Island of Malta and interesting places

Probably the most famous rock formation still standing on Mata is the Blue Grotto (due to the fact that the Blue Eye rock gate on Gozo crashed into the sea during the 2017 storm). We find it in the south of the island of Malta and you can walk along the top of the cliff. There is a bus or there is a small parking lot at the lookout.

A new „attraction“ for tourists in February 2018 is the shipwreck Hephaestus, which can be found in the north of the island in the bay of Qawra Point. Fortunately, the accident went unnoticed, yet the whole incident is hard to believe „bad day story“. The captain was moored in an otherwise peaceful bay when a great storm came. He was afraid that big waves would throw the ship at the nearby cliffs, so he wanted to bounce off the shore at speed to the safety of the high seas, but forgot that he had a lowered anchor. When the engines started, it was wound on the propeller and the uncontrollable ship ended up exactly where the captain did not want – on the cliffs.

The so-called Pepek's village is also worth a visit. You will find it near the northern port towards Gozo. However, the village is not an open-air museum or a remnant of the original fishing village, but originally a film backdrop to the film Pepek the Sailor from 1970. You can enter the village like another amusement park, or enjoy a walk along the cliff and the view village.

There are several places in Malta where sea salt is still actively mined by evaporation from basins carved into the cliffs. You can find one such picturesque place not far south below Valletta. There is also a lighthouse, a watchtower and a bay with access to the beach for swimming.

One of the most popular beaches for sunbathing and swimming is Golden Bay Beach on the west coast of Malta. A short walk to the cliff above the beach to the watchtower can be a pleasant addition to your day at the beach.

The beach is also suitable, for example, for the last bathing before leaving back home, because you will find it 15 minutes by car south of the airport. The beach is located in the town of the same name. Few would expect that on the other side of the bay is Malta's largest port with huge transshipment cranes and docks with ocean freight containers. This spoils the view from such a picturesque beach with white sand and azure water. On the contrary, the view came to us with an interesting distraction, the water was clear and no noise was heard.

A beautiful walk in the surrounding streets and a view of one of the undoubtedly largest churches in Malta will be provided by the Valletta suburb of Tarxien.

South of Valletta we find the cute little port town of Marsaxlokk, which is perfect for tasting culinary seafood specialties in one of the restaurants on the promenade around the port. Alternatively, it is a suitable place to enjoy the view of all the color-playing boats anchored in the harbor, which will literally cover it.