What to see in Malta

St Paul's Catacombs in Rabat are among Malta's most extensive early Christian burial sites, comprising a labyrinthine network of underground galleries and rock-cut tombs dating from the 3rd to the 8th centuries AD. The catacombs lie immediately outside the walls of Mdina, following the Roman custom of burying the dead beyond city limits. Distinctive features include agape tables, carved canopied tombs and circular pit graves. The site illustrates the transition from pagan to Christian burial practices on the island.

The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni is a vast Neolithic underground sanctuary and burial site in Paola, dating from around 3300 to 3000 BC. Carved from solid limestone over three levels descending 10.6 metres below ground, it functioned as both a place of worship and a necropolis. Archaeological excavations revealed the remains of more than 7,000 individuals. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1980, recognising it as among the best preserved examples of prehistoric temple culture in the world.

Hagar Qim is a megalithic temple complex on a hilltop above the southwest coast of Malta, dating from the Ggantija phase of around 3600 to 3200 BC. The site consists of a main temple and two smaller structures built from coralline limestone blocks, some weighing several tonnes. UNESCO recognised Hagar Qim and four other Maltese megalithic structures as World Heritage Sites in 1992, describing the Maltese temples as unique architectural masterpieces. A protective tent installed in 2009 shields the stones from weathering.

Mnajdra is a megalithic temple complex on the southern coast of Malta, approximately 497 metres from the Hagar Qim site. Built around the fourth millennium BC, the complex consists of three adjoining temples whose doorways are precisely aligned with the rising sun at the solstices and equinoxes, demonstrating sophisticated astronomical knowledge. Along with other Maltese megalithic structures, UNESCO designated Mnajdra as a World Heritage Site in 1992. A protective tent shelter was completed over the site in 2009.

St Paul's Cathedral in Mdina is the principal Catholic church of the ancient walled capital, built on a site where tradition holds that the Roman governor Publius met the Apostle Paul after his shipwreck off Malta around 60 AD. The original 12th-century cathedral was severely damaged in the earthquake of 1693. It was dismantled and rebuilt in an elegant Baroque style to designs by Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafa between 1696 and 1705, a work considered his finest achievement. The interior features richly painted vaulted ceilings and a notable treasury.

The Rotunda of Mosta, formally the Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, is a monumental neoclassical church with one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. It was built between 1833 and the 1860s to designs by architect Giorgio Grognet de Vasse, on the site of an earlier Renaissance church from 1614. The dome spans 37.2 metres internally, placing it among the largest in Europe. The church became famous when a German bomb pierced the dome during a service in April 1942 but failed to detonate.

Fort Saint Angelo is a bastioned fort in Birgu, Malta, located at the centre of the Grand Harbour. Originally built in the medieval period as a castle known as the Castrum Maris, it was rebuilt by the Order of Saint John as a bastioned fort between the 1530s and the 1560s. The fort served as the Order's headquarters during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. A major reconstruction to designs by Carlos de Grunenbergh took place in the 1690s, giving the fort its current appearance and making it one of the most formidable structures on the harbour.

Ghar Dalam, meaning Cave of Darkness, is a 144-metre-long phreatic tube near Birzebbuga in southern Malta. Its sediment layers contain fossilised bones of animals that inhabited Malta during the Pleistocene and Holocene, including dwarf elephants, hippopotamuses and red deer isolated when rising sea levels separated Malta from Sicily. The cave gives its name to the earliest phase of human settlement in the Maltese Islands. An adjacent museum displays the most significant fossil finds from the site.

The Majjistral Nature and History Park is Malta's only designated national park, established in September 2007 under Legal Notice 251 of the Malta Government Gazette. It occupies the coastal area of northwestern Malta between Golden Bay and Il-Prajjet, encompassing dramatic cliffs, Mediterranean garrigue scrubland and open sea views towards Comino and Gozo. The park is named for the Maltese word for the northwestern wind and is managed as a protected area for native flora and fauna, with several marked walking trails.

The Grandmaster's Palace in the centre of Valletta was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the seat of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, who governed Malta from 1530 to 1798. After the Knights were expelled by Napoleonic France in 1798, the building became the National Palace and later, under British rule from 1800, served as the Governor's Palace. Today it functions as the official residence of the President of Malta and houses an extraordinary armoury with thousands of medieval weapons.

