MALTA ROCKS
From Stone Age settlements to its lively bars, this island has got so much to offer
IT’S always a gamble booking a room in a resort that’s being renovated.
And for the first few minutes of our stay at Malta’s four-star Dolmen Resort Hotel, I wasn’t entirely sure it had paid off.
The room was lovely – huge bed, big modern bathroom, widescreen TV and freshly painted walls.
The view through the windows was even more impressive. During my first exploratory lie down, I could see a shimmering blue sea, a beautiful swimming pool and the gorgeous St Paul’s Island – named after the apostle who is said to have crawled out of a shipwreck here 2,000 years ago.
Then we stepped through the sliding doors. When I looked down, I saw huge rocks piled right beneath our balcony. The builders had done a lovely job, but it looked like they’d scrimped on the skip hire.
This observation was met with a rolling of the eyes from my girlfriend Claire. Apparently, these rocks had given the hotel its name. A “dolmen” is part of a Stone Age tomb and right beneath our balcony was the 5,000 year-old Temple of Bugibba.
I should have known better. This was our second holiday in Malta, and the island’s rich history was one of the reasons we were so desperate to return.
Malta’s temples are among the oldest stone buildings in the world. Built between 3,600 BC and 2,500 BC, they are much older and far more sophisticated than Stonehenge.
No-one makes much of a fuss about the unassuming pile of rocks by the pool at the Dolmen but the atmospheric complexes at Mnajdra and Hagar Qim are among the island’s busiest attractions.
As we didn’t have time to visit them on our previous visit, we made sure we booked a guided tour of these mysterious monuments.
But Malta doesn’t dwell on its past. What struck us was how much the island has changed in the 11 years since our last visit.
Tourism is booming and it seems the whole island is being spruced up. Valletta is the European Capital of Culture for 2018, and they were pulling out all the stops for visitors.
One new innovation is a series of plaques placed around the island’s compact capital by the Malta Film Commission.
The most fascinating one provides another perspective to the jaw-dropping view across the Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens, which sit high on the old city walls.
Now you can see which bits of Malta doubled for Ancient Rome, Jerusalem and Moorish Spain in Gladiator, World War Z and Assassins’ Creed. Fantasy fans might also recognise 17th Century Fort Ricasoli – the Red Keep in Game of Thrones.
Another new addition, to us at least, was a glass lift at the edge of the gardens that took us down to the shore. There we found a much older mode of transport.
Local ferrymen have been using the dghajsa, the traditional Maltese gondola, for more than 200 years.
For just two euros, ferrymen will take you between Valletta and the fortified “cities” of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua.
Worth a visit is the Maritime Museum in the old Royal Naval Bakery on Vittoriosa – a thin finger of land that pokes out into the bay.
As well as artefacts from the Navy, the museum also houses a model of an 18th Century ship from The Order of St John, the knights who built the Three Cities.
After almost losing the island to the Ottoman Turks in the Great Siege of 1565, they founded the walled city of Valletta whose fortifications were tested under heavy bombardment in World War II. For the heroism of its people, Malta was awarded the George Cross in 1942. Malta’s long, hot season makes it a magnet for sun-worshippers. And the Dolmen is the perfect spot to unwind. There are three large pools, a spa, a gym and a lovely private sunbathing spot on the seafront.
The resort of Bugibba also has plenty to offer. There are sandy beaches and a multitude of rocky alcoves where you can laze.
We were on a B&B package, which meant we spent a lot time in local restaurants. Our favourite was The Neptune, where for £10 I feasted on rabbit ravioli – the tastiest pasta dish I’ve ever eaten.
If you’re ordering wine, go local. Maltese vineyards don’t produce enough to export, but it’s beautiful stuff and around £8 a bottle.
Beer drinkers aren’t left out either. Bugibba has some lively bars and British-style pubs. Football and karaoke fans should check out The Champagne Bar, where landlord Matt made us feel right at home.
The 25-minute ferry to Gozo to check out the gorgeous cathedrals and beaches was another first for us. Sadly, we only had time for a scoot around. Looks like we’ll have to return – and next time, we won’t leave it so long.