Malta is made of limestone: the pale, golden, globigerina limestone that has been quarried for 5,000 years (the temples of Ġgantija on Gozo, built in 3600 BC, a thousand years before the Pyramids of Giza, the oldest free-standing stone structures in the world, and the stone that built Valletta, the honey-coloured capital that rises from the Grand Harbour like a fortress of light) and the harder coralline limestone that forms the cliffs of the Dingli plateau, the Blue Grotto, and the coast that falls into the Mediterranean in a series of rock shelves and hidden swimming coves. Malta is a small island (316 km², smaller than the Isle of Wight), a hot island (the summer, June–September, is the sunniest in Europe, the temperature routinely reaching 35°C, and the sea that warms to 26°C in August), and a beautiful island (the Valletta, a UNESCO World heritage site, the most concentrated Baroque city in Europe; the Mdina, the “Silent City,” the medieval Arab walled town, the narrow streets, and the best view in Malta from the bastion at sunset; and the beaches, the sandy beaches of the north, the Mellieħa Bay, the Golden Bay, and the rocky swimming coves of the south, the Għar Lapsi, the Wied iż-Żurrieq, and the Blue Grotto). Here are the essential summer things to do in Malta.

Summer in Malta, Essential Things to Do

• Valletta, the fortress capital: Valletta, built by the Knights of St John in the 16th century after the Great Siege of Malta (1565, the 700 knights and the 8,000 Maltese who held the island against the 40,000-strong Ottoman invasion fleet, the most important battle in the history of the Mediterranean), is the most beautiful small capital in Europe: the grid of the streets (the steep, the straight, and the view of the sea at every intersection), the St John’s Co-Cathedral (the most beautiful church in Malta, the Baroque interior, the gilded walls, and the Caravaggio: “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist,” the largest and the greatest painting in Malta. ~€15, and the essential Valletta experience), and the upper Barrakka Gardens (the terrace overlooking the Grand Harbour, the view of the Three Cities, and the Saluting Battery, the midday gun, the cannon fired at noon and 4pm, the essential Valletta ritual. Free). The essential lunch: the Is-Suq tal-Belt (the restored Victorian market, the food hall, the Maltese pastizzi, the filo pastry with the ricotta or the mushy peas, the best €0.50 snack in Europe, and the best lunch in Valletta). The essential swim: the rocky coves of the Valletta coastline (the steps from the city walls into the sea, the most urban swim in Europe, and the essential experience of the Maltese summer). More Malta →
• Mdina and the Dingli Cliffs, the silent city and the edge of the island: Mdina: the former capital, the medieval walled city, the narrow streets, and the silence (the cars are banned, the population is 300, and the atmosphere is the most beautiful in Malta). The Bastion Square, the view from the walls, the Maltese countryside, and the sea. The essential lunch: the Fontanella Tea Garden (the cake, the view, and the best café in Malta. ~€8 for the cake and the coffee). The Dingli Cliffs: the highest point in Malta, the 253-metre cliffs, the view of the Mediterranean, and the best sunset in Malta. The walk along the cliffs (the path from the Dingli to the Fawwara, 5 km, the sea, the silence, and the best walk in Malta). Free. The essential experience: the Ħaġar Qim and the Mnajdra temples (the Neolithic temples on the Dingli Cliffs, the 5,000-year-old stone, and the most beautiful ancient site in Malta, the view of the sea from the Mnajdra, the alignment with the equinox, and the sense of the deep time of the island. ~€10)
• The Blue Lagoon and Gozo, the essential island escape: The Blue Lagoon (Comino): the small island between Malta and Gozo, the lagoon of the turquoise water (the white sand, the blue water, and the most famous swimming spot in Malta), and the crowds (the lagoon is the busiest beach in Malta, the boats from Malta and Gozo arrive from 10am, and the lagoon is packed by 11am). The essential strategy: the early boat (the 8am departure, the lagoon empty, and the swim before the crowds. The boat from the Marfa, the Comino Ferry, ~€15 return), or the late afternoon (the 4pm arrival, the crowds thinning, and the swim at 5pm, the best hour in the lagoon). Gozo: the second island of Malta, the greener, the quieter, and the more beautiful, the Azure Window has collapsed (the 2017 storm, the arch, and the most famous landmark in Malta is gone), and the Inland Sea and the Dwejra Bay (the circular lagoon, the tunnel to the sea, and the best swimming on Gozo), the Citadel of Victoria (the fortress, the view of the island, and the best view in Gozo), and the beaches, the Ramla Bay (the red-sand beach, the largest and the most beautiful on Gozo, and the best swimming in Malta), are the essential Gozo experiences. The ferry from Malta (the Ċirkewwa to the Mġarr, 25 minutes, ~€5 return for foot passengers, ~€20 for a car) runs every 45 minutes