Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Malta: The Mediterranean Islands To See Now, Before the Secret Gets Out

by Wendy Perrin | February 5, 2025

Imagine a magical place where:

  • there are ancient temples older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids; in fact, they’re the oldest freestanding structures in the world.
  • there are Blue Grottoes and a Crystal Lagoon.
  • so many different civilizations and empires have left their mark that the culture, art, and traditions are uniquely fascinating.
  • you’re still in Europe but it’s warm in winter.
  • the flight time from Rome or Athens is less than two hours, and English is an official language.

It’s not just a dream. There IS such a place. It’s called Malta. And if it’s not on your radar, it should be.

Wendy Perrin having a picnic on the beach on Gozo Island, Malta.

A private picnic on the Maltese island of Gozo. Photo: Timothy Baker

That’s me on the Maltese island of Gozo last fall. (Yes, Malta still has beach weather in mid-October.)  It was my third time in Malta, and each time just keeps getting better. That’s because this trip was arranged by the Malta experts on The WOW List.

Malta may be 8,000 years old and well-known to Europeans, but right now its medieval cities and dramatic coastlines are being “discovered” by everyone else.  Tourism in 2024 grew more than 20% over 2023, thanks to an increase in flights and the addition of new cruise-ship piers. The mostly uninhabited island of Comino will be getting a Six Senses resort in 2027!  Need I say more? Go now!

Wendy Perrin with a medieval church in the background, in Malta.

Wendy in Mdina, the fortified city that was the island’s former capital. Photo: Timothy Baker

View of sea and cliffs in Malta.

The coast of Gozo. Photo: Timothy Baker

St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta.

St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the Baroque masterpiece in Valletta. Photo: Timothy Baker

MALTA HAS IT ALL: HISTORY, CULTURE, ADVENTURE, AND SUN IN THE OFF-SEASON

In addition to its historic importance and cultural riches, Malta is a place for beach-vacation-style adventures, from quad biking to scuba diving.

Wendy Perrin driving an ATV in Gozo, Malta.

Wendy went quad biking all over the island of Gozo. Photo: Timothy Baker

Timothy Baker scuba diving in Gozo, Malta.

That’s Wendy’s husband, Tim, scuba diving in Gozo in mid-October. Photo: Lotta Partanen

Malta’s got beach and boat weather from March through October.  This was the beach scene in mid-October on the island of Gozo:

People swimming and sunbathing on the beach in Gozo, Malta.

In Malta it’s bikini weather through the end of October. Photo: Wendy Perrin

And it’s warm enough for dining al fresco through much of November. This was the evening scene in the capital city of Valletta in mid-October:

View of a busy street and restaurants in Valletta, Malta.

Malta’s capital city of Valletta has a vibrant dining scene. Photo: Wendy Perrin

Malta is even that rare Mediterranean island that’s a great choice for Christmas or spring break. To understand why, read these Malta reviews shared by travelers who arranged their trips the WOW way, including this Christmas review and this spring-break review.

WOW INSIDER EXPERIENCES

Many of you love getting special access to places and people that are normally behind closed doors.  If you book through the right Malta expert, there are many such experiences to be had.

Room in Palazzo del Prelato, in Mdina, Malta.

Inside the Palazzo del Prelato. Photo: Timothy Baker

I made a private visit to the Palazzo del Prelato, for instance. It’s a medieval mansion in Mdina that was once home to the prelate of the grand cathedral across the square. The palazzo’s owner, Francis Lanfranco, showed us his private home, which his family has lived in for centuries.

Chapel in Palazzo del Prelato, in Mdina, Malta.

Francis Lanfranco shows us Christian relics in the Palazzo del Prelato’s chapel. Photo: Timothy Baker

From the ancient Christian relics in his chapel (upstairs between the stairway and the dining room) to the Egyptian funerary mask in the parlor, the house is practically a museum…with glorious rooftop views.

I also got to meet sixth-generation gilder and restorer Pierre Darmanin in his studio . If you’re Maltese nobility or a church and you have a gilded treasure that needs restoration, Pierre is probably your go-to.

Restorer Pierre Darmanin in Valletta, Malta.

Sixth-generation gilder and restorer Pierre Darmanin in his studio in Valletta. Photo: Timothy Baker

I loved learning about his disappearing craft and seeing the 17th-century tools passed down from his ancestors.  What’s special about experiences like this is the visceral, unforgettable glimpse you get into local people’s lives. It’s living history.

Ggantija temple in Gozo, Malta.

Wendy’s husband with the curator of Ggantija, the world’s oldest freestanding structure. Photo: Wendy Perrin

Even with sites that are open to the public, such as Malta’s 5,600-year-old megalithic temple of Ggantija, it’s special when you can see it through the eyes of the people who know it best. Above is curator Albert Zammit explaining the world’s oldest freestanding structure—yes, older than the Pyramids of Egypt—to my husband.

IT’S THE PEOPLE YOU MEET

The itinerary arranged by our local fixers in Malta introduced us to their friends all over the Maltese islands. As happens on most WOW trips, the WOW fixer’s local friends become your new friends too.

I met Gulinu and Nancy Scicluna, for instance, who taught me how to make pastizzi, a traditional Maltese savory pastry, in their kitchen. Very few people make pastizzi from scratch anymore—it’s just too much work—but Gulinu learned how as a child and still does it that way as a labor of love.

Pastizzi makers Gulinu and Nancy Scicluna ccoking.

Gulinu and Nancy Scicluna in their kitchen, teaching me how to make pastizzi. Photo: Wendy Perrin

I also met Manny Buhagiar at a bocce club on the island of Gozo. Manny grew up in Malta and then spent years working in Manhattan two blocks from where I grew up!  Now he’s back in his beloved Gozo. While we traded stories, he taught me how to play bocce (and let me win).

Wendy Perrin talking to Manny Buhagiar in Gozo, Malta.

Meeting Manny Buhagiar over bocce on the island of Gozo.  Photo: Timothy Baker

Speaking of meeting people, meet WOW List Malta experts Jason and Damon Camilleri Allan, who surprised us at the airport.

Wendy Perrin with Jason and Damon Camilleri Allan at the airport in Valletta, Malta.

Jason and Damon Camilleri Allan, Malta specialists who make the magic happen. Photo: Timothy Baker

To be recognized as a VIP traveler, with priority status and the other benefits of my WOW way of trip planning—in other words, to get the maximized experience you read about in these reviews —click the black button below and fill out my trip questionnaire. You’ll hear from the experts shortly!

START A WOW TRIP TO MALTA

 

Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.

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1 Comment

  1. Marilyn B

    My husband and I spent 9 days in Malta way back in November 2006,a time when people would ask us “where is that?”! We absolutely loved it and it remains one of our favorite vacations. We stayed in St. Julian, just north of Valletta, rode the buses everywhere and took a day trip to Gozo. Fabulous. We had a cruise ship day there in 2009 and could see changes coming. Go now before it becomes just another “influence” hotspot. You will not be disappointed.

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