Travelling alone is one of my favourite ways to explore the world. Today, I’m sharing with you the best solo travel destinations to visit in Europe in 2022, whether this is your first time travelling solo or you’re a seasoned pro looking to expand your European horizons.
Note: I’m also listing two cities in the United Kingdom as ‘solo travel destinations in Europe’, even though I know they officially left the European Union in 2020. Sue me.
Europe is home to many of the world’s most historically and culturally relevant cities. For people like you and me, that means it’s got plenty of solo travel destinations to discover. In other words: you could spend days — or even weeks — in every major European city without getting bored.
These are my favourite solo destinations in Europe for a quick city getaway.
Ahh, the city that started it all. I went to Dublin on my very first solo trip, and that’s an experience I’ll always cherish. The Irish capital is a city with plenty of things to keep a solo traveller entertained for a few days. If you’re worried about solo travel safety: Ireland is consistently listed among the safest countries in the world to travel by yourself.
Read more: Budget Solo Travel in Dublin: Travel Tips and Tricks
Everything Amsterdam does, Rotterdam does better. At least for solo travellers. The city has the same culture, the same people and the same food, but better and cheaper. Especially if you’re not a fan of crowded cities with many attractions aimed at tourists, you’re better off in Rotterdam.
Read more: Where To Eat In Rotterdam: The Ultimate Foodie Guide
Then again, if you do happen to be a fan of crowded cities, London is the place to be if you’re travelling solo. Other travellers tend to agree: it’s the third-most visited city in the world, and for good reason. You could easily spend a week (or more) in each of the city’s 12 boroughs. London is home to world-class restaurants and museums, not to forget its historical districts and splashes of innovation, such as the Shard, Tate Modern, and the Sky Garden.
Are you looking for a bit of everything when you travel? Luckily for you, Europe is rich in cities that offer something for everyone. Culture, nature, adventure and gastronomy go hand in hand in these solo travel destinations.
The Maltese capital is not only a sight to behold — it’s also the perfect base for solo travellers to explore the three islands of Malta. Some highlights around the country are Rabat, Mdina, the Azure Window remains on Gozo, the Blue Lagoon in Camino, the Three Cities, and Marsaxlokk. English is one of the official languages in the country, so if you can read this, you’ll have no trouble getting around.
Read more: Solo Travel in Malta: A Conclusive Guide
With its impressive cultural neighbourhoods, modern art and electronic music scene, Berlin is the city that truly made me love travelling solo. Whether you just want to visit the essentials — Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag Building, Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall, for starters — or you’re looking to go off the beaten path: Berlin has something for everybody.
Read more:
A stunning historic city centre, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland, and the Scott Monument walk into a bar… No idea what the punchline to that joke is, but the city is there to please every solo traveller. The cultural sights (you know, the ones from the joke in the first line), a breathtaking hike (Arthur’s Seat), plenty of shopping opportunities and the Royal Botanical Gardens make Edinburgh the amazing city it is today.
Read more: Edinburgh Solo Travel Guide — Things To Do In Edinburgh
Are you a seasoned solo traveller looking for a new thrill? Or just a first-timer who wants to do something just a little bit different?
Take a look at some of my favourite offbeat solo travel destinations in Europe.
The second-largest metropolitan region in Belgium and host of the 1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp is a great, albeit slightly unusual, solo travel destination in Europe. (And, coincidentally, it’s also the city I call home at the time of writing this. Come say hi!)
Read more: Best Restaurants in Antwerp: The Ultimate Foodie Guide
If you’re a solo traveller with an interest in international politics, there’s really no competition for Strasbourg. The city is home to several European institutions and non-European international institutions. Its historic city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, although the city has been at the centre of violent disputes throughout history, it now serves as a cultural bridge between French and German culture.
Read more: 10 best day trips from Strasbourg for slow travellers
Bologna is known as the Fat, Red, and the Learn’d City — respectively due to its rich cuisine, the red Spanish tiled rooftops, and being home to the oldest university in the western world. Oh, and one of the best pasta sauces of all time — Bolognese sauce — is literally named after the city. But if that won’t convince you to travel to Bologna, I’m not sure what will.
Whether you’re looking for a day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park or you simply want to absorb the atmosphere of the Central European lifestyle, Zagreb is where you want to be.
Read more: Zagreb (Croatia): Is It Worth a Visit or Not?
Just because you’re travelling alone, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy nature. Whether it’s snowboarding down a mountain slope, going for a hike in the mystical forest or catching waves with your surfboard that gets your adrenaline going, there are plenty of solo travel destinations in Europe for nature lovers.
The enchanting town of Braga is a budget-friendly alternative to bigger Portuguese cities, like Porto and Lisbon. The town is located in northern Portugal, between rugged mountains, mystical forests, grand valleys, and soothing plains. Additionally, Braga enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with mild winters.
Many solo travellers avoid travelling to Switzerland because of its high cost of living. But what if I told you that you can also do it on a budget? Sivan from The Blonde Abroad gives plenty of tips on travelling to Interlaken on a budget in this blog post.
If you don’t know why Iceland is the perfect solo travel destination for nature lovers by now, I don’t know what to tell you. For example, you can bathe in the Blue Lagoon, chase the Northern Lights, explore an ice cave or discover the black sand beach with the unpronounceable name — Reynisfjara.
Looking for a big-hitter city with a lavish history where you’ll never run out of things to do? Consider the following solo travel destinations for culture lovers.
