MALTESE CROSSING

Whether you're heading to the Isle of MTV festival in June, or prefer to celebrate Malta's traditional feast days, be sure to sample all the island has to offer this summer! Benita Adesuyan suggests 10 highlights

1 MAKE A DAY OF IT IN A DGHAJSA BOAT
Malta’s traditional Dghajsa fishing boats are one of the best ways to see the Grand Harbour of Valletta. These long, open boats can be rowed like a gondola, but most also have engines. For about €9 the skipper will take you on a 45-minute cruise around the Grand Harbour, showing you sights like Rinella Bay, Valletta Waterfront, and Fort Ricasoli, where parts of the movie Gladiator were filmed. The Dghajsa tour gives you a real sense of Malta’s varied history and is perfect for a relaxed afternoon jaunt.

2 GET BACK TONATURE
Head to the Ta’ Mena Estate on the island of Gozo for an agri-tourism experience. You’ll fall in love with the Gozitan countryside, discover the production techniques used to cold-press olive oil, and taste fine Maltese wines and cheeses. The estate is nestled in the Marsalforn Valley between Victoria and Marsalforn Bay.
Ta’ Mena is owned and managed by the Spiteri family, who have tended to the land since 1971. After a tour of the vineyards, or some fruit picking, you can enjoy a superb four-course lunch, prepared using only local ingredients. You’ll leave with your stomach full and Gozitan soil under your fingertips!
www.TAMENA-GOZO.COM

3 JOIN THE FESTA
Festival season in Malta runs from June to September and almost every town and village on the island will be celebrating its patron saint during this time. Feast days, or “festas”, are one of the best ways to fully experience Maltese culture and most last for at least three days.
Malta is a Catholic country and the feast days are heavily rooted in Catholic traditions, but everyone is welcome to participate. Seemingly sleepy towns and villages come alive with street parties and processions, as banners and flags are waved from the balconies and food stalls groan under the weight of speciality pastries. Expect fireworks come the evening. For a more contemporary festival experience, you might want to see Snoop Dogg take to the stage at Isle of MTV on 30 June.
FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT WHEN AND WHERE FESTAS ARE HAPPENING, VISIT www.VISITMALTA.COM

4 TAKE THE SEAPLANE TO GOZO
If you live on an island as beautiful as Malta, where do you go for your holidays? The answer for many is Gozo, a small island in the archipelago, just 8km away. Rich in natural beauty, it’s a tranquil place to escape to. Ferries depart for Gozo daily from various ports, but for a truly memorable experience, go by seaplane. It takes just 15 minutes from Valletta Sea Passenger Terminal to Gozo’s Mgarr Harbour, giving you spectacular aerial views over Malta’s rugged east coast. You’ll see St Paul’s Island, the natural bays and harbours, and the pale turquoise of the Blue Lagoon as you fly towards Gozo.
A RETURN FLIGHT FROM VALLETTA, MALTA, TO MGARR HARBOUR, GOZO, COSTS €80 FROM www.HARBOURAIRMALTA.COM

5 BUS IT AROUND THE ISLAND
Malta’s public transport system is a fleet of brightly painted, single-decker 1970s buses. They’ve become an icon of Malta, but from 3 July they’re being decommissioned in favour of more green and economical vehicles — fair enough! If you are travelling before then, try to take a ride on one of these vintage machines before they’re consigned to the scrap heap, just to say you did. A single fare is a bargain at 58 cents. On the other hand, if you’re one of the first to travel on the new buses, let us know what you think of them!

