2020

Malta - August 2020

By Ojrza - 11:48

We've talked about Valletta, but time to go past the borders of the mighty maltese capital and explore the Malta island a bit. Yes, the main island of the country is named exactly the same as the country itself. A little bit bizarre and confusing, but it's easy to get used to!

Malta is the biggest island of the maltese archipelago, but still it has a tiny circumference of 70km. It is where most of the culturally significant cities are located, including Valletta, the maltese capital. So, with such small distances, it is really easy to move around and see a lot from what there is to see. The best way is to rent a car (as we did), but cycling around is also a popular option, and for those who do not wish to rent anything - public buses are a great way to travel as the whole island is covered by public bus connections.

There's plenty of attractions and notible sights! The island does seem to be quite flat, but it actually isn't. Perhaps there are no mountains, but the whole isle is elevated a bit and covered in hills. There are also far more cliffs than beaches, so if you like hanging around cliffs and seeing the sea from above - this is a perfect spot.

 Marsaxlokk & St. Peters Pool

You might think that maltese people, as most islanders, have strong fishing traditions. They sure do! Marsaxlokk is the best place to discover just how much that is. Located on the southern coast of the isle and just a few kilometers away from Valetta, it is a great shot for an afternoon trip.

Marsaxlokk is a small fisherman village of merely 3500 inhabitants. Most of the city structure spreads along the coast, on a promenade with restaurants and hotels, but Marsaxlokk is known mostly for its colourful fishing boats that are displayed in the harbour. On sundays a great fishing market is taking place and it is also very popular.















Those boats are called Luzzi, a luzzu is a sturdy double-ended boats from the XXth century painted in bright colours and sometimes with "eyes" on the bow. Their name comes from italian guzzu, where guzzu or guzzo is a common fishing or transport vessel used in Italy and Sicily. They can be seen all over the maltese islands!















The further you drift from the centre, the more real fishing boats are. Luzzi are cool, but it is very unlikely that they are now more useful than attracting tourists. Those larger vessels are the real marines now. Maybe they are not the most modern ones, but you can see that they are waiting for their next course, with their crews casually chilling on the decks and enjoying their free time by watching tv or walking with their fellows.















From Marsaxlokk it was quite easy to get to another famous spot - the Saint Peter's Pool. 





By accident, we took a longer route but it was worth it! 








The pool itself was a natural inlet pool, of a very narrow shape, with cave-like surfaces bellow. It is understandable why it became such a hyped attraction, the intriguing shape combined with beautiful surrounding of limestone and azure blue waters. All of that accompanied by loud disco music and a cool-party vibe.

But we didn't really want to join the party band-wagon that took place around the pool, walking away a little bit further along the limestone coast lead us to a less crowded but equally beautiful scenery, perfect for a swimming break.
























Mdina

Mdina is in a way the heart of Malta. They say that if you haven't been to Mdina, you haven't been to Malta. This gem is located in the centre of the isle, right next to the city of Il-Rabat. Overlooking the surroundings from a hill, Mdina has served as the capital from antiquity to medival times.

Sometimes it is called the Silent City, too. Indeed, when walking its narrow and solemn streets nearly no sounds can be heard. Partially, because no cars are allowed within the city walls (with some particular exceptions) and an aura of nobility and importance makes the tourists keep hushed. It still plays a significant role in the religious and cultural sphere. Oh, and some scene from Game of Thrones was filmed here.

Mdina is a fully fortified unit, with sturdy city walls and a city garden surrounding it in a moat-like shape.






































Oh, and now here are a few shots from Bugibba, where we stayed for the night before departing to Gozo.








Popeye Village & cliffs

Is there a better sunset spot than a cliff at sea? Well... I don't think so.

I googled up that there's this adorable thing called Popeye Village, and that it was builed as a set for a film about the cartoon character Popeye.  It turned out to be a theme park that was closed at the time that we arrived, but after we saw the cliffs that were nearby - we forgot about the village instantly.

























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