Country Information

Food and Drink

There is a very good choice of restaurants and cafes from deluxe to fast food (hamburgers and fish and chips), including Chinese, fish and beachside bars. Table service is normal, but many bars and cafes have table and/or counter service. Pork and fish dishes are recommended and vegetables are excellent. The best Maltese fruits are oranges and grapes; also delicious are strawberries, melons, mulberries, tangerines, pomegranates and figs.

Things to know: Licensing hours of bars, restaurants and cafes are usually 0900-0100 and beyond. Most hotel bars close between 1300 and 1600 and then reopen after 1800.

National specialities:
•Lampuki pie (fish pie).
•Bragoli (beef olives).
•Fenek (rabbit cooked in wine).
• Ricotta sweets are popular.
•Helwa tat-Tork (a sweet sugary mixture of crushed and whole almonds, offered to diners after a meal).

National drinks:
• Maltese beer is excellent.
• Maltese wine.
• Maltese spirits.

Tipping: 10 to 15% is expected in hotels and restaurants when not included in the bill.

Nightlife

There are several discos, bars and nightclubs. Roulette, baccarat, blackjack and boule can be played at the Dragonaracasino, St Julian’s or at the Casino de Venezia in Vittoriosa. The Manoel Theatre is one of the oldest in Europe. Cinemas show mainly English and American films.

Shopping

Special purchases include Malta weave, pottery, blown glass, ceramics, dolls, lace, copper and brass items. Malta is renowned for its gold and silver filigree work and handmade lace.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1300 and 1600-1900.

• In Valetta (Malta island), see some of the finest examples of Maltese-style baroque architecture in the islands in Merchants Street. Visit the Co-Cathedral of St John, the Grand Master’s Palace in Republic Street which houses a group of tapestries originally designed for Louis XIV and an armoury which has one of the best collections in existence, the National Museum of Fine Art, housed in an 18th-century palace, the Church of Our Lady of Victories and at the nearby Auberge de Provence, the National Museum of Archaeology.

• In Mdina (Malta island), the citadel is one of the finest surviving examples of a medieval walled city. Of particular interest is the Norman-style Palazzo Falzon which has a collection of antique weapons and pottery, a cathedral, and a museum that still houses a magnificent collection of art treasure. From Bastion Square, see breathtaking view of the surrounding fields and villages, and also of St Paul’s Bay.

• In Rabat (Malta island), see fine baroque churches, St Paul’s and St Agatha’s Catacombs and the Roman Villa. On the southwest shore is the Blue Grotto where, legend reports, sirens bewitched seafarers with their songs. Four caves reflect the brilliant colours of the corals and minerals in the limestone. The most spectacular is the Blue Grotto itself, which is best viewed in the early morning with a calm sea.

• Within close proximity to Paola are the archaeological sites of Tarxien, with its neolithic temple; Hypogeum, a complex of ancient underground burial chambers on three levels dating back 3,000 years; and Ghar Dalam (Dark Cave) where the remains of now extinct birds and animals such as dwarf hippos and elephants have been found.

• In Hagar Qim on the south of the island, see a 3,000-year-old neolithic temple,constructed from huge closely-fitting stones decorated in a very ornate style.

• At Marsaxlokk is the recently discovered Temple of Juno, which was originally used by the Greeks as a place of worship to the goddess of fertility.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

• On Malta island, see performances of opera, theatre, music and ballet (between October and May) at Valletta’sManoel Theatre, the second-oldest theatre in Europe.

• Swimming, scuba-diving and snorkelling is possible all-year-round. On Malta island, the best dive sites are located around the northern part, the many caves and steep drop-offs, such as Qawra Point and Cirkewwa, being a particular attraction; Wied Iz-Zurrieq is good for night dives. The most popular beach area is also along the north coast and the best beaches are at Paradise Bay, Golden Bay, Mellieha Bay, Armier Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha Bay. On Gozo island, one of the most spectacular sites is Dwejra Point, which features a 35m (115ft) tunnel. The most important beaches are il-Qawra (better known as the inland sea, with a secluded pebbly bathing pool, crystal clear water and sheer cliffs), an unspoilt sandy beach known as Ir-Ramla il-Wamra and Xlendi Bay. Marsalforn is a fishing village on the north coast which has become one of Gozo’s most popular seaside resorts.

•Windsurfing has become very popular, especially in Mellieha Bay, St Pauls Bay and Bahar Ic-Caghaq.

• Attend rowing regattas, held in the Grand Harbour during April and September. The Valletta Yacht Club is at Couvre Port, Manoel Island, in Marsamxetto Harbour (temporary members accepted).

• Buy some of the local crafts, lace and knitwear, from the doorways of houses and on the streets of Gozo island, the second-largest island of the archipelago.

• In summer attend a festival with fireworks and horseracing in the streets of Gozo.

• Chill out on the island of Comino, which is inhabited by probably no more than a dozen farmers. Paths which wind through the unusual rock formations provide the only communication links and the island is ideal for anyone seeking a very quiet holiday. A few sandy coves and small bays, such as Blue Lagoon, are the main attractions. The St Marija Caves offer interesting cave diving.

• Typical Maltese fishing communities such as Marsaxlokk, Birzebbugia and Marsacala are sprawled along the coves and inlets at the southernmost tip of Malta. Eat fresh fish at the family-run tavernas while enjoying the sights of nets and colourfully painted boats crowding the waterfronts.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.