6 DOWN DRINKS AT A GREAT HEIGHT
At the top of the Portomaso Business Tower – it’s the island’s only skyscraper, so you really can’t miss it – is the chic bar Twenty-Two. Located on the 22nd floor it’s one of Malta’s most upmarket drinking spots, but has a relaxed, easy-going atmosphere, underlined by plenty of chill-out tunes. With an impressive cocktail list, live DJs, and enough space to shake a leg (it’s 350m2), this is the ideal place for a discerning visitor to Malta to sink a few drinks. Capping it all off are expansive views over St Julian’s Bay and beyond. www.22.COM.MT

7 SCUBA DIVE IN THE BLUE LAGOON
If you’re in your element in the water, you have to go to the Blue Lagoon. Comino, another little sister island to Malta, is just one square mile in size, and virtually uninhabited apart from its one hotel. What draws people here are the island’s three beautiful sandy beaches, perfectly positioned for a spot of scuba exploration of the clear lagoon waters. Day trips head out to Comino daily from Malta, with pick up from most hotels. www.H2ODIVERS.COM

8 PARTY UNDER THE STARS
Malta has a burgeoning club scene and one of the appealing things about it is that you can dance under the stars all summer at open-air nightspots. The two most popular right now are Numero Uno and Gianpula, with both clubs attracting top international DJs like Carl Cox, Tiësto and David Guetta. Getting to these clubs is not easy by public transport, so it’s worth hiring a car for the night if you can. Gianpula, a former farmhouse, can pack crowds of up to 3,000 revellers in its sprawling complex. Expect to hear beats ranging from house and trance to R&B and hip-hop. Parties last from 10pm to sun up. NUMERO UNO, TA’ QALI CRAFTS VILLAGE, www.CLUBNUMEROUNO.COM; GIANPULA, LIMITS OF RABAT, TEL: +356 9947 2133, www.GIANPULA.COM

9 UNWIND AT THE SPA
Treat yourself to a soothing treatment at the Quintessence Spa, Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, where you can unwind in the Jacuzzi or hydrotherapy pool, or choose from a range of Ayurvedic therapies. You don’t have to be staying at the hotel to use the spa, either. QUINTESSENCE SPA, KEMPINSKI HOTEL SAN LAWRENZ, TRIQ IR-ROKON, SAN LAWRENZ, GOZO, TEL: +356 2211 0000, www.KEMPINSKI.COM/GOZO

10 SEE A CARAVAGGIO IN THE CATHEDRAL
The history of the Knights of St John is intrinsic to Malta, so no visit to the island would be complete without seeing St John’s Co-Cathedral. Commissioned in 1572 by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière, it was designed to be the church of the Knights, with chapels on either side of the grand nave that represent each of the different lands the knights hailed from.
The entire floor of the nave is covered with marble tombstones, while heavenly frescos painted by Mattia Preti adorn the ceiling. Best of all, St John’s Co- Cathedral is home to two spectacular original works by Caravaggio: The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (pictured) and Saint Jerome Writing, both of which are exhibited in the Oratory. ADULTS, €6, CLOSED SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, www.STJOHNSCOCATHEDRAL.COM

Fast facts

GETTING THERE:
Ryanair’s low-cost flights to Malta International Airport land 6km from the capital, Valletta, on the north-east side of the island. Bus and taxi services operate from the terminal. For car hire, Hertz (www.hertz.com) is Ryanair’s exclusive rental partner, offering special rates for passengers.

STAYING THERE:
THE PALACE
Located in trendy Sliema, The Palace is one of Malta’s best urban places to stay, with spacious rooms and a gorgeous rooftop pool with views over the harbour to Valletta. Do stay here. TEL: + 356 (0)21 333444, www.THEPALACEMALTA.COM

VALLETTA G-HOUSE
An elegant and bijou bolthole located in the capital, Valletta, this three-level townhouse is packed with atmosphere and traditional features. Sleeping just two, the fully restored 16th-century home includes a kitchen with arched, stone ceiling, a lounge with exposed limestone walls, and a sumptuous bedroom with balcony. Take the winding stone staircase down to the living room and unwind with a glass of Maltese wine after a day seeing the sights.
TEL: +44 (0)78 1398 8827, www.VALLETTAHOUSE.COM