Valletta is the capital of Malta, a walled Baroque city built by the Knights of St John on a peninsula between the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. It covers well under a square kilometre and has only around 5,000 residents, yet its streets hold palaces, churches and fortifications so densely packed that the whole city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.
Malta itself is a small island country in the central Mediterranean, south of Sicily, made up of Malta, Gozo and tiny Comino, with Maltese and English as official languages. Distances are short, so Valletta works as a base for the whole archipelago: prehistoric temples older than the Egyptian pyramids, the hilltop city of Mdina, harbour towns and rocky swimming spots. Holiday apartments in historic townhouses, seafront flats in Sliema and St Julian's, and farmhouses on Gozo suit very different trips, from city breaks to long, slow stays.
Valletta suits travellers who want history on the doorstep: museums, churches and harbour views are all within walking distance, and the city is calm in the evening once day visitors leave. Many apartments occupy restored townhouses, often with stairs and traditional wooden balconies. Across Marsamxett Harbour, Sliema is a busy residential and shopping town with a long seafront promenade, rocky swimming spots and views back to Valletta's skyline.
St Julian's, next to Sliema, has the bays of Spinola, Balluta and St George's and the late-night entertainment district of Paceville, which suits groups and night owls more than light sleepers. On the other side of the Grand Harbour, the Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua are quieter fortified towns with a lived-in feel. Gozo, a ferry ride away, is more rural, with farmhouses, villages and the resorts of Marsalforn and Xlendi, and suits families, divers and anyone wanting a slower pace.
After the Order of St John defeated the Ottoman fleet in the Great Siege of 1565, Grand Master Jean de Valette laid the foundation stone of a new fortified city on 28 March 1566, and it took his name. The papal engineer Francesco Laparelli drew up a grid of straight streets running from the City Gate to Fort St Elmo, and the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar oversaw much of the building. By 1571 Valletta had become the capital.
St John's Co-Cathedral, designed by Cassar and built in the 1570s, has a richly decorated interior and Caravaggio's large painting The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, from 1608. The Grandmaster's Palace now houses the offices of the President, and the Manoel Theatre, built in 1731, is among the oldest working theatres in Europe. The city was badly damaged in the Second World War, when the Royal Opera House was destroyed; it was European Capital of Culture in 2018.
Malta's megalithic temples are among the oldest free-standing stone structures in the world. Ġgantija on Gozo was the first to be listed by UNESCO, in 1980, and in 1992 the listing was extended to five more sites on Malta, including Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra on the south coast and the Tarxien temples near the Grand Harbour. The underground Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is also a World Heritage Site; visitor numbers are tightly limited to protect it, so it must be planned well ahead.
Mdina, on a ridge in the centre of the island, was Malta's capital from antiquity until the Knights arrived, and its quiet walled streets explain its nickname, the Silent City. Its name comes from the Arabic word for town. Across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, Vittoriosa, also called Birgu, is the oldest of the Three Cities and the site of Fort St Angelo, where the Grand Masters had their seat before moving to Valletta.
Gozo, the second-largest island, is greener and more rural than Malta, with hills, farming villages and about 39,000 inhabitants. Its capital, Victoria, grew up around the Cittadella, a hilltop citadel that was sacked by an Ottoman force in 1551 and later rebuilt; it offers views across the whole island. Ramla Bay is one of Gozo's few sandy beaches, and the coast around Dwejra, where the famous Azure Window arch collapsed in March 2017, remains dramatic. Gozo is also one of the Mediterranean's well-known diving areas.
Comino, between the two main islands, covers only about 3.5 square kilometres and has almost no permanent residents. It is a bird sanctuary and nature reserve, best known for the Blue Lagoon, a bay of clear, cyan water over white sand between Comino and the islet of Cominotto. It is very busy with tour boats in summer, so an early start or a visit outside peak months gives a calmer experience.
Malta International Airport (MLA), at Luqa, is the country's only international airport and lies a short drive south-west of Valletta. Traffic drives on the left, a legacy of British rule, and roads around the harbour towns are often congested.
Public buses, run by Malta Public Transport, connect Valletta's terminus with most towns and villages on Malta, and many visitors manage without a car, especially when staying in Valletta, Sliema or St Julian's. Car ferries cross between Ċirkewwa, at the north-western tip of Malta, and Mġarr on Gozo, and fast passenger ferries link Mġarr with Valletta's Grand Harbour in about 45 minutes. Boat trips to Comino leave from several harbours, including Sliema and Bugibba. A rental car is helpful on Gozo or for reaching the southern temples and quieter coves, though parking in Valletta itself is limited.
Malta has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot, dry summers, and around 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, from about five hours a day in December to more than twelve in July. Rain falls mostly between autumn and early spring, and the sea is usually warm enough for swimming from June to October.
July and August are the hottest and busiest months, and the islands' many village festas, with processions and fireworks, fill summer weekends; Sliema's seafront is a popular place to watch fireworks in August. April to June and September to November are often the most comfortable seasons for sightseeing, walking and diving. Winter is mild enough for city breaks and exploring the temples, with fewer visitors, though some days are windy and wet. Shade and water matter in summer, when stone streets and bastions hold the heat.
Maltese, a language that grew out of the Arabic spoken in medieval Sicily and absorbed many Italian and English words, is the national language, and English is an official language alongside it, so visitors find signs, menus and conversation easy. The country has used the euro since 2008 and joined the European Union in 2004. Catholicism is deeply woven into daily life, and churches dominate every town and village skyline.
Maltese food reflects a long history of rulers and trade, with close ties to Sicilian cooking. Island tables feature fresh fish, local cheeses, bread and dishes built around rabbit and seasonal vegetables. If you rent an apartment, neighbourhood grocers and markets make self-catering simple. The islands' wartime resilience is still remembered: King George VI awarded the George Cross to Malta collectively in April 1942, and it appears on the national flag.
Valletta is best for history, walking and a calm evening atmosphere among Baroque streets. Sliema has more shops, a long seafront promenade and rocky swimming spots, with views across the harbour to Valletta. St Julian's, next to Sliema, suits nightlife and bay views.
April to June and September to November offer warm weather, swimmable sea for much of the time and fewer crowds than July and August. Summer is hot and lively with village festas. Winter is mild and quiet, good for Valletta, Mdina and the temples.
Malta International Airport (MLA) is at Luqa, a short drive south-west of Valletta. Buses connect the airport with Valletta and other towns, and taxis and transfers are available. Allow extra time at busy hours, as traffic around the harbour area can be heavy.
Car ferries cross from Ċirkewwa, at the north-western tip of Malta, to Mġarr on Gozo. Fast passenger ferries also run between Mġarr and Valletta's Grand Harbour in about 45 minutes. A car or bus is useful on Gozo itself to reach Victoria and the beaches.
Not usually if you stay in Valletta, Sliema or St Julian's, where buses, ferries and taxis cover most needs. A car helps on Gozo, for the southern temples and for quieter coves. Remember that traffic drives on the left and parking in Valletta is limited.
Four or five days allow time for Valletta, Mdina, the Three Cities, a temple site and a boat trip to Comino. A week or more lets you add two or three days on Gozo, which suits a stay split between a city apartment and a Gozo farmhouse.
Yes. Short-let accommodation in Malta must be licensed by the Malta Tourism Authority, and new Tourism Accommodation Regulations took effect on 15 June 2026. The authority offers an online validator for checking a short-term rental licence number. Check the MTA's website for current rules.
Malta has two official languages: Maltese, the national language, and English. English is widely used in shops, restaurants, signs and public services, so English-speaking visitors rarely have difficulty. Many Maltese people also understand Italian.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .