Traveling to Malta

My first visit to Malta came just before the world shut down in early 2020. This tiny Mediterranean archipelago packed an incredible amount of history and beauty into three short days.

Malta has just 520,000 people spread across three inhabited islands - Malta, Gozo, and tiny Comino. Its strategic position made it prized by every Mediterranean power from the Phoenicians to the British. Fun fact: Malta's megalithic temples predate the Egyptian pyramids by over 1,000 years, making them the oldest free-standing structures in the world.

What I Experienced

Valletta, the capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety. The honey-colored limestone buildings, the Grand Harbour, the Knights of St. John's legacy everywhere - it's remarkably well-preserved. The Co-Cathedral of St. John, with Caravaggio paintings inside, was a highlight.

The drone captured Malta's archipelago from above in sweeping panoramas. Over Gozo, the golden-red sands of Ramla Bay curve beneath terraced farmland stretching to the horizon. The island's coastline reveals dramatic limestone cliffs, hidden coves, and the deep blue Mediterranean stretching endlessly around these ancient islands.

Gozo has a completely different feel - more rural, more relaxed. The Citadel in Victoria offers panoramic views, and the countryside is dotted with churches and farmhouses. The Azure Window had collapsed by the time I visited, but the coastline remains dramatic.

The Blue Lagoon on Comino lives up to its name. The water is impossibly turquoise, shallow enough to stand in, and surprisingly warm for early March. Getting there by boat from Malta makes it an adventure.

Practical Notes

• Euro is the currency
• Rent a car on Malta - the island is small but buses are slow
• Ferries connect Malta to Gozo regularly
• The fortified cities (Mdina, Vittoriosa) are best explored on foot
• English is an official language - communication is easy

I returned to Malta years later for a more extended stay. It's a place that rewards repeat visits - so much history packed into such a small area.

These high-resolution aerial panoramas of Malta are available for purchase with commercial license - perfect for Mediterranean travel marketing, island destination content, or coastal wall art.