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Fall 2019 (1.5 days)
Welcome to 3 Wishes Travel's second travel series! We are going to the Mediterranean archipelago of Malta. The Maltese Islands are filled with a rich history dating back to 5900 BC. Malta is famous for its ancient temples and the beautiful capital city of Valletta. I went to Malta for a 1.5-day layover between Luxembourg and NYC. Check out the rest of our posts; Remember to like us on Facebook and follow @3WishesTravel on Instagram for updates! Also, check out the new sections of the website, including Upcoming Trips and interactive maps of Countries and States I have visited. Now let's fly to Malta! 🧞♀️💜✈️
Table of Contents
Hotel and Flight Information 🏨✈️
I flew Ryanair from Luxembourg Airport into Malta International Airport. My flights from Luxembourg to Malta to NYC cost a total of $246. Malta is a great extended stopover location, a practice I try to employ every trip. An extended stopover is when you take a 1-3 day layover in a second location other than your main destination; it is great for getting a taste of a location. If you want to fly directly to Malta flights cost an average $450-680 roundtrip. After landing, I ubered to my Airbnb with breathtaking views from my own private rooftop in Santa Venera, two nights here only cost $33 per night. I went in November, but it was still a beautifully warm day in Malta.
The blue dot in the maps below shows the location of Malta, below Italy and above Tunisia. Malta has been inhabited since Prehistory. It had a Golden Age between 5500 and 4500 years ago while being inhabited by a tremendously intelligent and resourceful society. Throughout history, Malta has been conquered by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, French, the British Empire, and then finally gained independence in 1964. The official language of Malta is Maltese, English, and some speak Italian. By far the most popular religion is Catholicism with 94% of Maltese considering themselves Catholic. Malta is part of the EU and uses the euro, and with a population of ~500,000 people, Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
I loved Malta; it is beautiful and has so much incredible history. I arrived in Malta right before midnight, spent the next day exploring, and then flew out early the next day. There was an amazing amount of massive architecturally magnificent Catholic Churches throughout the island. While I was in Malta, I also attended a political rally, more info below. I only had one full day to explore the island, but I cannot wait to return. I would recommend Malta any time of the year, especially when it is cold back home, and for anyone looking for a beach vacation but also crave some history. Read on for ideas to make your Maltese adventure a magical experience!
Exploring Malta in 24 Hours 🏰
Malta is an island filled with history dating back more than 5,000 years. Malta is a combination of the many cultures that once ruled the island, making for a unique and exciting adventure. Malta has an easy to use public transportation system that can be accessed from Google Maps. I took a mix of cheap Ubers and the bus around Malta and found no issue with either.
1. Inquisitor's Palace 6€
The first thing I did when I woke up in sunny Malta was take a quick Uber to the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu, Malta. They offer a student discount, so make sure to bring your ID.
The Inquisitor's Palace explains the rich history of Malta and serves as a perfect background before exploring the island. The Palace is also a historical marvel with a nature-filled courtyard, rooms home to past nobility, and a small prison system used during the Inquisition. Built in the 16th century, also known as Sacred Palace, the Inquisitor's Palace has been well preserved and turned into a museum on Malta's Inquisition. The Palace has been used throughout history to house high ranking officials on the island, including the head Inquisitors coming from Rome. Before I visited this museum, I did not know what an inquisition was so I will define it here. History.com defines the inquisition as "a powerful office set up within the Catholic Church to root out and punish heresy throughout Europe and the Americas." The inquisition is also a judicial process to determine who committed a crime against the Catholic Church, and what their punishment should be. The Inquisitor's Palace details the harsh Maltese Inquisition, showing visitors the exact place where trials would occur, how trials occur, and more uniquely, the small prison cells where those accused would await trial. The top two images in the collage to the right show the courtyards of the Palace. The middle photo of a statue is from inside the Palace, which contains many religious objects, paintings, and statues for the Catholic Church. The picture in the middle right is the hallway in the prison section of the Palace. The bottom right photo shows the view from inside a prison cell. Finally, the bottom picture is the trial room where a judge would decide the punishment for their crime against the church. Each cell and the trial room had extremely small doors that force the person entering or exiting to bow down, as to require them to bow down and acknowledge the power of God in every aspect of life. This museum taught me a lot about the Catholic Church and gave me an important background on the history of the island. I did not have time to enter this second museum, but very close to the Palace is the Malta at War Museum which is also a highly rated Maltese museum.
2. Docks of Cospicua
After leaving the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu, I walked down to the first dock of Cospicua near the American University of Malta. This dock is home to a seemingly endless population of boats creating a mesmerizing mosaic in the bright blue sea. Outside the university is another impossibly blue aquatic area complete with fountains and a sitting area perfect for a quick picnic lunch. Malta's "best chicken" is close by to the port so I grabbed a quick bite to eat by the shoreline. Sitting by the dock is the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, a looming 16th-century Catholic church that allows its visitors to ring giant bells in its iconic twin towers.
3. Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum 20€
Next, I took a bus to The Hypogeum, the most impactful site I had the honor of entering. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a 6,000-year-old Pre-Historic underground burial chamber in Paola, Malta. The word "hypogeum" is Greek for underground. It is thought to have been a sanctuary and burial site for over 7,000 individuals. The Hypogeum was found when builders for homes above accidentally broke through the ceiling of the site in 1902. The Hypogeum was used as a burial site starting in 4000 BC. This burial site was carved out of stone to create complex interconnecting chambers. Excavators found ceilings painted with distinct tribal patterns that would "dance" in the torchlight. They also found ancient statues presumably used to honoring the dead according to early Maltese religions.
