©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Malta · It’s even easier to visit the tiny island of Comino from Gozo than it is from Malta, so arrange your boat trip and spend an afternoon

Malta & Gozo

Brett Atkinson

Northern Maltap85

Gozo &Comino

p127

CentralMaltap103

Sliema, St Julian's& Pacevillep76

Southern Maltap117

Vallettap50

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Welcome to Malta & Gozo . . . . . . . . . . . 4Malta & Gozo’s Top 10 . . . 8Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 14What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . 16If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . .17Month by Month . . . . . . . 19Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Accommodation . . . . . . . 24Getting Around Malta & Gozo . . . . . . . . . . 26Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Eat & Drink Like a Local . . . . . . . . . . . 38Travel with Children . . . . 43Regions at a Glance . . . . .47

VALLETTA . . . . . . . . . 50History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . 63Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . 67Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Around Valletta . . . . . . . . 69Hal Saflieni Hypogeum & Tarxien Temples . . . . . . . . . 69The Three Cities . . . . . . . . . 70Vittoriosa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Senglea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

SLIEMA, ST JULIAN’S & PACEVILLE . . . . . . . 76Sliema & Around . . . . . . . . 78St Julian’s & Paceville . . . . 81

NORTHERN MALTA . . . 85Golden Bay & Għajn Tuffieħa . . . . . . . . . . . 88Mġarr & Around . . . . . . . . . 89Mellieħa & Around . . . . . . . 89Marfa Peninsula . . . . . . . . . 92Xemxija . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Buġibba, Qawra & St Paul’s Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq . . . . . . . 102

MA

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Contents

CENTRAL MALTA . . . 103Mdina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Rabat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Dingli Cliffs . . . . . . . . . . . . 112Mosta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Naxxar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Birkirkara & the Three Villages . . . . . . . . . . 115Fomm ir-Riħ . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

SOUTHERN MALTA . . .117Marsaxlokk . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Birżebbuġa . . . . . . . . . . . . 121Marsaskala . . . . . . . . . . . . 122Żurrieq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra . . . 124Għar Lapsi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

GOZO & COMINO . . .127Gozo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Victoria (Rabat) . . . . . . . . 130Mġarr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Mġarr ix-Xini . . . . . . . . . . . 136Xewkija . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Ta’Ċenċ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Xlendi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Għarb & San Lawrenz . . . 139Dwejra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Marsalforn . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Xagħra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Nadur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Comino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Malta & Gozo Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152The Maltese Way of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1635000 Years of Architecture . . . . . . . . . 167

Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . .172Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . .177Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . .191

SPECIAL FEATURESDiving & Snorkelling . . . 28

Eat & Drink Like a Local . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Valletta Image Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

5000 Years of Architecture . . . . . . . . . 167

UNDERSTAND

SURVIVAL GUIDE

CARMELITE BASILICA, VALLETTA P61

Itineraries

Tarxien Temples and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

SengleaVittoriosa

Ħaġar Qim& Mnajdra

M E D I T E R R A N E A N

S E A

M E D I T E R R A N E A N

S E A

MALTA

COMINO

South Comino

Channel

GOZO BlueLagoon

BlueGrotto

Valletta

MarsaxlokkSt Peter'sPool

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Golden Bay

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#•Park tal-Majjistral

#•

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#•

#•

Essential Malta

Malta’s diminutive dimensions (27km by 14.5km) mean having your own car is an asset; otherwise, base yourself in Valletta, Naxxar, Sliema or St Julian’s for the easiest bus connections.

Begin in Valletta – explore the narrow streets and fortifications, admire views across the Grand Harbour, and visit MUŻA, St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master’s Palace. On the second day, experience Fort St Elmo, visiting the National War Museum, before a ferry ride across the harbour to Vittoriosa and Senglea. On day three visit the Tarxien Temples and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, en route south for a seafood lunch at Marsaxlokk. Spend the afternoon at St Peter’s Pool, a rocky bay with flat rocks for sunbathing.

On day four take a boat trip to the Blue Grotto, explore the clifftop temples of Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra, and then spend the afternoon in Mdina and Rabat. Allocate day five to relaxing on a beach, such as Golden Bay, recharging for physical activity on day six – a walk around Park tal-Majjistral or maybe scuba diving around the Marfa Peninsula. End on a high with a day trip to Comino’s Blue Lagoon.

1 WEEK

22 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

The island of Gozo (14km by 7km) is much smaller than Malta but you still need time to do it justice. Because of its modest size, you can base yourself almost anywhere, particu-larly if you have your own set of wheels (recommended).

