Steeped in 7,000 years of history and blessed with beautiful scenery, the Mediterranean island of Malta is a favourite short-haul winter destination for the British — and is a focus for excellent deals next month.
It enjoys a mild climate from December to March with average temperatures of 12C to 17C (53F to 62F). Although it is too chilly to swim at its renowned beaches and Blue Lagoon, the weather is ideal for wandering around Malta’s Baroque cities and towns, with their wealth of elegant palaces and domed churches.
It is also a good time to explore the countryside and dramatic coastlines of Malta and its smaller sister islands Gozo and Comino. After the hot dry summer the first rains of winter turn the landscape into a lush green carpet, with an abundance of wild flowers.
Set off at your own pace, whether by foot, mountain bike, horseback, car or jeep safari. Along the way are some of the oldest known prehistoric sites and temples in the world. Among them is Ghar Dalam cave, where the earliest evidence of human settlement on the islands — from about 5,200BC — was discovered. Older remains of dwarf elephants and hippopotami were also unearthed here on the southeast coast of Malta, proving that it was once attached to Sicily and mainland Europe. You can visit the cave, finds from which are displayed in the adjacent museum.
Seven megalithic temples are scattered across the islands of Malta and Gozo and grouped together as a World Heritage Site, illustrating the temple-building culture that flourished between 3,600 and 2,500BC.
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A World Heritage Site in its own right is the Hypogeum, at Paola, a labyrinth of underground chambers, originally used as a sanctuary and burial place. Tours must be booked well in advance.
Artefacts from these sites can be seen at the National Museum of Archaeology in the capital, Valletta. The 16th-century fortress city was built by the ruling Knights of the Order of St John after they repelled the Turks in the Great Siege of 1565. Its easily defendable and spectacular Grand Harbour is one of the great sights of the Mediterranean.
Horse-drawn carriages go past ornate limestone buildings along narrow streets with Arabic names — just one of the many cultural influences in a country always ruled by foreigners until it gained independence from Britain in 1964.
Valletta’s biggest draw is the 16th-century St John’s Co-Cathedral, which contains such riches as Caravaggio’s masterpiece The Beheading of St John the Baptist.
Malta’s other cathedral, dedicated to St Paul, stands at the heart of the medieval-walled city of Mdina, perched on a hilltop south west of Valletta. The former Roman capital has a timeless, peaceful atmosphere.
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From its ramparts you can admire the plain, from which the huge dome of the Mosta Rotunda church rises.
If all this history seems a bit dry, head to the Meridiana wine estate, lying below Mdina’s walls at Ta’Qali for a tour of the vineyards and tastings. One of the wines, called Mistral, is said to “reflect the influence” of the wind of the same name that blows across Malta. You have been warned.
When thoughts turn to food, a trip to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, on the southeast coast, will whet the appetite. Choose a quayside restaurant and order the fresh fish of the day straight off the gaily coloured boats bobbing up and down on the harbour.
Malta Direct has some remarkable deals next month, starting with a week’s B&B at the four-star Maritim Antonine Hotel & Spa from £209, with a flight from Gatwick on February 6. The hotel is in the centre of the village of Mellieha, with shops, bars and restaurants — and a beach down a steep hill — and is in easy reach of the ferry to Gozo.
Stays during half-term week, including Valentine’s Day, cost from £334 flying from Manchester on February 12 and from £389 from Gatwick.
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A week from February 5 at the five-star InterContinental above St George’s Bay and a short bus ride from Valletta, costs from £295 with B&B and a flight from Gatwick.
For those who prefer to arrange their own accommodation, Air Malta has return flights from Gatwick from £79 return next month, including taxes and charges, and from Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham from £99.
www.visitmalta.com
www.maltadirect.com — 0845 3653410
www.airmalta.com — 0906 1030012