When you know that Dubrovnik was a filming location for Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Robin Hood, you’ll realise why it’s worth your precious travel time. The city on the Adriatic Sea is mostly known for its characteristic Old Town and ancient city walls, and many places of interest in Dubrovnik rely on its rich cultural heritage to attract travellers.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, they say. The Italian capital might be one of the most romantic and charismatic cities on earth, but that doesn’t mean solo travellers will get bored in Rome. The city has been a major human settlement for almost three millennia, leading to a cultural history Romans are rightfully proud of.
Athens is the cradle of Western Civilisation and the birthplace of democracy. That’s why it’s the place to be for solo travellers looking to get all cultured up. For example: you can walk in Plato and Aristotle’s footsteps on the Acropolis, learn about the city’s culture in the Benaki Museum, and stroll through the labyrinth of streets in the oldest neighbourhood of Athens — Plaka.
As you can see, it’s not difficult to find the best places for solo travellers in Europe. It’s a continent so rich in cultural, natural and gastronomic history that you can spend years here and still not see everything there is to see.
If you’re a seasoned solo traveller, what’s your favourite solo destination in Europe and why? Be sure to leave a comment down below and inspire your fellow solo travellers.
-S
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On my second ever solo trip, I spent six days in Malta and I loved every second of it. Now, I want to share my knowledge about this Mediterranean island with you. This is my Malta solo travel guide.
In the early days of my blog, I wrote a blog post about my time as a solo traveller in Malta. But now, I realise that this article was a narrative rather than a blog post that was useful to my readers, so I wanted to write this for the people who want to pursue solo travel in Malta themselves.
Note: this post includes a downloadable 6-day solo Malta itinerary! Subscribe below to get it to your mailbox.
Before we go any further, why don’t you take a look at this Malta travel video I made when I was there in 2017?
Malta is a small nation-state located in the Mediterranean Ocean, made up of a three-island archipelago. The main island, Malta, is the biggest one and houses the country’s capital, Valletta. The other islands are called Gozo and Comino.
Now, a few frequently asked questions to get the most commonly Googled queries out of the way.
Including expenses like transport and accommodation, you’ll probably need to budget about 50 USD per day when visiting during high season.
(In Malta, high season is between June and August)
Malta is very safe for solo travellers. The locals are friendly and speak English, there’s a vast network for public transport and there is a low crime rate throughout the island.
Malta is mostly famous for its great diving spots, stunning historical architecture and its nature, which has been used in big movie and TV show productions (like Game of Thrones, World War Z and The Da Vinci Code).
The main way to get to Malta is by plane. Most airplanes to Malta will land on Malta International Airport (also sometimes referred to as Luqa Airport).
This airport is served by many budget carriers like Ryanair, WizzAir, EasyJet and Norwegian. It’s also a hub for Air Malta.
International flights to Malta usually connect through a European hub, like Frankfurt (Lufthansa flights) or London (easyJet flights).
Finding flights as a solo traveller is easier than when you’re travelling with other people. After all, you only need one seat – duh.
My favourite websites to find flights are Google Flights, Momondo, Expedia, Cheap Flights and Skyscanner.
If you are unable or not willing to take a flight to Malta, there is another option. Two companies regularly operate ferries between Italy and Malta.
Virtu Ferries and Grimaldi Lines operate ferries from Catania to Valletta and Virtu Ferries also operates ferries from Pozzallo to Malta.
Check out their websites for more information.
Be advised that ferries often tend to be more expensive than flights with low-cost operators.
Skip to the next section: Where to stay in Malta
The best things to do in Malta will take you more than just a few days to cross off your list.
Below, you’ll find some of my favourite activities and places to visit in Malta, grouped by category. Keep in mind that I spent six days there, so if you have more time, you can add more activities to your travel itinerary.
Here are 20 things you have to do in Malta as a solo traveller.
Valletta is an awesome place for solo travel in Malta. Although it’s quite small, there’s more to do than meets the eye. Here are some of my favourite things to do in Valletta.
Valletta, Europe’s smallest capital, has centuries of history packed into its historical old town. And – best of all – this history is influenced by its Mediterranean, Arab, British, Italian and Castilian heritage.
The Maltese capital is renowned for its colourful balconies that tower over narrow streets and its small, independent shops.
Walk around this area for an hour or so without having any real plan. Soak everything in.
Unlike any church or cathedral I’ve ever seen, St John’s Co-Cathedral is a real baroque feast for the eyes.
The inside of the cathedral, which was constructed in 1577, is plated in gold and houses many Baroque artworks and a fascinating ornate marble floor. The most impressive feat in this cathedral, though, is one of Caravaggio’s best-known paintings: the Beheading of John the Baptist.
Admission is €10 for adults and €7.50 for students and seniors. This price also includes an audio guide and a visit to the museum.
One of my favourite parts of solo travel in Malta was the Valletta Seafront. Finding your way to the water through paths that aren’t on Google Maps to walk along the fishermen is truly a unique experience.
Pro tip: don’t be afraid to leave the main road and head to the rugged rocks down below — they’re not as dangerous as they look from above.
A great continuation of the last point: take a ferry across the Grand Harbour and watch the sun set from literally anywhere.
I promise you won’t regret it.
I personally watched the sunset from Valletta itself while waiting for my ferry back to Bormla, because that’s where my Airbnb was.
Get up to $40 off your first booking on Airbnb by signing up through this link!
If you’re looking for a place to get an energy fix before lunch time, look no further than the Chocolate District.
This is a small shop in one of the aforementioned narrow streets of Valletta where you can buy great chocolate bars, pralines and teas and coffee beans.
However, I recommend getting an iced chocolate drink if you’re visiting during the summer. It’s VERY refreshing and it tastes amazing.
If you’re a history buff, the Malta Experience is something for you. This is a very informative 45-minute documentary on the history of Malta. I’m personally not a huge fan of historical documentaries, but I found this one to be well-made and interesting.
