Maltese dreams
By Jemima Stafford 2nd year English
If carbs deep fried with cheese and stunning beaches is your thing, check out Jemima Staffords lowdown on Malta.
I first visited Malta last summer, because a friend is lucky enough to live there (top tip for forging lasting friendships: make it useful), and I still feel strongly that it is one of the most underrated places in Europe. I hadn’t really heard about it as a holiday destination beforehand, and having a local show you around gives great insight into how to avoid the tourist traps and get the most out of your trip. I can’t imagine anything sadder than going to this beautiful, culturally diverse island steeped in rich history and falling into the trap of traversing from scuzzy bar to bar, full of English tourists, in a style not dissimilar to your standard Benidorm experience. To the concern of locals, towns like Paceville are receiving influxes of English tourists looking to party, and often these crowds aren’t the nicest. Not to slate the cheap and boozy holiday — but with so much natural beauty, and such unique cities, Malta deserves a different approach.
Cities and towns
Valetta, Malta’s capital, has an atmosphere unlike anywhere else, and as the cool of the night throws a shade of relief across the city (where temperatures in the summer months rarely drop below 30 degrees) locals can be found down side-streets of crumbling, towering Baroque buildings, drinking and playing chess. From the Upper Barrakka Gardens, you can take in harbour views, and Valetta’s cityscape, which has earned it the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounding the gardens are myriad bars, where live music can be heard ricochetting off the narrow streets until early. Malta was the European Capital of Culture last year, and as you might expect from this there are plenty of beautiful churches and art galleries to visit, with St John’s Cathedral having the only signed work and largest painting by Caravaggio.
Outside of Valetta, must-see places are Mdina, the ancient walled city, which is a beautiful and timeless exhibition of Baroque and medieval architecture, and Gozo, the stunning sister island (thought to be Calypso’s island of Homer’s Odyssey). Sliema is Valetta’s somewhat less attractive neighbouring town, but it makes up for it with the long beach promenade from which you can see capital from across the water. Sliema is surrounded by rocky beach, and upon the rocks perch vibrant bars and shacks that turn into buzzy clubs at night.
Epigram / Jemima Stafford
Culture and cuisine
Because Malta stayed under British rule until 1964 when it gained independence, English is the main language spoken. The island is still heavily Catholic, which can be seen through the numerous festivals hosted throughout the year, like the Maltese Carnival, which takes place the week leading up to Ash Wednesday.
Malta’s rustic cuisine is made up of of Italian and English, as well as French and Spanish, influence. This means you will find a lot of diversity, but mostly fresh seafood and pasta dishes. Apparently, it is a cultural must when visiting Malta to try ‘pastizz‘, which is basically pastry fried with ricotta cheese. Also, their gelato is so good that I would wake up from very surreal and vivid dreams where I was churning my own, weeks after trying it. Pastizz and gelato may single- handedly be the cause of Malta’s position as the most obese country within the European Union.
Beaches
If you’re a beach snob who seeks out Bali-style stretches of untouched white sand you won’t necessarily be disappointed. However, the real charm of Malta’s beaches lies in the sundry selection of natural rock pools, and Malta’s rugged coast sees to it that the azure waters can be accessed via protected lidos and lagoons. Beach babes take note: many of these beaches are difficult to access, requiring your own car, and several have no facilities, so bring your own accoutrements. Of recommendation: (rocky) Peter’s Pool, Blue Lagoon, Ghar Lapsi, (sandy) Paradise Bay and Golden Bay.
Malta has the holy trinity of holiday wants, whether visiting as a group, with a significant other, or for solo travel — beautiful beaches, amazing food, and great nightlife. Just don’t eat too many pastizzi or you might find Ryanair trying to charge you extra for body allowance on the return flight.
Featured Image: Jemima Stafford/ Epigram
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