Valletta

One of the finest Baroque interiors in the world — an overwhelming explosion of gold leaf, painted vaulted ceilings, and 400 individual tombstones inlaid in the marble floor. Home to Caravaggio's largest known painting, 'The Beheading of St John the Baptist', which alone justifies the visit.

The finest panoramic viewpoint in Malta — a beautifully maintained garden terrace built atop the city bastions, offering a sweeping view across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities. The Saluting Battery below fires a cannon every day at noon and 4pm.

The palatial headquarters of the Knights of St John — a grand Renaissance complex occupying almost an entire city block, with the State Rooms housing Gobelin tapestries and portraits of Grand Masters. The adjacent Armoury holds one of Europe's finest collections of medieval plate armour.

Malta's most atmospheric fishing village — a harbour full of traditional luzzu boats painted in vivid colours with the iconic eye of Osiris on the bow. The famous Sunday market sells fresh fish, local produce, and handcrafts along the waterfront.

A Valletta institution dedicated to traditional Maltese ftira (sourdough flatbread) and hearty village cooking — rabbit stew, braġioli (beef olives), and bigilla (spiced bean paste) served in a charming vaulted stone room. The best place in the city to eat properly Maltese.

A beloved Valletta classic that has been feeding locals since 1906 — this family-run trattoria specialises in traditional Maltese recipes including braġioli, lampuki pie (dolphin-fish), and the city's finest seasonal specials. Unpretentious and deeply authentic.

A smart waterfront restaurant right on the Valletta Waterfront with sweeping views across the Grand Harbour — an excellent choice for fresh Maltese seafood, pasta, and grills just steps from the cruise terminal with outdoor terrace seating overlooking the historic dock.

A tiny, family-run Valletta gem famous for its traditional Maltese home cooking — the kind of restaurant locals jealously guard. The daily specials board drives everything: stewed rabbit, pasta with tomato and garlic, pea and ricotta ftira, and Maltese cheesecake.

The most famous pastizzi stall in Malta — flaky, diamond-shaped savoury pastries filled with either ricotta or mushy peas, baked fresh around the clock. A national obsession costing around 25 euro cents each, and the single most authentic Maltese food experience available.

Valletta's legendary entertainment strip — once the haunt of Royal Navy sailors, now a revived stretch of jazz bars, cocktail lounges, and live music venues in the narrow sunken street. The atmosphere after dark is utterly unique and the best nightlife in the city.

A beloved local institution near the Upper Barrakka Gardens — a narrow terrace bar perched on the city bastions with dramatic Grand Harbour views. Known for cheap local Cisk lager, Kinnie (Malta's own bittersweet orange soft drink), and a genuinely local clientele.

A charming wine bar on Republic Street serving an excellent selection of Maltese wines alongside antipasti plates — the best place in Valletta to discover Maltese viticulture, particularly the Marsovin and Meridiana labels made from local Girgentina and Ġellewża grapes.

The grandest and most celebrated café in Malta — a magnificent ornate confectionery on Republic Street dating back to 1837, with elaborate ceiling frescos, marble counters piled with Maltese pastries, and outdoor tables on the busiest square in Valletta.

A relaxed cave-like café and wine bar in a vaulted stone cellar below street level — the ideal spot for a mid-morning espresso, a light lunch of Maltese bread and local cheeses, or an afternoon glass of wine after sightseeing in the heat.

Malta's most iconic natural attraction — a breathtaking turquoise lagoon between the tiny island of Comino and the uninhabited islet of Cominotto, with impossibly clear, shallow water and a sandy seabed that appears almost tropical in the Mediterranean sun.

Malta's finest sandy beach — a wide sweep of golden sand in a sheltered bay on the northwest coast, with clear blue water, a lifeguard service in summer, and the spectacular backdrop of the Radisson Blu cliffside hotel. The best full beach experience on the main island.

Malta's ancient walled hilltop capital — a perfectly preserved medieval city of just 300 residents, where traffic is banned and the narrow limestone alleys fall silent after the day-trippers leave. The cathedral, the palaces, and the views across the entire island from the bastions are extraordinary.

Malta's sister island offers a quieter, greener, more rural experience — with the extraordinary Azure Window site (now collapsed but still a dramatic seascape), the Ġgantija prehistoric temples (older than Stonehenge), the hilltop citadel of Victoria, and excellent local food.

Cross the Grand Harbour by traditional dghajsa (gondola-style water taxi) from the Valletta Waterfront to explore Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua — the fortified Three Cities where the Knights of St John first settled, predating Valletta itself, and largely overlooked by tourists.

Among the oldest free-standing stone structures on Earth — two remarkably preserved megalithic temple complexes on a clifftop above the southern sea, built between 3600 and 2500 BC. The UNESCO World Heritage site includes a small museum and spectacular coastal views to the islet of Filfla.