After this short movie, you also get a guided tour through the infirmary.
Gugar is a great place in the city centre to get a cheap and quick bite or drink.
They don’t have a website, so it takes some insider knowledge to find this place. Luckily, I had my Airbnb host Daniel show me Gugar, and I’m glad he did.
On the menu, you’ll find a lot of vegetarian and vegan options. I can’t remember for the life of me what I had here, but the vegan ftira is supposed to be really good.
One of the best cocktail bars in downtown Valletta is called Cafe Society. The cocktails are very reasonably priced and the bar puts on frequent events, as can be seen on their Facebook page.
In short, Cafe Society is the perfect place for a pre-dinner cocktail or a late-night party.
If you’ve never gone scuba diving, Malta is the perfect place to do it for the first time.
I did the Discover Scuba Diving introduction programme with Diveshack, a dive shop that is located a short bus ride away from the capital (take bus 13, 13A, 14 or 16 from Valletta and get off at Sliema).
The people at Diveshack were very helpful and professional and their material was clean and up to date.
Mdina is a fortified walled city that used to be Malta’s capital. Now, the Silent City — as it’s often called — is still home to about 250 inhabitants.
Many travellers visit Mdina for its sandstone-coloured narrow streets with traditional medieval balconies and archways, as well as the many cultural heritage sites within the city walls.
Fun fact: Mdina was used as a filming location for King’s Landing in the first season of Game of Thrones. One particular scene that was filmed in Mdina was the fight between Ned Stark and Jaime Lannister.
Rabat is the city located right next to Mdina, so it’s a good idea to combine these two in one day. I recommend visiting Mdina in the morning and heading to Rabat after lunch.
One place I’d highly recommend you visit is St Paul’s Church and the Grotto upon which it was built. This grotto is linked to the Wignacourt Museum, which will be discussed shortly.
Secondly, you can’t miss St Paul’s Catacombs. This place will take you back in time to see burial rituals and urban legends from throughout Malta’s history. The Catacombs are definitely worth the €6 entry fee (€4 for students and seniors).
The Wignacourt Museum is located in Rabat and was named after Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt.
Be sure to look at the fascinating exhibits on the Order of Knights and the map room with the intriguing mappa mundi (medieval European world map).
When you’re travelling alone in Malta, you just have to venture off the main island and take in the beauty of the country’s other islands, Gozo and Comino.
Quick heads up: if you follow these tips, you should see Gozo and Comino in two days, including a night on Gozo.
Starting off your two-day mini-trip, take a bus from Valletta to Cirkewwa, then transfer to the ferry to Mgarr and then take another bus to Qorrot. Then, walk from the Qorrot bus stop to Dahlet Qorrot beach.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE WATER. Don’t make the same mistake that I made. Okay, moving on.
After baking in the sun and swimming in the sea for a bit, make your way to the other side of the island for your adventurous night. Take bus 303 to Victoria and transfer to bus 312 to Lawrenz. Walk the last part to the Azure Window remains.
If you still have time, you can check out the Citadel and St George’s Basilica in Victoria.
Before you get to your place to sleep for the night, take a look at what remains of the Azure Window. Although the arch collapsed in March 2017, it’s still a great place to stare at the sea and the natural rocks that the waves created.
Fun fact: before its collapse in 2017, the Azure Window was also used as a filming location for the very first episode of Game of Thrones.
After this, have dinner at the Azure Window restaurant. Pro tip: get a pizza. They’re cheap here.
Once you’ve had dinner, it’s time to make your way to the temple where you’ll be sleeping. I wrote a whole article with everything you need to know about Wardija, so go check that out for a more detailed description of how to get there.
Basically, it comes down to this. You need to use Google Maps (one of my favourite solo travel apps of 2020) to figure out the route from the restaurant to the temple.
After waking up in Wardija and walking back to the bus stop at the Azure Window, take the bus back to Mgarr and board the ferry to Comino.
One insider tip I’ll give you: skip the swimming session in the Blue Lagoon if you’re travelling alone. Especially during the summer months, there’ll be too many people in the water for you to enjoy yourself. Besides, it wouldn’t be safe to leave your things unattended while you’re swimming.
If you’re in Malta during shoulder season, knock yourself out.
That being said, you can still enjoy yourself on Comino without swimming in the Blue Lagoon.
Walk around the island and explore the rough landscapes at the less-visited part of Comino. Have a Popsicle. Enjoy the sun.
When you’ve seen it all, take the ferry from Comino back to Malta.
Here are some things to do as a solo traveller in Malta when you have some time left over.
The Three Cities is a collective name for Conspicua, Birgu and Senglea — three fortified cities across the Grand Harbour from Valletta.
If you have an extra day, you may want to consider taking the ferry across the harbour and walking through the history-lined streets, soaking up the atmosphere.
These gardens are located in Attard and form a part of the President of Malta’s official estate, San Anton Palace. They’re free to enter and there is a very peaceful atmosphere, with different species of fish, birds and even turtles.
These large gardens were established during the British rule over Malta and still form a nice, calming refuge, surrounded by Malta’s busy streets.
The Rotunda of Mosta, also known as the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, is a neoclassical church whose construction was completed in the early 1860s. The design was based on the Pantheon in Rome.
The big draw of this church is its ornate dome, which at one point was the third largest unsupported dome in the world.
During the second World War, a German bomb fell into the church during Mass but failed to explode. As if by miracle, nobody was hurt. A replica of the bomb is still displayed in the sacristy at the back of the church.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to visit Marsaxlokk, but I’ve heard that it can be a great addition to solo travel in Malta.
