Vacation Rentals on Malta
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Travel destination Malta.
You can choose from 20 vacation rentals and holiday rentals.
Search within this region with detailed search options.
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Destination
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(12)
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(8)
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Overview of Malta
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| Size |
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316 sq km (122 sq mi) |
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| Population |
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400,214 |
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| Language |
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Maltese and English are both official. |
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| Time Zone |
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1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +1) |
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| Electricity |
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220 V, 50 Hz |
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| Clothing |
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Lightweight cottons and linens are worn between March and September, although warmer
clothes may occasionally be necessary in spring and autumn and on cooler evenings. A light
raincoat is advisable for winter.
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| Religion |
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98% Roman Catholic |
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| Currency |
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Maltese Lira (MTL) Currency Converter |
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Location of Malta
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The Maltese archipelago consists of five islands - Malta, Gozo, Comino, Comminotto and Filfla-
lying in the middle of the Mediterranean, 93 km (57 mi) south of Sicily and 350 km (217 mi)
north of Libya. Malta, Gozo and Comino are the inhabited islands. The landscape of all three
is characterised by low hills with terraced fields. Malta has no mountains or rivers. Its
coastline is indented with harbours, bays, creeks, sandy beaches and rocky coves.
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Climate in Malta
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Malta has an excellent climate, reaching up to 30°C (86°F) in midsummer (July to August) and
when the hot scirocco winds blow in from Africa. The lowest average daily high temperature,
about 15°C (59°F), occurs during January. Rainfall is heaviest from November to February,
though it's low year-round.
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Best Time to Travel to Malta
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The best time to visit Malta is the lull from February to June, between the rainy season
(such as it is) and the hot Mediterranean summer. This is also when room rates drop by as
much as 40% from their late June to August high. September and October are also good months
to visit.
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Attractions in Malta
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Valetta named after the knight who masterminded Malta's successful stand against the
Turkish siege of 1565. Sir Walter Scott described Valletta as 'the city built by gentlemen
for gentlemen'. Today it's a beautifully preserved 16th-century walled city, small enough
to cover in a few hours without sweating too much in the Mediterranean sun. In fact, the
streets were carefully laid out to channel cool breezes in from the harbour. Among Valletta's
many fine gardens are the Upper Barrakka Gardens where you can get a magnificent view of Grand
Harbour and the Cottonera. The major museum, the Palace of the Grand Masters, is also the seat
of the president and parliament. It's loaded with tapestries, frescoes and friezes commemorating
the Great Siege. Gozo Gozo has a distinct character all its own. The countryside is prettier than
that of its larger neighbour, the pace is slower and there are far fewer tourists. The island
has its share of medieval architecture and prehistoric temples, making it a great place to escape
the tourism mill while experiencing the best of what Malta has to offer. You can retrace the
footsteps of Ulysses at Calypso's Cave, in the cliffs overlooking Ramla Bay on the northeastern coast.
Other spelunking opportunities include the underground Xerri's Grotto and Ninu's Cave in the tiny
town of Xaghra, a couple of kilometres southwest of Ramla Bay. Mdina This 3000-year-old city, once
the political centre of Malta, is filled with Norman and baroque buildings and narrow cobblestone streets.
Hagar Qim Dating from as early as 3600 BC, Hagar Qim and the other Neolithic temples on Malta are
the oldest known human structures in the world. This megalithic temple complex is adorned with
carved animals and idols, sacrificial altars and oracular chambers, all executed with nothing more
than flint and obsidian tools.
The Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck, on 10 February, commemorates the mishap that brought the
apostle to Malta in 60 AD. During the third week of February, pretty floats and creepy masks mark
Carnival, when dancing competitions and other festivities take place in the capital and Floriana.
This predominantly Roman Catholic country gets into Holy Week in a big way. During the
Good Friday pageant, Christ's passion and crucifixion are depicted by statues born aloft through
the streets of Valletta and a dozen other towns.
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Society in Malta
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The Maltese spend half the year celebrating their local patron saints, filling the streets with
confetti and destroying their teeth with nougat and candy-floss. Although its influence is waning,
Catholicism is a real force in most people's daily lives. Divorce and abortion are illegal, although
younger generations have been trying to liberalise laws against these.
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Food in Malta
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The strongest influence on Maltese cuisine is Sicilian, though the popularity of grilled chops
and roast and three veg reveals a strong partiality to all things British.
Specialities use a lot of vegetables, from zucchini, artichokes, the giant cabbage and cauliflower
that grow here, sun-ripened tomatoes and potatoes. Stuffed marrows and tomatoes, and thick
vegetable minestra soups are frequently on the menu in homes and restaurants. Look out for widow’s
soup which includes a small round of Gbejniet (sheep or goat’s cheese). Dried and fresh beans are
another mainstay. On most food shop counters, you’ll see Bigilla, a thick pate of broad beans with
garlic. It is sometimes sold direct from vans in village squares. Another vegetable speciality
is Kapunata, a Maltese version of ratatouille. When fish is in abundance, you’ll find Aljotta
(fish soup) laced with garlic, chilli, tomatoes, rice and liberal handfuls of chopped marjoram or
parsley. A trip to Marsaxlokk fish market on Sunday mornings, will show you just how varied
the fish catch is in Maltese waters. Depending on the season, you’ll see spnotta (bass), dott
(stone fish), cerna (grouper), dentici (dentex), sargu (white bream) and trill (red mullet).
Then there’s swordfish and tuna, followed later in the season, around early to late autumn, by the
famed Lampuka, or dolphin fish. This tasty, white, versatile fish is a particular favourite here.
While, octopus and squid make some rich stews and pasta sauces.
The most universally eaten Maltese pastry will hardly escape the notice of the visitor who explores
the streets taking in the sounds, sights and scents of Malta. It is pastizzi, probably Turkish in
origin, a small (four mouthfulls) boat shaped, delicacy of ricotta cheese and egg wrapped with thin
crisp pastry, something between filo and puff. One may prefer and also try pastizzi filled with peas,
or a larger version with meat or anchovies. These are sold on street corners and in village bars
everywhere, and eaten hot. Maltese normally take them as a snack with tea and coffee.
Kannoli, a mouth-watering tube of crispy, fried pastry served as desert, filled with ricotta,
and sometimes also with chocolate chips or candied fruit. Other favourites include various,
Sicilian-style, semi-freddo deserts with a mix of sponge, ice-cream, candied fruits and cream
pressed into moulds and chilled. You maybe also offered helwa Tat-Tork, a very sweet sugary
mixture of crushed and whole almonds. But more than likely, desert will be a simple but delicious
offering of fruits from melons to figs, peaches, apricots, and citrus fruit.
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Visa for Malta
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Visas are not required for holiday visits of up to three months by Americans, Australians,
Britons, Canadians, Japanese, New Zealanders or nationals of most EU countries.
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