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Malta
vital statistics
- Valletta
- 425,000
- Maltese, English
- Euro
It’s not the origin of those addictive choc-malt balls, yet Malta may prove to be equally as irresistible.
Secluded bays, rugged cliffs, architecture from all the great historical eras and huge plates of fresh seafood pinpoint this group of idyllic islands as part of the Mediterranean. Visit here and you may even be following in the pedicured footsteps of the stars, since a number of Hollywood films, including Troy, Gladiator and The Da Vinci Code have beeb shot here. It’s no wonder directors salivate – the capital Valletta is a camera-friendly siren armed with assets such as a spectacular harbour, Baroque architecture and the impressive St John’s Co-Cathedral.
As well as its visual offerings, Malta is a feast for the stomach, with dishes that take on flavours from Italy, Spain, France and the Middle East. To supplement the beaching and the feasting, discover fine art in its museums, hike in solitude on Comino, an island pirates and smugglers once used as a hideout, and get cultural trying to decipher the meaning of ghana, a traditional sing-song ‘conversation’ accompanied by guitar. There’s also the chance to let down your hair at Maltese Carnival, a vibrant alternative to the one in Venice.