Another great way to get around is to hire a bicycle (available on Gozo) or an electric bike (to help with the hills) – the latter must be collected on Malta and brought to Gozo on the ferry. To get the most out of your stay, rent a rambling, idyllic Gozitan farmhouse.

Start your visit by spending a morning exploring Victoria (Rabat), wandering around recently restored Il-Kastell, with its astounding views, and the narrow lanes of Il-Borgo. Take a trip over to the huddled seaside resort town of Marsalforn for a lazy lunch with sea views and then visit the dramatically set salt pans just outside the town. On day two, head to the grand pilgrimage centre of Basilica of Ta’Pinu with its poign-ant votive offerings, to pay your respects, then while away the rest of the day walking, swimming and snorkelling amid the fantastical moonscape scenery of Dwejra.

Set aside day three for walking around the soul-stirring clifftop scenery of Ta’Ċenċ, and for seeking out a lesser-known spot for swimming and snorkelling (nearby Mġarr ix-Xini is lovely, and a great place for a leisurely lunch).

Begin day four with a visit to the extraordinary prehistoric Ġgantija Temples and other attractions of Xagħra, then spend the afternoon reclining on Ramla Bay or more remote San Blas Bay, both of which are beautiful beaches where red sands meet blue water.

It’s even easier to visit the tiny island of Comino from Gozo than it is from Malta, so arrange your boat trip and spend an afternoon paddling around the Blue Lagoon.

There’s five days covered, but why not allocate a week and spend a few days relaxing poolside or on the beach?

5 DAYS

#•

#•

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Temples

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Ta'Ċenċ

Dwejra

Basilica ofTa'Pinu

MarsalfornSalt Pans

Comino

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M E D I T E R R A N E A NS E A

M E D I T E R R A N E A NS E A

North Comino

Channel

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23PLAN

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SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK We love to hear from travellers – your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better. Our well-travelled team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. Although we cannot reply individually to your submissions, we always guarantee that your feed-back goes straight to the appropriate authors, in time for the next edition. Each person who sends us information is thanked in the next edition – the most useful submissions are rewarded with a selection of digital PDF chapters.

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186186

OUR READERSMany thanks to the travellers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes:Miguel Marcos Martin, Larry Iversen, Muris Hebibović, Patricia Golan, Paul Whittington, Phil Grimley, Philippe Funken, Rafael Barrios, Scot Stone, Sharon L Stern, Trevor Coultas.

WRITER THANKSBrett AtkinsonReturning to Malta was a pleasure and a privi-lege, and I’m indebted to the following people: Thank you to Hanna Briffa for art and dining recommendations, and also to Denise Briffa

for highlighting Malta’s best new restaurants. Thanks also to Arthur Grima, Kurt Mifsud and Simon Sciberras. At LP, thanks to Anna Tyler for the opportunity to explore the best little nation in the Mediterranean. Final thanks to Carol for joining me on our mini-adventure to Gozo and beyond.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSClimate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Clas-sification’, Hydrology and Earth System Scienc-es, 11, 163344Cover photograph: Melllieħa, Malta; Ken Scicluna/AWL ©

Behind the ScenesBehind the Scenes

THIS BOOKThis 7th edition of Lonely Plan-et’s Malta & Gozo guidebook was researched and written by Brett Atkinson. The previous two editions were written by Abigail Blasi. This guidebook was produced by the following:

Destination Editor Anna TylerSenior Product Editor Elizabeth JonesProduct Editor Paul Harding Senior Cartographer Anthony PhelanBook Designer Fergal CondonAssisting Editors Ronan Abayawickrema, Michelle

Bennett, Helen Koehne, Charlotte Orr, Simon WilliamsonCover Researcher Naomi ParkerThanks to Imogen Bannister, Hannah Cartmel, Gwen Cotter, Andi Jones, Kate Matthews, Martine Power, Rachel Rawling, Kirsten Rawlings.


