About Malta

Malta is a small, island nation in the Mediterranean,  a cultural and geographical stepping-stone between Europe and North Africa, endowed with a complex and fascinating history by an accident of location. The most southern of the “European” countries, Malta joined the European Union with nine other new member states in May of 2004.

Located about 90 km from Sicily (50 miles) and 290 km (175 miles) from the coast of Tunisia, the Maltese Archipelago is composed of three main islands, Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Most of the Malta’s population (around 400,000) lives on Malta and Gozo. Comino is sparsely populated and there are three islets in the Maltese chain that remain unpopulated.

The Maltese islands are relatively dry with most rainfall in winter. The moderate climate attracts visitors in all seasons, but spring and fall are most popular with tourists. The islands of Malta are attractive, somewhat hilly and surrounded by beaches, bays and coastlines that invite exploration.

In addition, Malta is a place of enormous historical and strategic importance, populated with stone megaliths and other monuments attesting to nearly 7,000 years of civilization. The islands have been ruled by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, the Order of the Knights of St. John, French and finally the British, before declaring independence in 1964. If any country deserves the reputation of a potpourri of cultures, Malta certainly is near the top of the list. More recently, Malta has become a popular cruise destination and we consider it to be a great “add-on” destination when touring the Mediterranean.

With 7,000 years of history, the sites to visit are endless – the Megalithic Temples (including Ggantija, the oldest freestanding temple in the world), the underground St Paul’s and St. Agatha’s catacombs, The Knights of St. John’s significant sites, such as Fort St Angelo and Fort Rinella (home to the world’s largest canon). WWII significant sites, such as the Mgarr war shelter, Mtarfa ex-British military buildings, The Armoury and the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa are not to be missed.