How to spend a long weekend in Malta

When I think about ways to spend a long weekend in Malta, I envision lying on the beach with a margarita in one hand and a book in the other. Malta is a small Mediterranean island which sits between North African and Seychelles combining both African (Arabic) and European (Italian) cultures to form a unique blend of Maltese culture. I recently had an amazing opportunity to spend a long weekend in Malta and whilst lying on the beach happened, I was too enchanted to wait time lying on the beach. I spent 3 days and 2 nights in St. Paul’s bay and it’s the perfect location for all types of travellers.

Before travelling to Malta, it is best to do some research on the area you want to stay in and general information about the island. I stayed at Pebbles Resort a 4* hotel situated in St. Paul’s Bay area and only a 10-minute walk to the harbour. Like most European countries, Malta uses Euros as currency, English is widely spoken but so is Arabic, Italian and Maltese. For those intending to drive in Malta (I wouldn’t recommend it) they drive on the same side as the UK, which is unusual for a European country and their traffic rules are very peculiar as no one seems to follow them. 

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How to Spend a Long Weekend in Malta

Those who know me will tell you I am a last-minute planner; they call it being spontaneous and at most, it works for me but not always. Before travelling to Malta, I did bare research and I just felt like winging the trip which largely I did, and it turned out to be an enjoyable trip. I found trips that I travel on with little to no planning turn out to be the best because you can make your mind up as you travel.

I arrived in Malta around mid-day on a Friday, even though Malta is a small island, it took me 30-minutes by taxi to reach my hotel. I had booked the Pebbles Resort because of its close proximity to the harbour in case I wanted to take a day trip to the neighbouring Islands. Even though I did not do much research on things to do in Malta, I did research my hotel as its somewhere I was going to spend the majority of my time during my short visit.

Arriving mid-day Friday meant I had just enough time to scope out the area my hotel was located in and enjoy a long walk at the harbour before turning in for a more relaxing evening. I am often described as an active traveller because I am always on the go and only rest when I am at the hotel for the night. For the first solo trip of 2020, I thought I spend a long weekend in Malta relaxing, recharging and a bit of adventure just to spice things up.

On Saturday, I chose to use the hop on hop off tour bus that stopped right outside my hotel meaning I did not have to worry about extra transport to return to my hotel. The city sightseeing tour buses have 2 lines which take you all around the island and makes for the perfect way to explore every tour spot the island has to offer. Even though I used the tour, I made notes on areas I wanted to revisit and spent time exploring those areas.

As a solo (& female) traveller in a foreign land, I always have to think about my safety even in a relatively safe country like Malta. Every night I came back to my hotel at 7 pm and because I visited Malta during the winter months, the days are short, and the nights are long. I think it is always important to be safe and cautious of your surroundings and take safeguards along the way. Whenever I travel solo unless on a tour, I rarely ever stay out beyond 7 pm.

On Sunday, the day of my departure, I went on a day trip to Gozo and a few islands, I did the research the night before and booked with getyourguide.com who offers this tour for 7hours starting from 11 am. Our tour was absolutely epic, we got to see the blue lagoon, Comino and Gozo where we spend a good 3.5 hours exploring the city on foot and enjoying the views of the islands, the tour ended at 5.45 pm and I had 3-hours to get to the airport.

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I had such an amazing 3-days exploring the island of Malta and highly recommend it for some winter sun escape but not summer as their temperatures can be extreme. For my next visit, I intend to visit during Spring or Autumn as the temperatures are high but not too unbearable. On my next visit, there are three areas I want to explore further; Golden Bay, Valetta and Gozo.

Malta is a small island and can be easily reached via ferry or flying, I flew from London Gatwick with British Airways, they have one flight a day, but other airlines have more from different airports in the UK and Europe. I found travelling around Malta via public transport quite easy, just know where you need to go, ask the hotel and you will get local tips that are helpful.