visiting Malta and Gozo

Geology of Malta

The island nation of Malta is roughly 122 square miles, less than half the size of New York City, and is located in the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 miles south of Sicily. The three islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino are the largest and most often referenced in descriptions of the country; however, there are also dozens of tiny islands of varying sizes. While most of these islands are too small to be inhabited, a few others are. Cominotto is a popular tourist destination, and Manoel Island, located between Valletta and Sliema, has long been inhabited and currently features several modern day yacht clubs and also a large fort dating back to the 1700s. The formation and evolution of these islands dates to about 35 million years ago (relatively recently when you consider the dinosaurs went extinct about 60 million years ago) and are, much like the archaeological history of Malta, inexorably tied to the sea.

Gozo, Malta: 2 Day Itinerary

We fell in love with the little island of Gozo (it’s about 25 square miles). Gozo is the smaller of Malta’s two inhabitable islands (the third island can be visited but is not really inhabited) and is a great side trip to pair with a visit to the mainland. If you’re looking to do just that, check out our recommended 3-5 day Malta itinerary as well! In this blog we’ll cover some general information on Gozo, information on how to get there, and our recommendations for spots to visit to fill 2 (or more) days.

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A Week in Malta & Gozo - Il-Gudja and Marsaxlokk Harbor (Day 7)

Our final day of our week-long trip to Malta and Gozo took us almost as far as was possible across the country as we traveled from Victoria, Gozo, all the way to the far end of Malta, where we ended the day dining at the water’s edge of Marsaxlokk Harbor, an important spot in history and home to the unique and beautiful Maltese fishing boats!

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A Week in Malta & Gozo - Victoria, Cittadella, and Xlendi Bay (Day 6)

On our second day on the island of Gozo, we returned to the walled city of Cittadella to finish exploring the parts we hadn’t gotten to the prior day and were particularly surprised by the contents of the Shipwreck Museum. Then, wanting to spend some time along the coast, we had a wonderful harbor-side meal and 3-mile hike starting out from Xlendi Bay with exquisite views!

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A Week in Malta & Gozo - The Walled City of Mdina (Day 4)

Our fourth day would be our last in the Valletta area before heading to the island of Gozo. We had a relatively quiet morning in Valletta before heading over to the walled medieval city of Mdina, which we fell in love with. Other than the draw of tourism, I would love to live there! Mdina is also known as the Silent City - more info below on how it got that name - and has been a filming spot for you Game of Thrones fans out there. Read below for more on our explorations of Mdina, and some great dining recommendations for both lunch and dinner.

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A Week in Malta & Gozo - Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, Tarxien Temples, and Vittoriosa/Birgu (Day 3)

This third day of our trip was the first time we ventured outside of the capital city of Valletta, and we managed to pack a lot into the day! In a way, we spent the day time traveling. We started the day by visiting two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, an underground Neolithic necropolis that pre-dates the Pyramids, and visited Tarxien Temples, a megalithic site that dates back almost as far. From there we headed to the Medieval Era by exploring the quaint streets and Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa (also known as Birgu), caught the ferry across the bay and entered the modern era with the long elevator ride up the Barrakka Lift and then an evening watching Malta’s Independence Day Military Tattoo event from an rooftop terrace restaurant.

A Week in Malta & Gozo - Trip Overview

For a country we had really never heard of prior to booking our trip, Malta was awash with so many of the things that appeal to us about traveling. We had a wonderful week-long trip to this three-island nation and managed to enjoy a wide array of activities.

In this blog, we will share how we ended up booking a trip to Malta in the first place, will provide an overview of the country (from language to culture to history to transportation), will share an overview of our itinerary and how we spent the week, and share our thoughts on whether we would return again (spoiler alert: we would) and what we’d do differently in retrospect.

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