Brief summary: I’m in Malta with Sam, and we’ve spent two-and-a-bit days here already. We’ve tried local food, attempted to snorkel, and become rather too well-acquainted with the local sealife… I also broke both my GoPro and phone just a few hours apart in what should have been the best day of the trip, but did my best to enjoy everything regardless.
If you have no idea what I’m referencing, go ahead and check out Part 1 of my visit to Gozo, Malta. Otherwise, let’s dive straight in (no pun intended) with Day 6 of my European summer adventures!
Day 6: The Inland Sea, Victoria, and Sanap Cliffs
Today we moved from Qbajjar (in the north of Gozo) to Nadur, in the east. The reason being that our apartment wasn’t available for all the nights we wanted to spend in Malta, so we booked one night at Laremi B&B to fill the gap.
We also just thought it would be cool to explore a different part of the island.
I had been in touch with the host Francesco and confirmed that we could drop our bags in the morning and return to check in later in the day. So we headed down on a local bus and arrived at around 10.30am.
Francesco is originally from Sicily, and gave us a wonderful welcome! After exchanging pleasantries he offered us some incredible freshly made Italian coffee and let us try some traditional Sicilian fruit-shaped marzipan sweets. He also very generously checked us in at the same time, despite it being early, and promised to leave our bags outside of our room so that we would have the whole day to explore without having to come back. Honestly, he treated us like friends or family, I’ve never felt so welcomed by a host before.
Being able to check in early was a massive favour as it meant we had enough time to travel across the island to the Inland Sea. A well-known diving spot, the Inland Sea is – as the name would suggest – an inland saltwater lake connected to the main ocean by a channel through the cliffs. It’s also located near the site of the former Azure Window, a famous sea arch which unfortunately – as a natural consequence of erosion – collapsed into the sea during a storm in 2017.
When we got to the Inland Sea we were a bit underwhelmed and actually at first didn’t even realise what we were looking at, so we spent an hour and a half wandering about on the clifftops looking for something that was under our nose the whole time. We thought it would be a natural and unspoilt pool, but it is actually more like a pool harbour for small fishing and pleasure boats.
However, once we got our snorkels on and entered the water we were pleasantly surprised! The Inland Sea goes deep and is teeming with sea life everywhere you look.
In a couple of hours we saw hundreds of colourful fish and even a few sea cucumbers. Another woman also came up to us and told us that she had seen a small pink octopus! Sadly we never saw it, but it just proves what an awesome place this was for snorkelling.
Best of all, there was not a single jellyfish in sight and we were finally able to relax and explore the underwater world in peace…well, aside from having to avoid the small boats which regularly shuttle tourists through the channel and back again. We practised our snorkel-diving technique, and managed to swim a few metres down at the tunnel entrance, where the water was deeper. You can really feel the temperature drop and the pressure rise as you descend!
It was genuinely a magical experience that I will always remember as my first “proper” snorkel. You’ll have to take my word for it as I have no pictures (RIP GoPro) but it was one of the best things we did during this trip!
This being our last full day on Gozo, we needed to return our snorkel equipment to the dive hire shop. So after a few hours we had to leave and catch a bus across to Marsalforn. We arrived a couple of hours before closing time, but to our surprise the shop was shut up.
Luckily the owner had left a note on the door with his phone number. We rang up and he explained that there had been a family emergency and that we could bring back the equipment in the morning. This was a little annoying as we’d come a considerable distance just to return the gear, but it couldn’t be helped and we just hoped the owner’s family was okay,
We had a few hours left of the day, so made a plan to see a bit of Victoria (the island capital) and then try to head to the Sanap Cliffs on the west of the island for the sunset. With relatively long travel times on the local buses this was potentially a little bit ambitious but we wanted to make the most of the limited time left!
It turned out we did have less time in Victoria than we thought but we managed a brief visit to the Citadel and wandered a few of the old-town streets:
It was then time for the bus to Xlendi where we could walk to the cliffs. When planning the trip I had considered staying in Xlendi and it definitely would have been another solid option. It had the classic waterfront restaurants and Maltese architecture as well as a picturesque channel-style harbour and the cliffs beyond.
After stocking up on refreshments we set off to try and catch the sunset. The walk itself was beautiful with wide-ranging sea views, although it did run a little near to the cliff edge at times!
We spent all evening here in our own private spot watching the sunset. My words would not do the scene justice so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!
We stayed for blue hour after the few other people around us had all left. I always like this time, when most people have gone after the colours have faded and I get the quiet beauty of blue hour to myself, or shared with just the people around me.
