Malta is a jewel of the Mediterranean, a small archipelago (316 km², the smallest European country) south of Sicily, with a density of history, architecture, and cultural richness that is unmatched anywhere in Europe. The island has been ruled by the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Knights of St. John, the French, and the British (who left behind the English language, the red telephone boxes, and the deeply Maltese habit of driving on the left), and each of these civilisations has left its mark on the landscape, the megalithic temples that are the oldest free-standing stone structures in the world (older than Stonehenge, older than the Pyramids), the honey-coloured limestone of Valletta (the fortress capital built by the Knights after the Great Siege of 1565), and the baroque churches, 359 of them, that give every village its distinctive silhouette. Three things barely scratches the surface, Malta deserves at least a week, but these three capture the essence of the island.

Three Essential Maltese Experiences

• 1. Valletta: The smallest capital city in Europe and one of the most beautiful, a UNESCO World heritage site, a grid of golden limestone streets on a narrow peninsula between two harbours, built by the Knights of St. John after their victory in the Great Siege of 1565 and named after the Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette. The essential sights: St. John’s Co-Cathedral (the most beautiful church in Malta, the Baroque interior is one of the most ornate in Europe, and the oratory contains Caravaggio’s largest and most powerful painting, “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist.” Entry: ~€15). The upper Barrakka Gardens (the view over the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua, is the best view in Malta. The noon and 4pm cannon salutes from the Saluting Battery below are a daily ritual). And the streets themselves, Republic Street, Strait Street (the former red-light district, now a nightlife hub), and the steps of Old Mint Street, the joy of Valletta is walking, the light on the golden limestone, and the discovery of a hidden courtyard or a sudden glimpse of the sea at the end of a narrow alley
• 2. The Blue Lagoon, Comino: The most famous natural attraction in Malta, a shallow, sandy lagoon between the island of Comino and the islet of Cominotto, with water of an almost impossibly bright, turquoise clarity. The Blue Lagoon is crowded in summer (day trips from Malta and Gozo deposit hundreds of visitors on the small beach and the surrounding rocks, the lagoon is tiny, and the crowds are real), but the water is genuinely as beautiful as the photographs. To experience it without the crowds: visit in the late afternoon (the day-trippers leave by 4pm) or visit in May or October, the water is still warm, the weather is beautiful, and the lagoon is peaceful. Boat trips from Ċirkewwa (Malta) or Mġarr (Gozo): ~€15 return. You can also swim across from Comino, the island is small and beautiful, and the walk to the Santa Marija Tower (the 17th-century coastal watchtower) is rewarded with some of the best views in the Maltese islands
• 3. Mdina, The Silent City: The ancient capital of Malta, a walled medieval city on a hilltop in the centre of the island, a UNESCO World heritage site, a labyrinth of narrow, honey-lit streets, palazzi with elaborate door knockers and hidden courtyards, and the silence that gives the city its name (Mdina has only ~300 residents, and cars are restricted to residents, the streets are quiet, especially in the evening, when the day-trippers have departed and the gas lamps flicker on). The view from the city walls over the Maltese countryside to the sea, and the cathedral of St. Paul, are the highlights. Mdina is beautiful, romantic, and entirely unlike the resort Malta of the coast. Visit in the late afternoon, stay for the sunset, and eat dinner at one of the excellent restaurants hidden in the palazzi, the dining experience in Mdina is one of the best on the island