The vibe inside the Hypogeum is one of importance. I could see and feel how revered this site was for so many ancient families that buried their loved ones within its underground walls. When visiting The Hypogeum, I encourage guests to appreciate the site, but also remember this was the final resting place of over 7,000 ancient individuals and to honor and respect those that built the structure and came before us. The Hypogeum is an extremely unique look into the past more than 6,000 years ago and I am honored to have been allowed to see this ancient structure.
4. Tarxien Temples 6€
After visiting the ancient site of the Hypogeum, I was encouraged to visit the other nearby ancient site, the Tarxien Temples. A short walk from the Hypogeum rests the ruins of a temple built between 3600 and 2500 BC. Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these temples were used by the people of Malta until 1500 BC. The Tarxien Temples are a complex of four temples, the South Temple, East Temple, Central Temple, and SouthEast Temple. A guided tour app will take you through these ruins where you will see evidence of fire ceremonies burned into old stone walls, patterns carved into stones like shown below, and even portions of what once was a giant statue, also seen below. The Tarxien Temples are another example of the tremulously advanced structures that stood the test of time in Malta.
5. Three Cities Malta
As you have read above, I spent some time in Malta's "Three Cities". These cities are Birgu (Vittoriosa), Senglea (Isla) and Bormla (Cospicua). Each city offers beautiful history lined streets with intricate Catholic Churchs, ancient sites, and amazing food. Wandering the Three Cities is a day in itself and can offer hours of Maltese culture for you to enjoy. From fortresses to palaces to ancient burial sites, the Three Cities are home to authentic Maltese life. Although called "Three Cities" this area is not as big as it sounds and all three cities can be covered in one day.
6. Rinella Bay
Coming from the cold of Philadelphia in November, I had to make sure I saw a beach during my time in Malta. After a short bus ride, I ended up at Rinella Bay for the beautiful sunset. Rinella Bay is in Kalkara, Malta and offers a quieter beach away from tourists. This beach is also pet-friendly! As you will see below, this is one of the spots I was blessed to meet some cat friends. After a long day of traveling, I spent an hour watching the sunset and enjoyed the sounds of Mediterranean waves hitting the Maltese coastline.
7. Valletta, Capital of Malta
If I had more time in Malta I would definitely come back to Valletta. At the entrance to the city, there is the magnificent Triton Fountain shown in the picture to the left.
Near the fountain are many food trucks offering a variety of meals. I went to a crepe truck to get dinner and walk around Valletta. The entrance to the capital city is very reminiscent of Jerusalem with its tall, tan, ancient walls surrounding the city and bridge entrance pathway. I went to Valletta at the end of my day, but I want you guys to get a sense of how breathtaking the entrance to Valletta is in the daytime, so I found the picture above on bay.com. After crossing the bridge into old city Valletta, there is a long main road lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. This seems like an amazing place to take in history as well as do some shopping. As I was walking through Valletta, I became a part of a protest, more to say about that below.
Protest in Malta🪧
While walking through Valletta with my crepe, a stage and a crowd of people came into view. After reading the memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia and speaking to some local people, I decided to stay and support this protest against corruption. Since this protest in November, the story has been very fluid, so I will first describe the backstory and situation as of Nov 2019, while I was at the protest. Daphne was a journalist dubbed by theguardian.com as a "one-woman WikiLeaks". Daphne exposed corruption at the highest levels of the Maltese government. This groundbreaking political journalist was killed by a car bomb in 2017 that galvanized fellow journalists to get justice and further her anti-corruption message.
At the time of the protest in Nov 2019, protesters were calling for the prime minister, Joseph Muscat, to investigate this murder and root out corruption in his government. As of writing this post in Jan. 2020, prime minister Joseph Muscat resigned due to "perceived" efforts to protect allies from an investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The new prime minister is Robert Abela from the Labour party. To read more about this international political event click here.
Churches of Malta ⛪
As we talked about before, the inhabitants of Malta are 94% Catholic, plus there was a major Inquisition on the island. Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that the island is home to many beautiful and massive Catholic churches. I did not seek out any of these churches, these are just some of the magnificent churches I came across during my day in Malta.
Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Mentioned above, the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a 16th-century church that serves as the main attraction in Bormla, one of the Three Cities. Across from the American University of Malta, this church's main feature are its large staircases and bells that visitors are allowed to ring themselves for the town to hear. I did not go inside but the interior of this church is just as beautiful as the outside with statues of the Virgin Mary, many paintings and sculptures lining the walls.
Paola Parish Church of Christ the King
Paola, Malta
This Roman Catholic church was built in the 1930s and serves as the largest church in Malta. Similar to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, visitors can climb its spires and ring its large bells. Paola Parish Church of Christ the King is located near the Hypogeum and Tarxien Temples, easily accessible by public transport. The church also sits near a town square with delicious food options and cafes to sit and listen to its powerful bells.
Unknown Churches
These are pictures are churches I was not able to identify. But, they were beautiful so I wanted to include them :)
Cats of Malta 🐈⬛
One of my favorite parts about Malta was all of the cats I met! Here are some cats in ancient temples, near the ocean, and more.
I hope this helps you create your own Malta adventure. All pictures are taken by me, with one exception cited below. Check out our Instagram @3WishesTravel for more. If you are thinking about your own Malta visit, contact us and we will plan your entire trip for you!
Subscribe below for an alert when our upcoming posts in new locations are published! If you have any Malta recommendations, feel free to comment below! I would love to hear them :)
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