scenes of Malta Island

  • what the locals drink

  • Pjazza San Pawl

  • a hike a local told me about, I had this whole beach to myself. (sign up for emails to get the location!)

  • A close-up view of a highly detailed inlaid floor featuring religious and classical mosaic panels with cherubs, angels, script, and ornate decorative motifs in black, gold, beige, and red tones.

    St. John's Cathedral

  • Roman Baths at Sliema

  • Lazarus Tiles

  • Upper Barraka Gardens

  • walk around Valetta at sunset for stunning views

  • my grandma and I are obsessed with european doorways

Best things to do in Valetta

Underground Valetta tour

For those interested in history, this tour is a must! I'm not usually one for guided tours, but this far exceeded my expectations. You get to walk under the capital city, through century-old tunnels. They were first created by the knights that founded the city, and later repurposed as bomb shelters during WWII.

Hollywood Souvenirs

This is the best place to find souvenirs worth bringing home. The store was started by a man determined to bring a resurgence of interest to Lazarus tiles, the now-famous colorful salvaged tiles. It has now grown to also feature local artists, craftsmen, and cottage kitchens.

The Norman House

We found this while wandering the streets of a small town, a five min boat ride from Valetta. Pay the extra euros for the tour and have the boat man drop you off at Vittoriosa. This house is a private home museum, one of the oldest houses in Birgu, built in the 13th century. It's filled with traditional home goods, historic art, and even a medieval sword!

Wied iż-Żurrieq, Blue Grotto

This is another cheap and quick boat tour that is worth the money. You take a cute, traditional fishing boat around the famous blue grotto and other small grottos and see amazing views. After you can swim with the locals and explore the small WWII look out post.

Gozo Island

The smaller of Malta's islands, this island is much more rural, with farms scattered through the countryside.

  • feeding goats on a farm overlooking the ocean

  • views from a trail around the island

  • a red sand beach!

  • ancient salt pans and sunset

  • Ġgantija Temple from 3600 BC

  • Ta' Pinu church, full of amazing mosaics

souvenirs from Malta

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the Mediterranean collection

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Maltese food and recipes!

Finally, one of my favorite parts of traveling, tasting! I loved trying much of the traditional foods, especially the Ftira! As a small and rocky island, they don't have much biodiversity, but have an amazing diverse spread of foods. Here are some recipes I took home from Malta that I'll be making frequently along with some of my favorites you should try if you visit! ..but I won't be making any time soon...

cook like a Maltese!

Let me know if you end up visiting these beautiful islands!

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