Any postcard from Malta worth its salt will feature the colourful fishing boats in Marsaxlokk. These boats can be spotted all over the island, but Marsaxlokk is the only place where they’re still used for actual fishery.
After wandering along the promenade, you might want to check out the Sunday fish market or pay a visit to St Lucian Tower, which was constructed by the Order of St John to protect Malta from Ottoman threats.
Skip to the next section: Solo travel in Malta
If you’re travelling solo in Malta, you have a few options regarding accommodation.
Firstly, you can check Airbnb for cool places to stay with local hosts. This is how I found my accommodation when I was in Malta in 2017.
Sign up through this link and get over €40 off your first Airbnb trip!
Secondly, check Couchsurfing for free accommodation in Malta.
Next, take a look at websites like Hostelworld to find cheap hostel rooms all over the island. The cheapest average cost for hostel rooms is in Sliema, with prices starting at just €10/night during the peak summer months.
Last but not least, since Malta is such a cheap country, you could really find hotel room bargains. Compare websites like Hotels.com, Booking.com and Trivago to find the best deals.
Skip to the next section: Tips & tricks for solo travel in Malta
Travelling alone in Malta is a great way to discover everything the country has to offer.
And, while that may be true for many countries, I have a special relationship with solo travel in Malta.
Malta was the second place I travelled to by myself and it was the first real solo adventure trip I did. It’s completely different from a solo city trip to Dublin or Berlin, for example.
Since Malta was a British colony for such a long time, English is still commonly spoken throughout the country.
And, since you’re reading this, you can speak English and you can get around easily by talking to locals.
Solo travel in Malta is anything but boring: the Mediterranean island has it all.
Countless diving options, great restaurants, friendly locals, cities steeped in history and breathtaking nature: whatever it is you’re looking for on your first solo trip, you can find it in Malta.
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On my second solo trip ever, I slept on top of a cliff in Malta, overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean. I got to know the beauty of Wardija Punic Temple. If you want to have that same experience, keep reading.
If you’re ever in Malta, you really should consider giving Wardija a visit and maybe even sleeping there, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and feeling the wind on your skin.
Disclaimer: since I took the photos in this post with my smartphone when I was visiting Malta in 2017, the quality won’t be great. I’m sorry about that, but there’s really not much I can do about it until I go back to Wardija.
Today, I’ll go over everything you need to know to experience this for yourself. How to get there, what to do, and why you should do it.
Let’s start with the basics.
The thing is, I’m not quite sure.
According to Wikipedia, Wardija Punic Temple – also known as Ras il-Wardija among the locals – is a promontory on the southeast coast of Gozo.
If you’re not sure what that means, that’s okay. Neither am I. I’d describe Wardija as a temple, a cave, an archaeological site – anything but a promontory. But that might just be because English is not my first language.
When my Airbnb host, Daniel (who’s now running a successful co-working space in Valletta, by the way), told me about this place, I was instantly sold to the idea.
Bonus: sign up to Airbnb through this link and get up to $40 of travel credit for your first booking!
He told me that someone who stayed in his Airbnb a few weeks before I did had discovered this place and had spent the night there. And so, Daniel told me everything I needed to know before sleeping at Wardija.
Now, I’m here to pass on my knowledge to you.
Make sure you bring some kind of blanket and something to sleep on, like a towel.
Here we go.
On the map below, you can see the exact location of Wardija Punic Temple. While this can be useful in and of itself, I’d also like to give you a little bit of explanation about how I got there, and how you can get there, too.
Arriving at this place is substantially easier if you have a rental car – or, better yet, if you’re from Malta and you have your own car available.
If you don’t, scroll down just a little bit and read more about getting there with public transport.
If you do, here’s what you want to do, supposing you’re coming from Malta’s capital, Valletta.
Preface: I would recommend departing from Valletta in the early afternoon if you want to be able to see the sunset. Not only that, but the last part of your journey would be quite dangerous without any sunlight.
That being said, you should look up when the sun sets on the day of your big adventure and leave at least four hours before that.
Side note: I’m aware that it’s a 40 minute walk, but it’s worth it. Trust me on this one.
Before starting your big trek from the Dwejra bus stop, you may want to consider doing a few things.
Firstly, take a look at the old site of the Azure Window. The steep rocks, the crystal blue water and the sharp cliffs in the background all look amazing and are worth some time.
You’ll be able to see this site from up above when you’ve arrived at Wardija, but it’s that much more impressive up close.
Secondly, have some dinner at the Azure Window restaurant. Unless you brought your own food, this is going to be your last meal until you get back to the civilised world tomorrow morning. (I had the pepperoni pizza and it was great)
To be honest, there’s not a whole lot to do here.
But there are some pretty great things that you can do here, and not in a lot of other places.
First of all, admire the views. Since there’s not much to do around you anyway, why not take some time to really take in the landscape around you?
I’ll just let the pictures do the talking here.
The photo above is the view from down below, looking at what used to be the Azure Window. Although it collapsed in a storm in 2017, it’s still gorgeous.
Aside from the actual image quality, this is one of my favourite shots I’ve ever taken. And that’s only partly because I have some very fond memories when looking back at this.
Next up: watch the sunset.
Just outside the temple, there are a few places where you can sit down, unwind, and enjoy the view of the sun setting over the ocean.
After the sun has set, now it’s time to really start doing things you’ve never done before.
Put on some good music and dance. Sing and dance like nobody’s watching.
You’re 40 minutes away from the nearest bus stop, so, chances are, nobody IS watching.
Finally, once you’ve danced your heart out – or once your phone battery dies, like mine did – it’s time to go to sleep.
When I was at Wardija, it took me about an hour to fall asleep. I had noticed beetles crawling out of a crack in the wall, and that unsettled me a bit. But if I can sleep through that, I’m sure you can, too.
