.

Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra Temples
Malta’s finest prehistoric structures are breath-takingly located high on the edge of coastal cliffs.

South Temple, Mnajdra Temples | SERG ZASTAVKIN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Ġgantija Temples
Dating from 3600 to 3000 BC, Gozo’s megalithic Ġgantija Temples are some of Malta’s oldest prehistoric structures.

Ġgantija Temples | HELOVI/GETTY IMAGES ©

Hal Saflieni Hypogeum
Ancient underground burial chambers c 5000 years old offer an enigmatic window to a mystical and storied time.

Hal Saflieni Hypogeum | DEA/A. DAGLI ORTI/GETTY IIMAGES ©

Top Experiences
3 SENSATIONAL SWIMMING
Blessed by fine weather and warm waters for most of the year, Malta is a brilliant place for a dip in the ocean. Arcing sandy beaches are definitely a sparkling highlight of the islands, but even more enjoyable and exciting are the rocky coves and natural pools dotting Malta’s serried coastlines. Often it’s a mini-adventure just getting to the best spots.

St Peter’s Pool
On Malta’s southeastern coast, the searingly beautiful St Peter’s Pool is a great place to leap into the wild Mediterranean blue.

St Peter’s Pool, near Marsaxlokk | SOSN-A/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Gozo’s Secret Cove
A rocky staircase cut into coastal cliffs is the best way to access Wied il-Għasri’s narrow and sheltered gorge.

Comino’s Surprise
Comino’s most extra-ordinary feature is the other-worldly Blue Lagoon, a serene sea pool so blue it looks like an over-saturated photograph.

Blue Lagoon | ZGPHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences
4 ISLAND ADVENTURES
For a small country, Malta packs in an exciting diversity of opportunities for active travellers. Mediterranean underwater seascapes await snorkellers and divers, SUP and kayak enthusiasts can explore bays and coves, and the islands’ rocky landscapes are often best negotiated while hiking or mountain biking. Windsurfing, rock climbing and horseriding are also popular ways to lure travellers away from the considerable charms of Malta’s beaches.

Mediterranean Rambles
Spectacular spots for coastal walking include Gozo’s Xlendi Walk and the rugged headland of Ras il-Qammieħ on Malta.

Rock-hewn stairs, Gozo | AGNIESZKA HAREMZA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Diverse Diving
Malta and Gozo arguably offer Europe’s best diving, with warm seas, astounding underwater architecture and thrilling WWII shipwrecks.

Wreck diving | MJUP/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Gozo’s Wild Side
Kayaking, climbing, mountain biking and hiking with Gozo Adventures are all great ways to experience Malta’s second island.

Rock climbing, Mġarr ix-Xini | WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences
5 CULINARY FUSION
From the everyday snack of the pastizzi to innovative dishes served in elegant dining rooms, Maltese flavours and ingredients reflect centuries of conquest and cultural interaction, and are popular throughout the country. Italian, French, British and Arabic influences all blend to emerge as the flavourful synthesis making up traditional Maltese cuisine.

A traditional Maltese plate featuring ġbejna | SEEWHATMITCHSEE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Farm-to-Table Surprises
The use of local, often organic, produce is growing in importance in Maltese restaurants, including Diar il-Bniet near the spectacular Dingli Cliffs.

Fine Dining in Valletta
Stylish openings such as Noni and 59 Republic have added a contemporary and cosmopolitan sheen to Valletta’s restaurant scene.

Rabat’s Emerging Scene
Standout dining opportunities enlivening and modernising Rabat’s labyrinthine heritage include Root 81 and Townhouse No 3.
Need to Know
For more information, see Survival Guide

Currency
euro (€)

Language
Malti, English

Visas
Malta is in the Schengen area. Also, visas are not required for citizens of EU and EEA countries. Other nationalities should check www.identitymalta.com/schengen .

Money
ATMs are widespread. Credit cards are used in larger hotels and upmarket restaurants, but some smaller hotels and restaurants only accept cash.

Mobile Phones
Malta uses the GSM900 mobile network (not compatible with the USA’s and Canada’s GSM1900).

Time
Central European Time (GMT/UTC plus one hour)

When to Go

High Season (Jun–Aug)
A Many resort hotels are booked solid; beaches are busy.
A Daytime temperatures in July and August can reach more than 35°C.
A Main season for village festas (feast days) and music festivals.

Shoulder (Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct)
A Warm and sunny; occasional rainfall or hot and humid wind.
A Sea is warmer in autumn than in spring.
A Accommodation prices can increase during Easter’s Holy Week.

Low Season (Nov–Mar)
A November and December temperatures average 12°C to 18°C.
A January and February are coldest; a northeasterly wind (grigal