It was then a bit of a scramble in the dark to find our way back to the bus stop in Xlendi but we managed it. We arrived back at our B&B and promptly ordered takeaway veggie burgers which were very welcome after an energetic day! Then it was time to sleep, ready for another travel day ahead.
How stunning is this room though… a wonderful traditional Maltese building kept in that same authentic style. Francesco later told us that the floor tiles in our room had been there for 300 years!
Day 7: Quadbiking in Gozo and exploring Valletta
We awoke well-rested and eager to make the most of our limited time left in Malta!
First order of the day was breakfast, taken at the huge wooden kitchen table downstairs. We were the first guests to arrive, and came down to a simple but very tasty breakfast buffet selection. Alongside classic international fare such as cereal, we also had the option of a Gozitan speciality known as Crustini, which were freshly baked at a local business just down the road from the B&B. The best way I can describe it is kind of like a biscuit-bread. It’s crunchy and a little sweet, but also a great base for toppings, and very more-ish!
Francesco’s partner runs a local business “Chandrapani Lab” selling a very interesting range of products including preserves, chutney and ghee – a form of clarified butter originating from India. Many of the products were also available at breakfast for guests to try, and I was most intrigued by the ghee as I had never seen it before.
There were a range of different types and flavours, but I went for the Ayurvedic ghee which purportedly has numerous health benefits. It was very tasty spread onto the Crustini! Francesco passed us a laminated card with information about the ghee written in several different languages, which we read over breakfast and passed around to the other guests as they trickled in.
Francesco also made us some more of the amazing coffee and was in general just the best host. He also again gladly agreed to store our bags for the day, even though we were checking out.
After breakfast we headed down to the port of Mgarr hoping to succeed on a mission to hire a quadbike! We’d seen people zipping all over the island on quadbikes and scooters and we wanted in on the fun, but given our ages, most places wouldn’t rent us any kind of vehicle. But after a bit of research online I’d spotted this place, which said that it offered quadbikes from the age of 20.
Success! We had to sign a load of forms and it cost more than we wanted it to (around £70 for 3 hours to share one quadbike) but we couldn’t miss the opportunity. After signing everything we were taken to the parking garage and given a quick-fire lesson in how to ride a quadbike. Sam went first and true to form was pretty good from the get-go, his only corrections were to apply the gas constantly rather than in small bursts.
I also did okay but apparently drove way too slowly! I had to do another lap of the parking lot at much faster speed before we were approved to head out on the road.
Not being the most confident of drivers and even less so on a quadbike in a country with not-so-great driving standards, I asked Sam to drive first on the busy section between the port and the capital Victoria. My anxiety definitely came through in the form of a constant stream of backseat driving, which Sam wasn’t too keen on! Thankfully as time went on I began to relax more and really enjoy the experience.
We drove all the way to Marsalforn, where the roads were rougher – and therefore quieter. Here we switched drivers so that I could get my confidence up on the quiet and scenic coastal road before attempting anything more major. Not having to worry about other vehicles meant I could figure out the controls in my own time, and I was soon cruising along!
With my confidence boosted, I decided I was ready for the next challenge and – after returning our snorkels to the dive shop – drove us south to a popular beach known as Ramla, which we hadn’t yet had the time to visit. The route was beautifully scenic, but also technically a challenging drive for me, with fast dual carriageway in some parts and very steep bends as we got closer to the coast. The speedometer also died as I was on the fastest section of the route, and I had no safe option other than to carry on driving and guess my speed until we got somewhere residential where I could pull off.
We rang the hire company to report the broken speedometer and we were told to just continue driving and they would fix it on our return. Apparently it happens all the time. We were later told that the heat of the engine combined with the Sun causes the problem, and there’s literally nothing they can do!
I wasn’t too worried about the speed as I knew I would go too slow if anything. And as we made our way along the coastal road, the display suddenly flickered back into life and the problem just fixed itself.
Halfway along we switched drivers again and began a very fun downhill section to the entrance to the beach. We attempted to park on the entry road but it was packed, so we drove back up the hill a little way and found ourselves a roadside parking spot. Then it was just a short walk to the reddish sands of Ramla bay.
Like on Comino, the road was packed with vendors selling everything from flip flops to ice cream. We scraped enough cash together to buy ourselves an ice-cream each, which was very much needed in the heat of the midday sun!
When we reached the sand we took our shoes off, not wanting them to get filled with the loose dry sand. This was definitely a mistake… the sand was incredibly hot, I felt like the soles of my feet were on fire within just a few seconds. We made a few mad hops between patches of shade and then made a run for it down to the beautiful coolness of the sea.