Mdina is a fortified medieval city in the Western Region of Malta that served as the island's capital from antiquity through the medieval period. Known by the Italian names Citta Vecchia and Citta Notabile, the city has never expanded beyond its ancient walls and retains a population of only around 250. Set on a ridge in the centre of the island, its narrow Baroque and medieval streets, palaces and cathedral attract visitors who come for its atmosphere of quiet removed from the bustle of modern Malta.

The Victoria Lines are a 12-kilometre chain of fortifications built by the British colonial authorities in the late 19th century, spanning the full width of Malta from Fomm ir-Rih on the west coast to Madliena in the northeast. The fortifications follow the natural Great Fault escarpment that divides the lower-lying northern districts from the more densely populated south. Comprising a continuous wall, several fortified redoubts and gun emplacements, the lines were built to slow any invasion force advancing from the north.

Casa Rocca Piccola is a 16th-century aristocratic palace in Valletta, home of the noble Maltese de Piro family, and one of the few private palaces in Malta still inhabited by its original owners. The palace is situated on Republic Street close to the Grandmaster's Palace. Its rooms preserve an authentic collection of antique furniture, silver, embroidery and family portraits accumulated over four centuries, providing a rare glimpse into the life of the Maltese nobility through the centuries of Hospitaller and British rule.

The Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu is the largest museum on the island, housed in the former Royal Naval Bakery, a substantial stone building constructed in the 1840s to supply bread to the British Mediterranean Fleet. The museum's collection of over 20,000 artefacts traces 7,000 years of Maltese maritime history, from prehistoric dugout canoes and Phoenician trading vessels through the Knights of St John era to modern naval technology. Exhibits are presented in their Mediterranean and global context.

Senglea, formally titled Citta Invicta, is a fortified city on a narrow promontory in the Grand Harbour, one of the Three Cities along with Birgu and Cospicua. Its title of Invicta, meaning unconquered, was awarded for its resistance during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. The city takes its name from Grand Master Claude de la Sengle, who fortified it in the 1550s. Despite its small land area, Senglea is the second most densely populated locality in Malta after Sliema, with approximately 2,720 inhabitants.

Mellieha Bay, also known as Ghajdra Bay, is the largest sandy beach in Malta, located in the northern locality of Mellieha. The bay stretches for over a kilometre and is characterised by shallow, gradually deepening water that makes it particularly suitable for families. The beach faces northeast and is sheltered by the Marfa Ridge to the north. At its southern end lies the Ghadira Nature Reserve, a protected wetland that serves as an important stopover for migratory birds passing through the central Mediterranean.

Golden Bay is one of Malta's most popular sandy beaches on the northwest coast in the Manikata area, previously known as Military Bay. The beach slopes gently into the sea, and the surrounding sandstone cliffs and reddish soil give the area a distinctive warm colouration. The bay faces northwest, making it famous for spectacular sunsets. The Ghajn Tuffieha International Scout Campsite is nearby, and the Ghajn Tuffieha watchtower stands on the adjacent headland overlooking both Golden Bay and the beach to its south.

The Blue Grotto refers to a series of sea caverns on the southwest coast of Malta, a short distance from the tiny fishing harbour of Wied iz-Zurrieq. The caves are formed in the limestone cliffs of the Qrendi coastline, and their interiors glow with extraordinary blues caused by sunlight refracting through the water. The largest cave reaches approximately 25 metres in height. Visitors reach the caves by traditional wooden boats departing from the Wied iz-Zurrieq inlet, typically in the morning when the light is strongest.

San Blas Bay is a small beach of fine reddish sand on the northeast coast of Gozo, located 1.54 kilometres west of the larger Ramla Bay and around 2 kilometres north of Nadur. The bay is known for its relative isolation: the access road is unmaintained and steep, and the beach is not served by regular public transport, making it reachable mainly on foot or by off-road vehicle. The combination of seclusion, clear water and distinctive red sand makes San Blas one of the most sought-after beaches in the Maltese Islands.

The Grand Harbour is a deep natural harbour on the northeastern shore of Malta, considered one of the finest natural anchorages in the Mediterranean. Its strategic value has shaped Maltese history for millennia: after 1530 the Knights of St John fortified its shores with a chain of bastions, fortresses and dockyard facilities. The harbour is flanked by Valletta to the north and the fortified Three Cities to the south. Its waters have witnessed some of the most significant naval battles and sieges in European history.

The largest water park in Malta in Bahar ic-Caghaq with pools, water slides and a water park for the whole family - a popular attraction especially for families with children in summer.

A modern panoramic elevator connecting the Grand Harbour waterfront with Upper Barrakka Gardens - fast, cheap and offering beautiful views of the harbour and the Three Cities.