I woke up around 6 am, and then again around 7 and around 8. I finally decided to get up around 8:30, and while I was brushing my teeth, a Spanish man and his daughter were hiking around. We talked for a little while and they were on their way.
Finally, I got back to my Airbnb by following the same route in reverse.
And that, dear friends, is the story of how I slept in a temple on top of a Maltese cliff (and how you can do the exact same thing).
Some more things to keep in mind:
Disclaimer: I tried to contact Mr Spiteri to ask for permission to post this article, but he hasn’t responded so far. If he does end up responding and doesn’t give me permission, I’ll delete this post.
Would you ever do something like this? If you wouldn’t, what do you feel is stopping you?
Thanks for reading!
-S
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Malta. Many people have heard about it, fewer people know where it’s actually located and even fewer have actually gone there. But let me tell you: after spending six days on this Mediterranean island, I’m recommending it to everyone. And here’s why.
Heads up: this will be a substantial post (5000+ words!), so if you don’t feel like reading all of that, I’m giving you a chance to click away now. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
If you don’t feel like spending your time on reading all of that, you could also take three minutes out of your day to watch my travel video.
For the unaware, here’s some background information to get you started. Malta is a tiny island located in the Mediterranean ocean, to the south of Sicily. Correction: Malta is a country made up of three main islands (Malta, Gozo & Comino).
The country’s capital is Valletta, located at the northeastern coast of the main island. Fun fact: Valletta isn’t even in the top 10 biggest cities of Malta (it only has about 6400 inhabitants).
The national language is Maltese, but everyone speaks English, so you won’t have any trouble as a foreign traveler. You might have to try a little bit harder to understand the people, but I’m sure you’ll get there eventually.
Without any further ado, let me tell you about how this was – almost – the perfect holiday.
Disclaimer: this is going to be a day-to-day diary of some kind. If you want travel tips because you’re going to Malta yourself, I’ll list everything at the bottom of this post so you can just skip ahead.
Evidently, I spent some time planning this trip. Around May, I started looking for things to do in the summer and I came across some fun travel destinations. After some contemplation, I decided to go to Malta. And I’m glad I did.
As you can read in my almost-6000-word guide, I read up on what Malta was all about and I picked the things I wanted to see and do. I made a handy map on Google Maps, pinning all the locations I wanted to go to. This gave me a convenient overview of my trip, on a map I was always bringing along on my phone.
Then again, you’re not really interested in that, are you? You only want to know what I did and what I thought of it. And I don’t blame you. So here we go.
My wish list included various things in different cities spread among the islands:
Buckle up!
Of course, my first full day in Malta had to be spent in the capital, Valletta. I say first full day because I arrived at 11:35 pm. Technically, that’s a day as well, but yeah. You know.
After taking a ferry from my Airbnb apartment to Valletta – I was staying at the opposite side of the Grand Harbour – I had to take a lift to get up to the city centre. In doing so, I reached the Upper Barrakka Gardens (totally not worth it, by the way).
The attractions I was most looking forward to were St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Malta Experience.
Before actually embarking upon my magical adventure, I decided to stop at the Chocolate District and get myself some iced chocolate milk. That turned out to be a very smart decision, because it was just what I needed.
With a belly full of delicious chocolate, I continued up to the Cathedral. Although the entry fee was quite steep (€10 for a regular ticket, €7.50 for students), I think it was totally worth it.
As you can see, most of the interior is decorated royally with all kinds of gold, satin and other expensive things. The entry fee also included an audio guide (available in a wide range of languages) and a visit to the museum. Sadly, this museum was closed when I visited.
One thing I did manage to see was a room dedicated to Caravaggio. Quick background for anyone who doesn’t know: brilliant baroque painter whose name is actually Michelangelo, known for revolutionizing painting techniques with chiaroscuro.
In high school, I had an art class where the teacher was kind of obsessed with Caravaggio. He had a way of conveying his passion to us, the students, which is why I felt like this room was worth a visit.
After spending some time in this gem of a church and getting some quick lunch at a nearby bistro, I made my way up to the Malta Experience. This was a 40-minute audiovisual spectacle where the history of Malta was explained in a concise and entertaining way.
I would definitely recommend going here to any history buffs out there, or to anyone in general, really. Even if you don’t like it, you can just sleep for 40 minutes and listen to what other people thought of it.
Apparently, when I bought my ticket to this history show, the clerk behind the counter misunderstood me and gave me a combo ticket for both the Malta Experience and a guided tour through the Sacra Infermeria.
This tour was supposed to be me and two other people, but they never showed up, so I got a private, guided tour through a 1574 hospital. It was a pretty cool tour, but it’s not worth it to get the combo ticket. Just visit the Malta Experience and get on with your day.
So, let’s see. After everything that happened so far, it was about 5 pm. Earlier, I had sent my host Daniel a message, asking if he wanted to get some dinner with me. He agreed, and said he’d come to Valletta around 7. This meant that I had two hours to fill and no activities to fill them with.
Until I noticed a walking route along the seafront of Valletta. Well, to be clear, it wasn’t really a walking route so much as a secret-ish pathway through the rocks and nature.
So, I followed it. And I’m very glad I did. The path led me to some of the most beautiful things I saw in Valletta, like this shot of the coast line. (The picture is #nofilter, by the way)
After some more light hiking, I found myself at the other side of Valletta. That was fun. Until I realized that I was going to meet up with Daniel at this bar/restaurant called Gugar, which was like another 15 minutes’ walk from where I was.
By the way, I really recommend Gugar to anyone who is looking to grab a quick bite. It might not look like a place you’d spontaneously go to if you want to eat, but it really is worth it.
