MAJESTIC MALTA’S DAZZLING DELIGHTS
ANTIGUA likes to boast that it has one beach for every day of the year. Malta can’t quite compete on the beach front but claims to have one church for every day of the year.
Given its size (it’s smaller than the Isle of Wight), this is impressive. What it tells you is that this former British colony, which sits within sight of Sicily (on a clear day), is far more than a fly-and-flop favourite.
Yes, winter sun (temperatures of 19c in December) at cheap-as-chips prices is on the menu — but so, too, are lashings of highend history and some of the most exceptional architecture anywhere in Europe.
Right now, the buildings in Valletta have never looked better, as an army of construction workers adds final touches in preparation for the capital’s status as European Capital of Culture in 2018.
This is a well-deserved accolade. There’s not a dud structure to be seen, thanks mainly to the Knights of St John who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798, carving out the city from limestone with such an eye for detail no one in subsequent years has dared to alter it.
They’ve added to it, though. Architect Renzo Piano (of London Shard fame) has transformed the main entrance to the medieval city of Valletta, replacing the main gate with a wide open space and shallow steps leading up on both sides to the ramparts. The view as you look south across the Grand Harbour is a sight to behold.
But the star of the show is St John’s Co-Cathedral, dripping in gold and housing the largest ever Caravaggio painting — showing John the Baptist being beheaded.
Then, of course, there is the ancient capital Mdina, 20 minutes away — a walled citadel of exquisite beauty occupying a prime position in the centre of the island.
All this gives you something to think about when swimming in the warm seas of the southern Med. Find your own little cove or set of rocks from which to launch yourself into the water, or head for Ghajn Tuffieha Bay in the north-west, which is a delightful red sandy beach. Next to it is Golden Bay, which is ideal for children, who, unlike their parents, might not notice the ugly Radisson Blu hotel that stands above it.
The loveliest beaches are 20 minutes away by ferry on Gozo. This scruffy little island makes Malta seem positively thrusting. People keep saying it’s like Malta used to be 30 years ago. And they want to keep it that way.
The little cove of Mgarr Ix Xini is unmissable — the swimming here is perfect and there’s a tiny restaurant open for lunch only, where the fish hop out of the sea and on to your plate. It’s at moments like this when Gozo lives up to its name — ‘joy’.
Combining Valletta with Gozo is one of those best-of-both-worlds packages — and highly recommended.