Malta is a small island with a huge historical and cultural significance not only to the Mediterranean region, but to the entirety of Europe. Even as the 10th smallest country in the world, Malta has a lot to offer. From beautiful beaches, all the way to Medieval architecture, Malta is rich in its natural and human history, which makes for some amazing attractions.
Malta, a small island but full of possibilities. We take a look at some of their tourist hotspots and show you why it should be on your travel list.
The Blue Grotto
Arguably Malta’s best known natural wonder, the Blue Grotto is a stunning grotto near a steep cliff, overlooking the Mediterranean.
Approaching it from the sea and by the winding road on a cliff (by land) are completely different things. You can either marvel at it from above or even scuba dive below the surface to admire the exceptional & unique marine life.
Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the Blue Grotto was the dwelling place of fatally dangerous sirens who preyed upon unsuspecting seamen.
The trip to the Blue Grotto should be on every tourist’s bucket list for Malta. In addition, worth mentioning is the fact that you can visit Wiedi z-Zurrieq, a village right by Blue Grotto.
It has some souvenir shops, cafes, and restaurants with spectacular scenery of the Mediterranean.
Siggiewi
The city of Siggiewi (also known as Citta Ferdinand) is one of the largest in Malta (albeit home to only 8 thousand inhabitants) and one of the most unique.
Situated in the Girgenti Valley, it has always been a prosperous centre of the local economy.
The prize of your visit will be the Baroque-styled Saint Nicholas Church at the dead-centre of the village city.
Built in the 17th century, the church is usually closed, but if you manage to visit at the end of June, when the Saint Nicholas Feast is happening, you can catch the amazing light installations and admire the celebrations of the local people.
Siggiewi also hosts a variety of other events that make it a sort of unpolished gem which can definitely be worth the taxi drive if you’re into local culture.
The Capital City – Valletta
Ever since its establishment in the middle of the 16th century, il-Belt Valletta (Maltese) has been a regionally significant harbour and important diplomatic destination.
It’s the smallest capital city in the European Union, but it’s also labeled as the most elegant and very unique.
Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is known for its unique skyline, Barrakka Gardens, St. John’s Co-Cathedral, City Walls, and much more. Malta has various interesting universities and it is also very attractive for students.
As you may or may not know, Malta was pretty much a stronghold of various orders of knights up until the late 18th century.
The Order of Saint John first settled the island and made it their most important base of operation.
For centuries forward, Valletta was a battleground for the great powerhouses of Europe and surrounding nations: the Ottoman Empire, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom tried to siege or were involved in the local affairs at one point or another.
Don’t forget to visit the largest building – Grand Master’s Palace and dine in one of the local restaurants.
Natural Wonders Near Dwejra
On the island of Gozo, there are numerous things to do and see. The first one we’d recommend is definitely the surrounding area of Dwejra.
Even though Rabat draws in a lot of tourists, it’s Dwejra and the natural wonders around it that are considered the cherry on top.
First and foremost, the late-great Azure Window. Up until 2017, it was Malta’s most famous natural wonder, creating an amazing seaside landscape.
But, since after it collapsed, a lot of people wrote the entire location off as not worthy of visiting anymore. That’s completely wrong!
There is an amazing diving site, called The Blue Hole, there’s the amazing lagoon of the Gozo Inland Sea (Qawra) and the very picturesque Fungus Rock.
The latter has a wonder that is said to have been home to a unique sort of fungus. Knights Hospitaller from Malta found the fungus and discovered that it had supernatural healing properties that only helped the nobles.
By curing numerous well-off people in those times from things like ulcers, infections and nothing more, it earned the title of Fungus Rock!
So, if you’re ever visiting, hop on to a taxi (because of cheap taxi prices in Malta) and visit these amazing Maltese sights!
Photos: Shutterstock
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