Three Days in Malta

Stay in Valetta, the tiny walled capital city, for many restaurants, accessibility to the island nation’s activities and proximity to the airport or port. The Embassy Valletta Hotel is perfectly situated within a 10-minute walk of nearly everything in the city. Spend the first day exploring Valletta and take a 15-minute ferry ride across the bay into the Three Cities.

Stroll along the Birgu Waterfront, visit Fort St. Angelo to experience the medieval fortress and Gardjola Gardens for a spectacular view of Valletta. Enjoy a delightful dinner at Grain Street, the upstairs sister of one-Michelin-star Under Grain, a thoughtful concept that pays subtle homage to the building's history with tailoring.

Take a rental car to the island’s northern tip to catch the car ferry from Cirkewwa to Gozo, a smaller island. Drive along Gozo’s northern coast, from the rugged Tal-Mixta Cave to the Xwejni Salt Pans and explore strange natural formations and gorges like Wied il-Għasri. From there, head towards the island’s central city. Stopping at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu to appreciate the dominating Roman Catholic architecture. In the central city of Victoria, you find the Citadel with a cathedral and several museums.

Make your way up to the hidden rooftop Ta' Rikardu Restaurant for simple, classic fare with a view of the citadel’s entrance. If you visit in the summer, there are plenty of beach coves to jump in the water in the afternoon. Including Mġarr ix-Xini on the southern coast, before heading back to the ferry. For dinner back in Valletta, one80 is a welcoming experience with delicious flavors.

Start the final day with a Maltese coffee, flavored with chicory, aniseed and cloves, at Tal-Kafe' before taking off by car again. Make your way inland to Mosta Rotunda. This impressive domed 17th-century neoclassical church boasts a replica WWII bomb in homage to an attack that miraculously spared the church. Further inland is the sister cities Mdina and Rabat. Mdina is more a large fort than a city, with enchanting narrow streets confined within ancient walls.

Be sure to pop into the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady, with an ornately decorated and peaceful Baroque interior. Crossing to the island’s southern coast, enjoy the view from Dingli Cliffs or a dip in the Għar Lapsi Bay. The Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples are spectacular clifftop archeological sites dating back 5,000 years that can be visited together. Plenty more caves and viewpoints await you along the same coast, or you may skip directly from the archeological park to Marsaxlokk, a small, traditional fishing village. Admire the colorful boats in the busy harbor, and enjoy a sophisticated seafood lunch or dinner, depending on the day, at Tartarun Restaurant.