Maltese Islands

It's all, 'er, Greek to me! The Maltese Archipelago, a small group of islands located about 60 miles south of Sicily, or about 180miles north of the continental African coast of Libya, in the Mediterranean Sea, is a haven for sun-seekers, divers, history buffs and anyone who has an interest in Mediterranean food, culture and, to a lesser extent, wildlife. Consisting of three inhabited islands, Malta - the largest at 17miles long by about 9miles at its widest - Gozo and Comino together with the rocky outposts of Cominotto, Filfla, Fungus Rock and St. Paul's Island, this archipelago has much to ... more

We travelled to malta in 1999 for my nephews wedding and what an experience! My brother lives in a small "town" named San Gwann near Sliema and we were staying there for a week from Monday until the wedding on the Friday evening and then leaving on the Saturday. I hadn't really tried to visualise Malta before I got there so everything was a pleasant surprise for me. The landscape is not luscious and green - far from it! There is hardly any grass - just sand but every garden you see is rich with colour. They plant everything in pots and keep them well watered. Cacti are so large you have to see ... more

Gozo - unless you are an 18-30 type, you will like this place. Get a cheap flight to Malta (we paid £120 in June 2000 - expedia), get to the ferry asap and hang out on Gozo. Accommodation We stayed at the San Antonio Guesthouse http://www.clubgozo.com.mt - pool, breakfast, a steepish 500m walk from the centre of Xlendi harbour at £30 approx per night. I'd go back again - in fact two groups have gone (and raved) on our recommendation. George, the owner, is friendly and tireless, running a clean, well-presented place (see their website for pics and more info). Xlendi In June we had all the ... more

Having visited most Mediterranean Islands I approached a visit to the Island of Gozo, with all the Hype I had read about its beauty, with the usual degree of skepticism. To say I was surprised is an understatement; the Island is beautiful, if only for the fact that it is about 50 years behind the rest of the Western World. I think that this is where lies its appeal to almost all ages, it is so restful. The local population gets on with their daily lives and, although the income to the Maltese Island comes from tourism, you could say that Gozo is unique in that the tourists are not bothered ... more

Gozo-Unexpected Treasure Last minute deal As I look out of the window at the Devon drizzle on this July afternoon, I wish I could go back to last week when the temperatures were soaring and the sea was very, very blue. I wasn't at home of course. A last minute deal to Malta took us to Luqa airport and a hire car to Marsaxlokk on the south-east corner of the island. It was very picturesque and we had a nice lunch but it was not for us . We headed north and took a look a St Paul's Bay but the tourist spots on Malta seem built up and crowded and the traffic is crazy. The Maltese drive very fast ... more