After sharing a meal with Daniel, we walked around a little bit and took in the atmosphere of Valletta. Of course, at one point, we had to go back home.
Daniel’s house isn’t located in Valletta, but in Bormla (also known as Conspicua), a town at the opposite side of the Grand Harbour. This meant that we had to take a ferry to get back there. While waiting for the ferry, this is what we were looking at.
I spent my second day in Malta wandering around the beautiful cities of Rabat and Mdina. I don’t have a lot of pictures of this day, because I spent most of it either walking around catacombs or accompanied by an American family.
I started the day off by taking a bus to the city where every building is made of limestone, where silence prevails and where every road looks so alike that you won’t get out of there without getting lost. That city is called Mdina.
It’s so much fun to just strolling around and taking in the beauty that is Mdina. Looking at the buildings and realizing that this town has 4000 years of history worked into it gives you an amazing feeling of insignificance.
My plan for Rabat was to visit one museum, one church and one set of catacombs. I got started with the catacombs. And of course, my plans quickly changed.
While exploring the catacombs, I found myself in one room, together with an American mother and her son and daughter. The daughter was reading the explanation of the room aloud to her brother and I was listening along (because I was too lazy to read it myself).
At one point, we started talking and I asked them whether or not it was okay if I stayed with them for the rest of the catacomb tour. Luckily, it was, and we discovered all the secrets the Maltese underground had to offer.
When we left the catacombs, we quickly found out that our schedules for the rest of the day pretty much collided. We visited a museum and a church together after that.
Eventually, we had to go our own ways. We quickly exchanged telephone numbers before they hopped back on their bus. (@ Family: if you’re reading this and you’re ever coming to Belgium, you’ve got a place to stay!)
So let’s recap. We’re two days into our Malta trip, and we’ve seen the (arguably) two biggest and most important cities on the main island. However, one thing we haven’t done is take a look at the other two islands that make up the country of Malta.
The second biggest island, Gozo, is mainly known for its relaxed attitude and beautiful nature. I experienced both.
My main plans for Gozo: make my way to the beach, chill there for a while, make my way to the other side of Gozo and sleep in a temple. Yeah.
Okay. So the main goal of my day in Gozo was to find a nice beach, lie down and chill for some time. To some extent, that actually happened. But other things happened as well.
The most annoying part of Gozo was transport. I had to take a bus from Bormla to Valletta, then transfer to another bus from Valletta to Cirkewwa, then take a ferry from Cirkewwa to Mgarr, and then take yet another bus from Mgarr to Qorrot.
If that was confusing to read, try doing it in real life.
I’m coming at you with another Google Maps screenshot so I can show you just what I had to do to get to the beach.
Three buses and one boat ride later, I arrived at the last bus stop. From there, I still had a 25-minute walk left to go until I reached the beach. That walk was mostly downhill, which was a blessing. Well, it was a blessing until I realized that I’d have to walk uphill for 25 minutes when I went back.
Anyway. On the way to the beach, I noticed two people holding hands, walking in the same direction as I was. I accelerated a little bit until I was walking alongside them.
The girl was the first one to start talking. She asked me if I knew where the beach was. I told her I was looking for the same beach and I joined them. We started talking and I found out that they were from Poland. They were also on a holiday, exploring Malta for about a week.
After a while, we arrived at the beach. There was nobody else there, so we had the whole thing to ourselves. So we got out our towels, found a sunny spot in the sand and got settled.
Of course, I didn’t try to intrude into their romantic getaway too much. I went for a swim went I felt like they needed some privacy, and I think they appreciated that more than they let on.
After about an hour and a half, the Polish couple said goodbye, got up and left. I stayed at the beach for another half an hour, and then I got going myself (you know, because I still had to find my way to the other side of the island).
“Wardija? What in Pete’s name are you on about?”
I can hear you think it. Remember when I told you that my plan was to sleep in a temple? That temple is Wardija. More specifically, it’s called Wardija Punic Temple and it looks like this.
Also, here’s another Google Maps screenshot to indicate just how far this temple was from where I was at the time (Dahlet Qorrot Bay).
Again, it might not look like much, and if you try to look this route up yourself, you’ll find that it takes around half an hour to get to the temple. By car. Of course, I didn’t have a car, so it took me quite a bit longer than that.
For me, this route was the most adventurous one I went through during my week in Malta. It involved missing two buses, hitchhiking, just barely catching yet another bus and 45 minutes of hiking.
Situational sketching: it’s 4:30 pm, I’m alone at a beach (Dahlet Qorrot) and I need to get to the other side of Gozo before dark.
Earlier, I had to walk downhill for 25 minutes in order to reach the beach. Well, now was the time to do that walk in the other direction. Of course, as my luck would have it, I was out of water, it was 32°C and there was no shadow at all.
After about 15 minutes, I started feeling kind of dizzy. While I was walking uphill, I noticed a rental car on its way down to the beach. I stopped the car and asked the driver (who was a French man on a holiday with his family) if he had any water I could take a sip of. Luckily for me, he did, and he was kind enough to give me some water.
French guy, if you ever stumble across this post and somehow get to read this, I’m eternally grateful. You may have saved my life that very day. Thank you.
With this renewed power, I managed to make my way up to the bus stop. There, I waited for another 10 minutes, only to realize I was waiting at the wrong bus stop, and the bus I was supposed to take (which passed a bus stop right around the corner) had already left 5 minutes earlier.
Although slightly demotivated, I quickly thought of how I still had a long road ahead of me and started walking toward the next bus stop. On the way there, I had the brilliant idea to start hitchhiking, as a way of getting to my destination more quickly.
And what do you know? It worked.