The world-famous dive site at Dwejra - a natural rock hole 15 m in diameter descended to a depth of 60 m, where there is great visibility and rich underwater fauna.

Cirkewwa is a dive site on the northwest tip of Malta adjacent to the Gozo ferry terminal, offering a wide range of conditions suitable for both beginners and advanced divers. The site is entered via concrete stairs and the depth range runs from 5 to over 40 metres. Key features include two wrecks at 34 metres — the MV Cominoland and a former patrol boat — as well as underwater arches, tunnels, and a submerged statue of the Madonna. The site's location next to the ferry terminal makes it easily accessible, and the variety of underwater terrain means divers can find suitable conditions regardless of experience level.

A popular day boat trip around Gozo with stops at Blue Hole, Fungus Rock, Inland Sea and other rocky coves - the most beautiful view of the Gozitan coastline.

The Gozo Channel Company, known as the Gozo ferry, is a Maltese company founded in 1979 that operates roll-on/roll-off ferry services between Cirkewwa at the northern tip of Malta and Mgarr harbour in Gozo. Crossings run continuously throughout the day and night, every day of the year including public holidays. The crossing takes approximately 25 minutes. The service carries both vehicles and foot passengers and provides the primary link between the two islands for commuters, goods transport and visitors.

A popular tourist activity in Gozo - by off-road vehicle or quad bike to the remote beaches of San Blas, the cliffs of Ta' Ċenċ and country roads - the best way to explore Gozo.

The Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Archaeological Park encompasses both megalithic temple complexes on the southwest coast of Malta, dating from the Ggantija phase of around 3600 to 3200 BC. A purpose-built visitor centre and protective tent structures over the temples were completed in 2009, shielding the ancient stone from weathering. The visitor centre contains interactive exhibitions on Neolithic Malta, scale models and audiovisual presentations. UNESCO inscribed both sites as World Heritage Sites in 1992.

The Dingli Cliffs to Ghar Lapsi hike covers 14.9 kilometres along the western escarpment of Malta, with a total ascent of 130 metres and descent of 120 metres. Dingli Cliffs, at approximately 250 metres, are the highest point on the Maltese mainland and overlook the small uninhabited island of Filfla in the open Mediterranean. The trail follows the cliff edge for much of its length before descending toward the natural sea inlet of Ghar Lapsi, where a short scramble section navigates the rocky coastal terrain. The route traverses one of the least developed stretches of Malta's coastline, away from the main urban and resort areas.

The Malta Aviation Museum occupies three hangars on the site of the former Royal Air Force airfield RAF Ta Kali in Ta'Qali, one of Malta's principal fighter bases during the Second World War. The museum covers the full history of aviation in Malta, with particular focus on the aerial battles of 1940 to 1942 when Malta endured one of the most sustained bombing campaigns in the history of air warfare. The collection includes restored Spitfires, Hurricanes and other aircraft, some maintained in flying condition.

Sightseeing cruises around Grand Harbour, the Three Cities and the Valletta Bastions - the best way to appreciate the might of the fortifications from the sea.

A popular audiovisual show at the Mediterraneo Conference Centre on Valletta's industrial axis - a 45-minute film about 7000 years of Maltese history is the perfect start for new visitors.

Modern aquarium in Qawra with exhibitions of Mediterranean and tropical marine animals - popular with families with children, large tunnel tank with sharks and rays.

The Gozo Falconry Centre with demonstrations of birds of prey and falconry - a fascinating experience for the whole family with a talk on the history of falconry in the Maltese Islands.

Teatru Manoel is a historic theatre and performing arts venue in Valletta, named after Grand Master Fra Antonio Manoel de Vilhena of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, who ordered its construction in 1731. Situated on Old Theatre Street, the theatre is reputed to be the third-oldest working theatre in Europe and the oldest still operating in the Commonwealth of Nations. The intimate Baroque auditorium seats around 620 and has hosted opera, ballet and theatre continuously for almost three centuries.

Gozo's main seaside resort on the north coast with a seafront full of restaurants, a rocky beach and proximity to the Qbajjar salt pans. Lively even in the early evening.

A picturesque upper village in the centre of Gozo overlooking both coasts - famous for its wildly satirical carnival (February) and traditional Gozitan atmosphere.

Reqqa Point is a dive site on the northwest coast of Gozo, accessed from shore and descending through boulder and reef formations to maximum depths exceeding 70 metres, with average diving depths of around 25 metres. The site is rated for advanced divers due to the depth, the complexity of the underwater terrain, and the currents that can be present along this exposed coast. Visibility at Reqqa Point is typically excellent. The site falls within the Dwejra marine protected area, a zone on the northwest coast of Gozo that encompasses some of the most diverse underwater habitats in the Maltese islands.