187

Index

Map Pages 000Photo Pages 000

Aaccessible travel 172accommodation 24-5, 45activities 28-37, 45 see also

individual activitiesair travel 177aquariums 96-7, 46amusement parks 44

Buġibba Water Park 97Popeye Village 90Splash & Fun Park 102

Arabs 153-4archaeological sites 17, 167

cart ruts 114Domus Romana 110Ġgantija Temples 143Għar Dalam Cave &

Museum 121-2Ħaġar Qim 13, 124-5Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

9, 69, 9Mnajdra 13, 124-5Skorba Temples 89St Agatha’s Crypt &

Catacombs 110St Paul’s Catacombs 110Ta’Ħaġrat Temple 89Tarxien Temples 69-70

architecture 17, 167-70Armoury 73art galleries, see museums

& galleriesartists

Caravaggio 170Preti, Mattia 159

arts 165-6ATMs 175audiovisual shows

Gozo 360° 132Malta 5D 60Malta Experience 60

Mdina Experience 107Valletta Living History 60

automobile associations 180Azure Window 140

Bbabysitting 44Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq 102bargaining 175basilicas, see churches &

cathedralsbathrooms 176beaches 17, 34, 45

Adeera Beach Complex 91Baia Beach Club 92Daħlet Qorrot 146Għajn Tuffieħa Bay 88Ġnejna Bay 89Golden Bay 88Ħondoq ir-Rummien 146Mellieħa Bay 90Ramla Bay 144San Blas Bay 146Selmun (Imgiebah)

Bay 90Sliema 78Wied il-Għasri 144Xwieni Bay 141

beer 41Bethlehem Village 135-6bicycle travel 178-9bird hunting 166Birdlife Malta 35, 148birdwatching 37BirguFest 20Birkirkara 115-16Birżebbuġa 121-2Blue Grotto 123Blue Hole 141Blue Lagoon 12, 148, 2, 12boats 122boat travel 27, 97, 178, 179boat trips

Buġibba 99Golden Bay 88Mġarr 136

Sliema 78Xlendi 138Żurrieq 123

Bonaparte, Napoleon 158-9books 150

archaeology 169architecture 169cooking 41culture 163, 165history 152, 154, 157, 158

Briffa, Chris 169Buġibba 96-101, 98Buġibba Water Park 97bus travel 27, 179-80business hours 15, 175

CCalypso’s Cave 144car travel 180-2, 267Caravaggio 170Carmelite Basilica 61, 3Carnival 19cart ruts 114Casa Bernard 110Casa Rocca Piccola 58Cassar, Gerolamo 169castles & fortresses 44

Dwejra (Qawra) Tower 141Fort Campbell 90-1Fort Rinella 71Fort St Angelo 71, 13Fort St Elmo & National

War Museum 53, 56Il-Kastell 10, 131, 133, 10Red (St Agatha’s) Tower

92St John’s Demi-Bastion

132St Mary’s Tower 148Wignacourt Tower 97-9

catacombsSt Agatha’s Crypt &

Catacombs 110St Paul’s Catacombs 110

cathedrals, see churches & cathedrals

caves 44Calypso’s Cave 144Għar Dalam 121-2Għar Ħasan Cave 122Ninu’s Cave 144Xerri’s Grotto 143-4

cell phones 14, 176Central Malta 103-16

driving tours 113, 113food 103highlights 104-5, 104-5travel seasons 103

children, travel with 43-6, 46churches & cathedrals 168

Basilica of St George 134Basilica of Ta’Pinu 139Carmelite Basilica 61, 3Chapel of San Dimitri 140Chapel of St Mary

Magdalene 112Chapel of the

Annunciation 123Cathedral of the

Assumption 132Church of Our Lady of

Lourdes 135Church of Our Lady of

Victory 90Church of Our Lady’s

Return from Egypt 148Church of Saints Peter &

Paul 146Church of St Helen 116Church of St Mary 116Church of St Paul’s

Bonfire 97Church of St Paul’s

Shipwreck 58Church of St Saviour 116Church of the Visitation

140Egg Church 89Grotto of the Madonna 90Mosta Dome 114, 94Our Lady of the Grotto 111Parish Church of Our

Lady 115


188

IND

EX C- L

churches & cathedrals continued

Parish Church of St Catherine 123

Rotunda 137St Agatha’s Chapel 110St John’s Co-Cathedral

10, 52, 59, 59, 11St Paul’s Cathedral 106St Paul’s Church 110

cinemas 84, 101Cliffs, The 112climate 14, 172, see also

individual regionscoffee 42Comino 27, 127, 128, 148,

128-9consulates 173cooking courses 41, 60Cospicua 70-5costs 15courses

cooking 41, 60diving 29-30language 174

crafts 165-6credit cards 175cruises 182culture 163-6currency 14customs regulations 172cycling 178-9

