MALTA Archives | PACK THE SUITCASES

26 things to do in Valletta, Malta’s tiny capital city

11th March 2025 35 Comments

Things to do in Valletta, Malta and around it | PACK THE SUITCASES

Here are some of the best things to do in Valletta, Malta, and the immediate surrounding area. This list should give you a good flavour of this intriguing honey-coloured fortress city, and how to make the most of it even if you’re only there for a short break.

Valletta is the capital of Malta. It stands proud on the ocean, rising up on the skyline in a mish-mash of Baroque architecture. The city is a photographer’s dream, overflowing with colourful doors and balconies, pots of flowers, and little cobbled streets. And although it’s not as well known as some of the European capitals, it became the European Capital of Culture for 2018, which really increased its popularity with visitors. The whole city is also listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site, given its wealth of history. Its churches, museums and palaces are all crammed into a very small space as Valletta is only 1km long and 600m wide. This makes it one of Europe’s teeniest capitals. So this means you can easily explore the city in a couple of days and also head out to see what’s just nearby.

If all this sounds up your street, read on for more detail on things to do in Valletta and beyond…

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A guide to visiting Ghajn Tuffieha bay: Malta’s most beautiful sandy beach

29th January 2022 6 Comments

If you’re planning a trip to Malta, get Ghajn Tuffieha bay on your itinerary. It’s a beautiful and unspoilt sandy beach with some stunning clifftop walks, overlooking the turquoise sea and lined with brightly coloured wildflowers. You might even spot a cute little Mediterranean chameleon wandering along the path down to the shore because the area is full of wildlife.

For some reason, there’s a myth that Malta only has rocky beaches. It does have plenty of them, but it has a few sandy beaches too, and Ghajn Tuffieha bay is the best of these. I really recommend making the journey there for a relaxing afternoon. It’s the perfect place to take in the blue skies and golden sand with a drink in hand.

Here’s my little guide to Ghajn Tuffieha bay and how to enjoy a day there. Get your suncream at the ready and start planning your trip…

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A guide to magical Mdina, Malta’s silent city

14th November 2021 24 Comments

A guide to Mdina: the silent city of Malta | PACKTHESUITCASES

Exploring Mdina, the silent city of Malta, is a highlight of any trip to the island and an experience you shouldn’t miss while there as it’s really unlike anywhere else you might discover on your travels. Mdina is a tiny walled city and the former capital of Malta. It lies on a hilltop in the centre of Malta, with fewer than 250 inhabitants but boasting 4,000 years of history and an intriguing reputation as ‘the silent city’. How mysterious and beguiling does that sound? And yes, if you’re wondering, Mdina really lives up to this ‘silent city’ name. You’ll find it eerily quiet and, especially if you visit later in the day, strangely empty. The dim glow of the ornate streetlamps may be your only company on a dusky evening.

By day, Mdina is less creepy and more pretty. Honey-coloured walls line the winding streets. Colourful flowers and doors are everywhere. It’s a photographer’s paradise. And it’s such a small city that you won’t get lost for more than a minute, so you can wander down whichever pretty street takes your fancy.

If you’re planning a trip to Malta, get Mdina the silent city on your itinerary. Here’s my little guide to what to see, do and know before you go…

DESTINATIONS

A guide to visiting Gozo, Malta, without a car: things to do by bus

10th April 2021 48 Comments

Things to do in Gozo, Malta, without a car | PACK THE SUITCASES

Here are some things to do in Gozo without a car, if you’re there for a short visit or day trip. Most guidebooks and websites will recommend hiring a car to see Gozo, but if like me you don’t drive or don’t want to drive abroad, it’s definitely possible to do by bus and on foot, so I thought I’d put together some ideas.

Gozo is Malta’s smaller and quieter neighbour, a much more rural and green land with some beautiful scenery along its rugged coastlines. Its landscape is punctuated with myriad Baroque churches and crumbling old stone farmhouses. The pace of life here is slower and the locals are more relaxed, giving the island a dreamlike quality. Lovers of Greek mythology will also like the fact that Gozo is said to be the legendary island of Ogygia, where Odysseus meets the nymph Calypso in Homer’s epic Odyssey.

If that sounds up your street, here are a few things to do in Gozo without a car that I recommend…