After another 10 minutes of walking and hitchhiking simultaneously, there was this one guy named Mike who was friendly enough to stop his car and let me (and my backpack) in. He took me to Victoria, the main city of Gozo, where I was supposed to transfer and take another bus.
While we were in the car, Mike and I started talking. I found out that he was born in Australia, but his parents moved to Malta right after his birth, so he grew up there. Later, when he was an adult himself, he moved to Gozo, because he liked the way life moved more slowly there.
It was an interesting talk and I’m very grateful to Mike for picking me up and shaving some time off my trip. He dropped me off at the bus station of Victoria and he got going again.
When I got out of Mike’s car, I looked around me, a little confused, and found my way to the information board right next to the bus terminal. Just as I figured out which bus I had to take – thank you, Google Maps – I saw that bus arrive.
I hurriedly got out my money, paid for a ticket, and got on the bus. After a 15 minute ride, the bus arrived at the last stop: Dwejra. You might know Dwejra as the location of the Azure Window (which recently collapsed).
Earlier that day, my host Daniel had told me how to get from the last bus stop to the temple. There was a path through the mountains and plains that would take you all the way there, if you were willing to hike for another 45 minutes.
Of course, as it was my intention to go sleep in the temple, I was more than willing to do that.
When my bus arrived at the Azure Window, I took in the beauty of the ocean’s waves crashing against the rocks and the smell of the salty water. After this #blessed moment, I decided to get up to strength and get some dinner. After all, this was going to be my last meal until I woke up, hiked back, and found something to eat.
I started hiking. And I continued hiking. I’m talking about 45 minutes that were too boring and uneventful to even talk about. So I’m just going to skip ahead to when I arrived, if that’s okay with you.
Eventually, I took the last turn and arrived at Wardija. But then, I noticed that two other people were already in the temple that was supposed to be my bedroom for the night.
I quickly found out that these two people were a French couple who were hiking around. They were planning to watch the sunset at this temple, take some pictures, and head back to their hotel/hostel/dorm/…
And then along came I. I introduced myself to them and I proposed to watch the sunset together, because I was going to have to spend the next 12 hours there anyway. So, again, I ruined a couple’s romantic plans, but I don’t think the French guys minded as much.
Luckily, they agreed. We sat alongside each other, talked about everything, took pictures and listened to music. And then, suddenly, it was time for them to get back, because they wanted to be back by nightfall.
It was at this time that I realized the time was perfect to take some pictures. After all, it was the perfect hour, and the scenery around me was already so beautiful as it was. And that’s the story of how I, a photography newbie, managed to take this picture.
So, I was now alone. In a temple 45 minutes from the nearest sign of human civilization. As I had no cell reception, I kept myself busy watching the sun slowly fall down into the ocean, listening to music and dancing around like nobody was watching – because, you know, nobody WAS watching.
Around 9 pm, I literally decided to go to bed out of sheer boredom. When I went back to the temple, I noticed a crack in the back wall. Upon closer investigation, that crack seemed to be housing a number of beetles. It looked terrifying in the dark.
After making sure that the beetles weren’t going to hurt me (like the scarabs in The Mummy), I was able to fall asleep rather quickly, considering my poor sleeping position (my mattress was a towel).
I only woke up once during the night. At around 1:30 am, I decided to check out the stars and listen to some more relaxing music. I was awake after all. The stars were magnificent, and I’ve never seen so many at once. Sadly, I wasn’t able to take any good pictures of this, because my phone camera isn’t the best.
At 6 am, I was awakened again. This time, it was the early morning sunlight that woke me up. Luckily, I fell asleep again quickly. I woke up two more times, at 7 and 8.
Eventually, I decided to head back home at 9 am. While I was brushing my teeth (yes, I brought a toothbrush and toothpaste), two Spanish people walked by. I had a chat with them and found out that they were father and daughter, hiking around in the area.
After that, I finished packing up my stuff and headed back to Malta.
So now, three days and one morning have passed, and I’ve been to Valletta, Mdina, Rabat and Gozo. As I was already close, I decided to dedicate day 4 to visiting Comino, the third island that makes up the country of Malta.
As you may or may not know, Comino is most known for its Blue Lagoon. Well, when I say it’s most known for the Blue Lagoon, I really mean that there is literally nothing else to do on the island.
Comino is 3.5 square kilometers, car-free and it has one hotel. Aside from the Blue Lagoon, there’s really no reason to come there. Or so I thought.
I went to Comino by ferry (a return ticket from Gozo will set you back €10). Initially, I thought I’d see a lot of clear blue water when I arrived there, which I actually did. Only thing was, it was filled to the brim with swimming tourists.
Now, as I had swum the day before in Gozo, I didn’t want to swim here. Also, I didn’t really feel comfortable leaving all my stuff out on the rocks while I’m in the water by myself.
Anyway. Upon arriving at the island, I started thinking it was a huge mistake to come here, as I wasn’t going to swim anyway. I got off the boat and started walking in one direction. And I kept walking.
That’s how I found some little-known spots at the backside of Comino, like this one. Although the water wasn’t as ridiculously clear as in the Blue Lagoon itself, I still thought this was worth the 10-minute walk.
That was really all that there was to do there. I spent half an hour wandering around, looking for spots to take pictures and make little video clips for my travel video, but after that, I really had seen it all.
On my way back to the ferry, I chatted with a girl from London who was waiting for someone there. I also bought a Popsicle from an ice cream stand because I was about to start melting down.
After that, I took the ferry back to Gozo, then another ferry back to Malta, and then a couple of buses, until I ended up back in Bormla around 4 pm. For the rest of the day, I didn’t really do anything exciting. I went to the grocery store, Skyped my parents, and had ramen noodles for dinner.