DDaħlet Qorrot 146dangers 175-6Delimara Point 120Dingli Cliffs 112-14Dingli, Tommaso 169disabilities, travellers

with 172discount cards 52, 132,

172-3diving & snorkelling 9, 13,

28-35, 35, 13, 31, 32dive schools 29-30Buġibba 99Comino 148Dwejra 141Golden Bay 88Marsalforn 143Mellieħa 91Mġarr 136Sliema 78St Julian’s 81

Domus Romana 110drinks 38-42driving 26-7, 175, 180-2driving tours

Central Malta 113, 113Gozo 147, 147Marfa Peninsula 93, 93

Dwejra 140-1Dwejra Marine Environ-

mental Education Centre 141

Eeconomy 150-1Egg Church 89electricity 173embassies 173emergency 15Esplora 70etiquette 15events, see festivals &

eventsexchange rates 15

Ffarmhouse

accommodation 25, 25 Feast of Santa Marija

20, 21fenkata 39ferry travel 97, 178, 179festivals & events 19-21

BirguFest 75Feast of Santa Marija

20, 21Malta Classic 107Malta International Food

Festival 107Mdina Cathedral

Contemporary Art Biennale 107

Filfla 123film 20, 60, 150, 161Fireworks Festival 19Fomm ir-Riħ 116food 18, 38-42, 40, 41football 166Fort Campbell 90-1Fort Rinella 71Fort St Angelo 71, 13Fort St Elmo & National

War Museum 53fortresses, see castles &

fortressesfossil sites 100

GGafa, Lorenzo 169galleries, see museums &

galleries

gardens, see parks & gardens

Gardjola Gardens 75, 65garnija 148gay travellers 174Ġgantija Temples 143Għadira Nature Reserve 90Għajn Rasul 99Għajn Tuffieħa 88-9Għanafest 20Għar Dalam Cave &

Museum 121-2Għar Ħasan Cave 122Għar Lapsi 12, 126, 12Għasri 144Għarb 139-40glossary 185Ġnejna Bay 89Golden Bay 88, 88-9Gozo 127-47

driving tours 147, 147food 127highlights 128-9, 128-9travel seasons 127

Gozo Nature Museum 132Gran Castello Historic

House 132Grand Master’s Palace 52-3Great Siege 154-7Grotto of the Madonna 90

HĦaġar Qim 9, 13, 124-5,

124, 9Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

8, 69, 9health 173Heart of Gozo 134highlights 8-13, 6-7

Central Malta 104-5, 104-5

Comino 128, 128-9Gozo 128-9, 128-9Paceville 77, 77Sliema 77, 77St Julian’s 77, 77Northern Malta 86-7,

Southern Malta 118-19, 118-19 86-7

Valletta 51, 51hiking 36-7, 96, see also

walkinghistoric sites

Armoury 73Casa Bernard 110Casa Rocca Piccola 58Gantry House 75

Grand Master’s Palace 52-3

Manoel Island 78Mellieħa Air-Raid

Shelters 90Mġarr Shelter 89Old Prison 132Saluting Battery 57St Agatha’s Crypt &

Catacombs 110St Paul’s Catacombs 110Ta’Kola Windmill 143Victoria Lines 102Villa Dragonara 81War HQ Tunnels 57

history 152-62Holy Week 19Ħondoq ir-Rummien 146horse racing 166horse riding 37, 88, 114, 144hunting 175

IIl-Borgo 134Il-Kalanka Bay 121Il-Kastell 10, 131, 133, 10immigration 163independence 161-2Inland Sea 141Inquisitor’s Palace 71insurance 173internet access 173-4internet resources 15Isle of MTV 20, 165Is-Simar Nature Reserve

96Is-Suq Tal-Belt 16itineraries 22-3

KKarmni Grima Museum 140karrozin 179kayaking 36kiteboarding 36, 18Knights of St John 154,

155, 168

Llanguage 165, 183-5

courses 174Lascaris War Rooms 57Lear, Edward 127legal matters 174lesbian travellers 174LGBT+ travellers 174Lost & Found 19, 165Lower Barrakka Gardens 60Map Pages 000

Photo Pages 000

189IN

DEX M

-S Mmagazines 174Malta Arts Festival 20Malta at War Museum 71Malta Classic 20, 107Malta Classic Car

Collection 97Malta International Air

Show 20Malta National Aquarium

96-7, 46Manoel Island 78mansions 169Marfa Peninsula 92, 93, 93Maria Rosa Winery 116markets

