Santorini, Sicily, Mykonos, and Mallorca—the Mediterranean is replete with sun-washed islands that make for the ideal holiday. But one Mediterranean nation, the island archipelago of Malta which lies 50 miles south of Sicily, adds its own twist to an island getaway. Here are five reasons why you should put this under-the-radar Mediterranean destination on your bucket list:
1. It has can’t-find-anywhere else city architecture.
Some destinations simply blend together, with cityscapes that are indistinguishable from one another. Not Malta. Because of its unique melding of Italian, North African, and other European influences, the architecture you’ll find in Malta’s cities like capital Valletta are all its own. Take, for example, the unique “bumped out” balconies on building facades, which jut into the street from several stories up. They recall the Arabic tradition of building ornately latticed, fully enclosed balconies that allowed women to view what was happening in the streets while maintaining their privacy.
2. It often feels like you’re stepping back in time.
There are many well-preserved places in Europe that make the past come alive. But Malta does so in a unique way: via its shop signs. Walk down the streets of Valletta and you’ll notice many shop signs seem to have been hanging there for decades, as the intricate, colorful typography recalls periods like Art Deco.
3. You won’t get lost in translation.
Malta has a long colonial history, and the British came to town around the turn of the 19th century. For a time, Malta became the headquarters of the British navy, and one of the vestiges of the island’s British period is that English is one of Malta’s official languages (alongside Maltese; many residents also speak Italian). Nearly 90 percent of the population speaks English today!
4. It’s an archeological treasure trove.
Greece has the Acropolis, and Italy has the Colosseum—but Malta has impressive ancient ruins all its own. There’s the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, an underground necropolis only discovered in 1902 and thought to date back to 3000 BC. There are the megalithic Ġgantija Temples, perched high on the hill overlooking the island of Gozo. Then there is Għar Dalam Cave, a mysterious limestone cave filled with prehistoric animal fossils, Neanderthal teeth, and pottery fragments dating back to 5200 BC! It’s easy to channel your inner Indiana Jones with all of Malta’s impressively well-preserved sites.
5. It still has that Mediterranean je ne sais quois.
As unique as Malta is compared to its Mediterranean neighbors, it still has plenty of what makes the Mediterranean islands such an iconic vacation spot: swaths of sunshine and endless blue sea. Enjoy your own quintessentially Mediterranean holiday in Malta with snorkeling sessions in secret coves, private boat tours to the glowing Blue Grotto, and long afternoons spent digging into fresh seafood platters at the restaurants that line the seaside.
Ready to make your escape to Malta? We would love to plan it for you—connect with Heirloom Journeys on a complimentary consultation call to get started.