The next day on my trip was to be spent in the city of Mosta, a town some 15 km (9.3 miles) from Daniel’s apartment. I grossly overestimated the amount of activities and things to do in this town, though.
I was going to visit the Mosta Rotunda and the Ta’Bistra Catacombs. Mosta Rotunda is a church with a big, round-arched ceiling, inspired by the Pantheon.
My plan was to visit the church in the morning, then have lunch, then visit the catacombs and then stroll around Mosta until I felt the need to go home. Well, it’s safe to say that that plan failed.
I arrived in Mosta around 11 am. The bus stopped right next to the big church, so I went to the entrance to take a look. There, I found out that the Rotunda wouldn’t be open until 4 pm. Yeah, that happened.
So, I had to switch things up and go for one of two things: I could either visit the catacombs early and have a late lunch, or have lunch first and then go to the catacombs. I went for the first option.
I don’t even want to waste any words on the catacombs. Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re visiting Mosta, don’t go to Ta’Bistra Catacombs. IT’S NOT WORTH IT.
When I was inside the catacombs, the only reason I watched all the videos and read all the information plates is because I had to wait until 4 to get into the church. That should give you some sort of indication of how much fun I had.
I did manage to spend little over an hour at this place, though. So now, it’s approximately 1 pm and I have three hours to walk back to the Rotunda and have lunch. I took my sweet time to pick out a restaurant and to have my lunch (sorry, restaurant owner, I had no idea you were about to close!)
While I was sitting on a bench right next to the church, a street cat helped me fill my time. But then, he ran away and I was left alone. Somehow, I made it to 4 pm and entered Rotunda.
There was no entrance fee, so I was able to get into the church along with some other tourists who – by the looks on their faces – also had to wait all afternoon.
The most impressive (and also, only impressive) part of the church was the 37.2 metre dome ceiling. Other than that, it was basically like any other church.
So, all in all, day five was actually a disappointment more than anything. (Hence the or maybe not in the title of this blog post)
I went back home after the church, had dinner, chilled in the rooftop hammock and went to bed.
Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, you’re also correct if you noticed that there’s no scuba diving footage in my travel video. That’s because this was my first time diving, and I wanted to pay attention to what my instructor was saying and what I was supposed to be doing. In other words, I was too busy trying not to die.
Anyway. About two weeks before I went to Malta, I booked a “Discover Scuba Diving” course with Diveshack. Quick disclaimer: they were amazing. Professional, helpful staff and clean, up-to-date equipment. No, they didn’t pay me to say this.
As I don’t have any pictures to show you, I’ll just have to explain the experience of diving to you.
When they said “Taking your first breath underwater is something you’ll never forget”, I thought they were just saying it to convince people to spend money in their shop and dive with them. I now know that they weren’t.
It really is an extraordinary feeling. Swimming along the bottom of the ocean, not having to worry about a thing, as long as you’ve got some oxygen left in your tank.
I even met some new people who were diving with the same instructor I was diving with (Shazz). An American couple living in Malta. They were both funny, light-hearted people and it was a pleasure to meet them and dive with them.
After my dive, I went to a burger bar and got myself something to eat. I hadn’t eaten anything since 9 am, and my dive finished around 5 pm, so you can imagine I was pretty hungry.
My day ended with a bus ride back home, more ramen noodles and the only time I went to sleep at a decent time.
For my last full day in Malta, I consciously hadn’t planned anything. I wanted to have some wiggle space, in case anything else came up. So, I slept in and didn’t wake up until 11 am.
Nothing interesting really happened until 7 pm, so let’s just skip to that.
At 7, I was chilling in the hammock up on the roof again, when Daniel came up and told me there was going to be a barbecue there at 8. Now, I had heard him talk about the barbecues he had hosted in the past, and they always seemed like so much fun.
I would later find out that it was, indeed, insanely fun. Daniel had invited an Irish-Canadian couple I had met a couple of days before, as well as a Mexican girl and a Dutch guy. This international group of people turned out to be able to talk with one another as if they had been friends for years, although half of them hadn’t even met each other until that very night.
The barbecue really was the perfect end to an (almost) perfect trip. Everyone left around 2 am, after which I stayed on the roof a little while longer to enjoy the silence and gaze at the stars. Eventually, I went to bed about half an hour later.
Again, I hadn’t planned anything for the day of my flight back, for obvious reasons. That, combined with the fact that I only went to sleep at 2:30 am, led to me sleeping in again. I woke up around noon. After having breakfast and taking a quick shower, I packed my bags again and I got going. I tried to wait for Daniel to get back so I could say goodbye, but the clock was ticking.
While I was on the bus on the way to the airport, I sent Daniel a message thanking him for being the great host he was and telling him how much I enjoyed my stay.
After that, I went through airport security without any problems, took my flight back to Belgium and I got home without a scratch.
All in all, I feel like I learned a lot from my trip to Dublin, and I was able to incorporate what I learned into my next solo adventure.
I made fewer mistakes in Malta, I enjoyed being by myself more, and I met a lot more people.
If I ever go to Malta again, it won’t be for another week. I feel like five days is plenty to visit everything I visited, and maybe even more.
Although not everything went according to plan, I still stand by my belief that traveling by yourself can change your life. I’m very happy that I decided to go to Malta, and I would recommend the island to anyone who is looking to take a couple of days off in the Mediterranean.
This is the section where I give potential future Malta explorers some tips as to how to make their trip even more perfect than mine was.
I put a lot of effort into this post. If you enjoyed reading it, I’d appreciate it very much if you could share it with some of your friends who might be interested in my blog.
As always, thank you very much for reading!
-S
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