Bugeja Fish Market 136Malta Artisan Markets

166Sunday Fish Market 120Waterfront Market 120

Marsalforn 141-3, 142Marsaskala 122-3Marsaxlokk 120-1, 18marathons 34Mdina 11, 106-9, 108-9, 11Mdina Cathedral

Contemporary Art Bienniele 20, 107

Mdina Ditch Garden 106measures 174medical services 173Medieval Mdina 19Mediterranea 20megalithic sites 125, 167,

see also archaeological sites

Mellieħa 89-92, 91Merisi, Michelangelo 170Mġarr (Gozo) 135-6, 95Mġarr (Malta) 89 Mġarr ix-Xini 136-7Misraħ ir-Rebħa 73Mnajdra 13, 124-5, 13mobile phones 14, 176money 14, 15, 175monuments

Christ Statue 141City Gate (Valletta) 57Għajn Rasul 99Triton Fountain 60, 2Victory Monument 73

Mosta 114-15, 94motor racing 166motorcycle travel 180-2lMunxar 139museums & galleries 44-5

Archaeology Museum 132

Cathedral Museum 106Fort St Elmo & National

War Museum 53, 56Għar Dalam Cave &

Museum 121-2Gozo Nature

Museum 132Gran Castello Historic

House 132Heart of Gozo 134Inquisitor’s Palace 71Karmni Grima

Museum 140Lascaris War Rooms 57Malta at War Museum 71Malta Aviation

Museum 110-11Malta Classic Car

Collection 97Malta Postal Museum 57Maritime Museum 71MUŻA 16, 57National Museum of

Archaeology 53National Museum of

Natural History 106-7Pomskizillious Museum

of Toys 144Sacra Infermeria 60The Cliffs 112Toy Museum 60Wignacourt Museum 110

music 165MUŻA 16, 57

NNadur 145-8Napoleon 158-9National Museum of

Archaeology 53National Museum of

Natural History 107national parks & reserves

Għadira Nature Reserve 90

Is-Simar Nature Reserve 96

Park tal-Majjistral 88Salina Nature

Reserve 99Naxxar 115newspapers 174Ninu’s Cave 144Northern Malta 85-102

food 85highlights 86-7, 86-7travel seasons 85

Oopening hours 15, 175

PPaceville 81-4, 82

drinking 76food 76highlights 77, 77travel seasons 76

packing 15, 45Palazzo Falson 106Palazzo Parisio 115parking 181parks & gardens, see

also national parks & reserves

Gardjola Gardens 75, 65Lower Barrakka

Gardens 60Mdina Ditch Garden 106San Anton Palace &

Gardens 115Upper Barrakka Gardens

56-7, 64Villa Rundle Gardens 134

Park tal-Majjistral 88parliament building 58, 64Pasha, Mustafa 156-7passports 177Phoenicians 153photography 175Pjazza Indipendenza

134, 94planning 16

activities 28-37budgeting 15calendar of events 19-21children, travel with 43-6highlights 8-13, 6-7internet resources 15itineraries 22-3Malta & Gozo regions

47-8packing 15travel seasons 14, 45travel to/from Malta &

Gozo 15, 177-8travel within Malta &

Gozo 26-7, 178-82politics 150-1Pomskizillious Museum of

Toys 144Popeye Village 90, 94population 151, 163Portomaso 81postal services 175Preti, Mattia 159

QQala Windmills 146Qalet Marku Tower 102Qawra 96-101

RRabat (Gozo), see Victoria

(Rabat)Rabat (Malta) 11, 110-12,

108-9radio 174Ramla Bay 144Ras il-Qammieħ 92Red (St Agatha’s) Tower 92religion 151, 164road rules 181-2rock climbing 37, 139Rolex Middle Sea Race 36Romans 153Rotunda 137Royal Malta Yacht Club 36Royal Opera House 60

SSacra Infermeria 60safe travel 175-6sailing 36Salina Nature Reserve 99salt pans 99, 120, 138, 140Saluting Battery 57San Anton Palace &