Although busy, it was pretty! We spent a short while here walking along the beach in the shallows, relaxing from the adrenaline rush of the quadbiking, and finishing off our ice-creams.
But conscious of our approaching return time, we soon made our way back to the quadbike and began our return journey to Mgarr. On the way we decided we had just enough time to collect our bags from our B&B in Nadur, which would save us from having to come back by bus to get them later.
Or rather, we would’ve had enough time if it wasn’t for a confusing web of outdated diversion signs which were sending me in circles. I began to stress a bit about being late, which didn’t make for the most pleasant driving experience, but I was worried about having to pay a late fee on what was already a relatively pricey activity.
We decided to make a stop and call the hire shop to explain the situation, and thankfully they were very understanding and told us they would much rather us be late but safe than to rush back. With the help of Google Maps and ignoring the signs, I managed to navigate my way out of the maze and we pulled up outside the hire company only around 25 minutes later than agreed.
Quadbiking was almost as stressful as it was fun, but the fun parts were incredible and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It certainly made for a great ending to our time on Gozo!
Next stop, Valletta. We had to head to the airport in the evening, but that still left all of the afternoon to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We decided to take the more expensive route – a direct fast ferry from Gozo to Valletta – rather than retracing our original route by ferry and bus. Sometimes time is of the essence, and we really wanted enough time to get a feel for Valletta before leaving Malta. The only negative was that you have to sit inside on these fast catamaran ferries. I really missed my usual option of going up to the open deck!
The plan for Valletta was do the usual thing of wandering round and following routes that look interesting. Sam had done a bit of research and wanted to visit the public Barrakka gardens, so we made our way over there first.
Walking around Valletta felt like being in a millionaire’s playground. Everywhere we looked, the people were put-together and smartly dressed, even in the way they walked you could see the difference. Sam and I definitely felt out of place in our basic shorts and t-shirts, carrying a supermarket carrier bag with our food and water inside!
The Barrakka gardens were more like an influencer’s playground, with fashionable girls having their photos taken amongst the flowers. After all the rock and stone of the islands, it was refreshing to see some greenery, though we couldn’t help but wonder how expensive it must be – both in terms of money and water – to keep the gardens alive.
After leaving the gardens we found ourselves in an open square, with the Auberge de Castille (housing the office of the Prime Minister) on one side and the Knisja tal-Vittorja church on the other, which was the first building to be completed during the founding of Valletta. The church was holding a wedding service, with a stream of Italian guests dressed in classy evening gowns and sharp suits making their way inside. It was even more clear to us then that Valletta was a hub for the wealthy, and it made for intriguing people-watching.
Us however not being at all wealthy, and with the morning’s quadbiking wiping out most of our daily budget, we were on the hunt for a cheap meal. And by the iconic Triton’s fountain, we found it. Here there were a string of street vendors selling pastizzi – a Maltese savoury pastry, usually filled with ricotta cheese or curried peas. They were selling for only about 1.50 EUR a pop, and there’s even a sweeter version made with dates that we had as our afters. Cheap, delicious, authentic and filling – they gave us everything we were looking for!
From here we just went for a wander through the streets, exploring the shopping and dining districts and snapping some aesthetic photos. I can see why Valletta is a World Heritage Site!
Earlier we had visited the Lower Barrakka Gardens, but had missed out the Upper ones, located not too far away. We made our way over there, hoping for a good view across the water to the famous “Three Cities” of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. But to our surprise, we couldn’t even get in…
It turned out that the wealthy Italian wedding party that we had seen going into the church had booked out the entire Upper Barrakka Gardens for their wedding reception! We watched as impeccably dressed guests turned up at the gates, and had their names checked off a list by security before being allowed to enter. No chance for us, then.
Undeterred and curious to see what was happening, we spotted a monument on the other side of the road to the park, which would let us climb up to a similar height. From here we not only got the incredible city view that we were after, but we could also see right across to the wedding reception! We even got to see the bride and groom taking photos with their family, and the waiters carrying trays of small canapes around. It was like something from a movie.
But then, it got even better. The reception had an entire wedding band on a small stage, who began to play a mixture of well-known English hits as well as a few Italian songs. With the warm air, golden hour sun, beautiful views and live music, it made for a wonderfully romantic atmosphere. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time for the magic to happen. Sam and I sat together for a while, just soaking up the moment.
We watched the sun go down from the square by the Triton fountain, grabbed a drink and another pastizzi or two, and then it was time to head to the airport for our night flight to Athens.