The Sliema Ferry is a catamaran service crossing the harbour mouth between The Strand in Sliema and the Valletta waterfront, taking approximately 5 minutes to cross a distance that would otherwise require a lengthy road journey around the harbour. During peak periods the service runs at 15-minute intervals. The crossing passes directly in front of Valletta's historic fortifications, giving passengers views of the Grand Harbour entrance and the bastions built by the Knights of St John. The ferry connects two of Malta's most visited areas and provides an efficient alternative to road traffic for those moving between the two shores.

Malta's busiest tourist district, with a selection of restaurants, bars and nightclubs around the picturesque Spinola Bay full of traditional luzzu fishing boats.

Victoria, also known as Rabat or by its formal title Citta Victoria, is the main town and administrative capital of Gozo, with a population of around 7,500. The town is built around the historic Cittadella citadel on a central hill, and spreads down through a bustling lower town with markets, Baroque churches and narrow streets. The central market hall and the surrounding area, known as It-Tokk, serve as the social and commercial centre of the island. Victoria was renamed in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

A popular cruise spot in the south of Malta with boat trips to the Blue Grotto - a picturesque fishing village with authentic trattorias and fresh fish vendors.

Zebbug is a village in the northwest of Gozo, situated on two hilltop plateaus overlooking the sea. Built close to the villages of Gharb and Ghasri, Zebbug has a population of around 2,900. The Marsalforn coastal resort lies within the Zebbug local council. The village is dominated by its 17th-century parish church, dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady, whose Baroque facade and campanile are visible from a wide area of northwest Gozo. The fishing port of Marsalforn lies at the base of the hill.

Two connected bays on Marfa Ridge in the northernmost part of Malta with a sandy and rocky beach - a quieter alternative to the crowded Golden Bay, popular with locals.

Malta's most beautiful natural enigma - the shallow lagoon between Comino and the islet of Cominotto with its perfectly transparent turquoise water. Arrive early in the morning, leave the crowds in the afternoon.

Blue Lagoon's lesser-known little sister on the south side of Comino with crystal clear water and rock caves to explore - a slightly quieter alternative.

Dwejra on the western coast of Gozo was made internationally famous by the Azure Window, a 28-metre natural limestone arch that collapsed into the sea on 8 March 2017. The coastline retains extraordinary geological character: the Blue Hole, a natural rock shaft 15 metres in diameter descending to 60 metres, connects to an underwater cave system and is one of the finest dive sites in the Mediterranean. The Inland Sea lagoon nearby is connected to the open sea by a narrow rock tunnel through the cliff face.

A wild, hard-to-reach bay in southwest Malta with no infrastructure - rewarded with a completely secluded beach among layered cliffs for adventurous travellers.

A popular rock cove in the southwest of Malta with a natural pool in warm sea water - ideal for snorkelling and diving, popular with the local Maltese.

Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, commonly called Riviera, is a sandy beach with distinctive reddish sand in Mgarr, 345 metres south of Golden Bay. To reach the beach, visitors must descend a staircase of around 200 steps cut into the cliff. The cliff walls and rocky outcrops below the waterline support sea grass beds and a variety of fish, making the bay one of the better snorkelling beaches on Malta's northwest coast. On the western headland stands the Ghajn Tuffieha watchtower, built by the Knights Hospitaller in the 17th century.

Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, commonly called Riviera, is a sandy beach with distinctive reddish sand located 345 metres south of Golden Bay in Mgarr, Malta. To reach the beach, visitors must descend a staircase of around 200 steps cut into the cliff. On the western headland stands the Ghajn Tuffieha Tower, one of seven watchtowers built by Grand Master Giovanni Paolo Lascaris of the Knights Hospitaller in the 17th century. The beach is generally less crowded than Golden Bay and is popular with local Maltese swimmers.

Paradise Bay sits at the northern tip of Malta at the base of limestone cliffs, reached by descending approximately 100 steps from the road above. The sandy beach is sheltered by the surrounding cliff faces and offers views across the water toward Gozo and Comino. The bay lies close to the Cirkewwa ferry terminal, the main departure point for Gozo. The limestone cliffs that frame the bay are characteristic of Malta's northern coastline, where millennia of erosion by the Mediterranean have produced the steep rocky headlands that alternate with small sandy inlets along this stretch of coast.