Gardens 115San Blas Bay 146San Lawrenz 139-40scuba diving, see diving &

snorkellingsea travel 27, 97, 178, 179Selmun (Imgiebah) Bay 90Senglea 70-5, 72-3sharklab 96Skorba Temples 89Sliema 78-81, 79Sliema


smoking 174snorkelling, see diving &

snorkellingsoccer 166Southern Malta 117-26

food 117highlights 118-19, 118-19travel seasons 117

Splash & Fun Park 102sport 166, see also

individual sports

190

IND

EX S- Z

St Agatha 112St Agatha’s Crypt &

Catacombs 110St George’s Bay 81St John’s Co-Cathedral 10,

52, 59, 59, 11St John’s Demi-Bastion 132St Julian’s 81-4, 82


St Paul’s Bay 96-101St Paul’s Catacombs 110St Paul’s Cathedral 106St Peter’s Pool 120St Thomas Bay 122stand-up paddleboard-

ing 36Strait Street 68sweets 40-2swimming 34, 175-6, see

also beachesBlue Lagoon 12, 148,

2, 12Il-Kalanka Bay 121St Peter’s Pool 120

TTa’ Mena 144Ta’Ċenċ 137-8Ta’Ċenċ sea cliffs 137Ta’Dbieġi Crafts Village 139Ta’Ħaġrat Temple 89Ta’Kola Windmill 143Ta’Qali Crafts Village 111Tarxien Temples 69-70taxes 175taxis 182tea 42telephone 14, 176

templesĠgantija Temples 143Ħaġar Qim 13, 124-5, 124Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

9, 69, 9Mnajdra 13, 124-5Skorba Temples 89Ta’Ħaġrat Temple 89Tarxien Temples 69-70

theatresAstra Theatre 135Aurora Opera House 135Malta 5D 60Malta Experience 60Manoel Theatre 58St James’ Cavalier

Centre for Creativity 67

Valletta Living History 60theft 176theme parks 44

Buġibba Water Park 97Popeye Village 90Splash & Fun Park 102

Three Cities 70-5Tigné Point 78time 14, 176tipping 175toilets 176Torri ta’Mġarr ix-Xini 136-7tourist information 176tours 182, see also boat

trips, diving tours, walking tours

Toy Museum 60transport 26-7, 177-82travel to/from Malta &

Gozo 15, 177-8travel within Malta & Gozo

26-7, 178-82Triton Fountain 60, 2TV 174

UUpper Barrakka Gardens

56-7, 64

VValletta 8, 50-75, 54-5, 5,

8, 64-5attractions 52-60courses 60drinking & nightlife

50, 63-7entertainment 67food 50, 60, 62-3highlights 51, 51information 67-8itineraries 53shopping 67tours 60travel seasons 50travel to/from 68travel within 68-9walking tours 59, 61,

59, 61Valletta Film Festival 19Vedette 75, 65vegetarians 42Victoria Lines 102Victoria (Rabat) 130-5,

131, 94viewpoints 17Villa Bologna 115-16Villa Dragonara 81Villa Rundle Gardens 134visas 14, 176Vittoriosa 13, 70-5, 72-3,

74, 13

Wwalking 36-7walking tours

St John’s Co- Cathedral 10, 52, 59, 59, 10

Valletta 61, 61Vittoriosa 74, 74

watchtowers 136-7, 156water polo 166water sports 18, 88, 138weights 174Wied il-Għasri 144, 32Wignacourt Museum 110Wignacourt Tower 97, 99windsurfing 36wine 41-2wineries

Maria Rosa Winery 116Ta’ Mena 144

women in Malta 164WWII 160

XXagħra 143-5, 145Xemxija 92, 96Xemxija Heritage Trail 96Xerri’s Grotto 143-4Xewkija 137Xghajra Smart City 70Xlendi 138-9Xlendi Walk 35Xwieni Bay 141

Yyachting 178

ZŻebbuġ 141Żurrieq 123-4

Map Pages 000Photo Pages 000

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Franklin, London, Melbourne, Oakland, Dublin, Beijing and Delhi, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Published by Lonely Planet Global LimitedCRN 5541537th edition – Feb 2019ISBN 978 1 78657 291 2© Lonely Planet 2019 Photographs © as indicated 201910 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasona-ble care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

OUR WRITERSBrett AtkinsonBrett is based in Auckland, New Zealand, but is frequently on the road for Lonely Planet. He’s a full-time travel and food writer specialising in adventure travel, unusual destinations and surprising angles on more well-known destinations. Craft beer and street food are Brett’s favourite reasons to explore places, and he is featured regularly on Lonely Planet’s website and in newspapers, magazines and websites across New Zealand and Australia. Since becoming a Lonely Planet

writer in 2005, Brett has covered areas as diverse as Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Morocco, California and the South Pacific.



© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’

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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Malta · It’s even easier to visit the tiny island of Comino from Gozo than it is from Malta, so arrange your boat trip and spend an afternoon