Malta's southernmost sandy beach in Birżebbuġa Bay overlooking Marsaxlokk Harbour - quiet swimming and snorkelling, fewer tourists than the northern beaches.

Ramla Bay is a bay with distinctively reddish-orange sand on the northeast coast of Gozo, lying between the bays of Marsalforn and San Blas. The unusual colouration results from iron-rich minerals in the local limestone. The closest settlement is Xaghra, reachable via a winding valley road. On the hillside at the western end of the beach stands the entrance to Calypso Cave, traditionally identified with the mythological home of the nymph Calypso in Homer's Odyssey. Ramla is Gozo's largest and most popular beach.

A quiet sandy beach in the northeast of Comino with clear water suitable for snorkelling - a relatively empty and romantic backwater compared to Blue Lagoon.

A popular sandy beach in the tourist centre of Paceville and St Julian's - an ideal base for evening entertainment, with hotels and restaurants right on the beach.

A natural swimming area in the rocky bay at Marsaxlokk - clear water with many shades of blue, a popular spot for snorkelling and jumping into the water from the rocks.

A picturesque narrow bay on the southwest coast of Gozo with fishing restaurants, a rocky beach and excellent snorkelling in the clear water. Popular in the early evening.

The legendary cave above the beaches of Ramla Bay, where, according to Homer's Odyssey, the nymph Kalypso dwelt and held Odysseus for seven years - a magnificent view of northern Gozo.

The third of the historic three towns at Grand Harbour - a less touristy but authentic place with historic Knights Dockyard and fortifications from the Great Siege.

The Victorian Battery at Kalkara with one of the largest naval guns in the world (the 100-ton Armstrong) - a live tour with a military group in historical uniforms.

The Gozo Museum of Prehistory, Antiquity and Medieval Gozo inside the Victoria Citadel - exhibits range from the Neolithic to Phoenician and Roman artefacts to the Knights period.

The Cittadella is the historic citadel at the heart of Victoria, the capital of Gozo. The area has been continuously inhabited since the Bronze Age, and the site is believed to have served as the acropolis of the Punic-Roman city of Gaulos. The current walls date mainly from the 17th century, rebuilt by the Order of St John following an Ottoman raid in 1551 that enslaved much of the island's population. Within the walls stand a cathedral, four museums and several palaces offering panoramic views across Gozo.

A unique group of three 15th century medieval chapels in the deserted agricultural landscape of southern Malta - preserved Byzantine-style frescoes hiding quietly in the fields.

The only surviving Inquisitor's residence in Europe open to the public - a fascinating walk through the history of the Maltese Inquisition from the 16th to the 18th century.

Secret underground tunnels deep in the bowels of the Valletta bastions, from where the Allied naval and air command was controlled during World War II. Authentic atmosphere.

Malta's most picturesque fishing village with a collection of traditional colourful luzzu boats - every Sunday there's a famous market with seafood and local produce.

Grotto where tradition has it that the Apostle Paul stayed after his shipwreck off the Maltese coast in 60 AD - a small but spiritually powerful site below the Rabat Basilica.

Mysterious prehistoric tracks carved into the rock, whose origin and purpose remain a mystery - the largest concentration of 'cart ruts' in Malta in a beautiful rural landscape.

The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta occupies the Auberge de Provence, one of the finest examples of Baroque civic architecture in the city, built in 1571 by Maltese architect Glormu Cassar. The museum's collections span the full arc of Maltese prehistory from the earliest Neolithic phases through the Phoenician and Roman periods. Among the highlights are the Sleeping Lady figurine from the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and decorated limestone friezes from the Tarxien Temples. The museum is managed by Heritage Malta.

A former British military garrison converted into a residential area with a rocky beach and well-preserved Victorian buildings - a less touristy area with an authentic character.

The Red Watchtower (Torre Hamra) from 1647 at the northern end of Marfa Ridge - one of the few surviving towers of De Redin overlooking Comino and Gozo.

A unique 16th-century round bastioned cavalier at Valletta Gate, now serving as an art centre with a gallery and exhibitions on the history of Maltese fortifications.

A jewel of Maltese Baroque architecture - the interior is decorated with marble tiles with tombstones of knights and Caravaggio's famous painting 'The Beheading of John the Baptist'.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu is a Roman Catholic minor basilica situated around 700 metres from the village of Gharb on the island of Gozo. The imposing Romanesque-Byzantine structure was built between 1920 and 1932 on the site of a 16th-century chapel where a voice was reportedly heard by a local woman in 1883. The original chapel is incorporated into the rear of the basilica, which is flanked by a single campanile rising 35 metres above the surrounding farmland.

Neolithic temple complex from 3600-2500 BC with preserved decorative ornamentation and a large statue of a goddess - part of the UNESCO Megalithic Temples of Malta.

One of the smallest capitals in the world, full of Baroque architecture, palaces and churches - the entire centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nicknamed 'the world's most compact historic city'.

The summer residence of the Maltese President from 1586, surrounded by Malta's only forest - Buskett Gardens with lemon, almond and pine trees, open to the public on public holidays.

Ggantija is a megalithic temple complex in Xaghra on the island of Gozo, among the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world. The two temples were built during the Neolithic period, making them more than 5,500 years old and older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Their builders erected massive limestone blocks, some weighing over 50 tonnes, without the use of metal tools or the wheel. UNESCO designated Ggantija as a World Heritage Site as part of the Megalithic Temples of Malta inscription.

The Grand Harbour, also known as the Port of Valletta, is a natural deep-water harbour on the northeastern shore of Malta that has served as the island's principal port since ancient times. Extensively modified over the centuries with docks, wharves and fortifications, the harbour has accommodated some of the largest warships and merchant fleets in Mediterranean history. The Knights of St John built their principal naval facilities here after arriving in 1530, and the harbour witnessed the arrival of key Allied convoys during the Second World War.

Malta's only large forest - a garden of orange, almond and pine trees originally created as a hunting ground for knights. A refreshing escape from the Maltese heat.

An almost uninhabited islet between Malta and Gozo with wild nature, the wind tower of St. Mary and a beautiful rocky landscape - home to only one family and a hospice.

Malta's highest point (253 m above sea level) - dramatic sea cliffs with stunning views of the Filfla islet and the open sea. Ideal for a sunset stroll.

Dwejra is a coastal area on the western shore of Gozo, centred on the Inland Sea, a sheltered lagoon connected to the open sea by a narrow rock tunnel. The area was internationally famous for the Azure Window, a 28-metre natural limestone arch that collapsed during a storm on 8 March 2017. The surrounding waters, including the Blue Hole dive site, remain one of the most biologically rich marine environments in the Maltese Islands. Fungus Rock, the 60-metre limestone islet, stands at the entrance to the bay.

Filfla is a small, largely barren and uninhabited islet lying 4.5 kilometres south of the Maltese coast, forming the southernmost point of the Maltese Archipelago. The name is believed to derive from the Arabic word felfel, meaning peppercorn, and the island was marked simply as Pepper Island on nautical charts before the 17th century. Filfla is now a strictly protected nature reserve, home to colonies of storm petrels and the endemic Filfla wall lizard. Access is restricted to scientific researchers only.

Fungus Rock, known in Maltese as il-Gebla tal-Gvernal, is a 60-metre-high limestone islet at the entrance to the Dwejra lagoon on the western coast of Gozo. The rock takes its common name from the parasitic plant Cynomorium coccineum, known as the Maltese Fungus, which grew on its steep sides. The Knights of St John valued this plant for its believed medicinal properties and established strict penalties for unauthorised collection. The rock lies within the Dwejra nature protection zone and cannot be accessed.

The fascinating traditionally operated salt pans at Marsalforn, where salt has been mined using the same method since Roman times - a photogenic rocky landscape with azure waters.

Traditional salt pans carved into the rock at Marsalforn with a history dating back to Roman times - a unique landscape, especially during salt bathing and the golden hour.

San Anton Palace is a Baroque palace in Attard, central Malta, serving as the official residence of the President of Malta. Built in the early 17th century as a country villa for Antoine de Paule, a Knight of the Order of St John, it was expanded into a full palace following de Paule's election as Grand Master in 1623. The surrounding San Anton Gardens, covering several hectares, were originally a productive orchard and kitchen garden for the palace and are now open to the public as one of Malta's most pleasant green spaces.

Centre for Maltese crafts and traditional glass, filigree and ceramic production in a former airplane hangar in the middle of the island - free entry, nice shopping stop.

Beautiful colonnaded gardens atop the bastions above the Grand Harbour with panoramic views of the Three Cities. Every day, the cannon salute sounds from here at noon.

A small fishing cove, from where boat trips to the Blue Grotto depart - a number of fresh seafood restaurants around the harbour. The bay itself is beautiful.

Picturesque coastal promenade in the small seaside village of Xgħajra with great views of Grand Harbour and Valletta - a less touristy, authentically Maltese location.