Holidays in Malta

Holidays in Malta - Destination Profile

Book Malta holidays with Olympic and visit this enchanting island capturing the finest parts of all the cultures that have made it their home throughout history. Here you will find new and interesting cuisines, pristine turquoise waters and traditional towns that will transport you back in time with their narrow streets and magnificent churches and domes. All of this makes Malta a captivating place to be, with the added bonus of driving on the left and the familiarity of red post boxes, thanks to the British influence. The countryside areas are made up of low hills with fields of beautiful flowers/

Holidays to Malta - Range of Resorts

Holidays to Malta are perfect for families with a variety of resorts catering for everyone. The capital city resort of Valletta has a fantastic city style atmosphere and home to the St John's Co-Cathedral and the largest signed work of artist Michaelangelo. The city has plenty of historic sights ready to be discovered including beautiful churches and grand honey coloured architecture that stands proudly over the turquoise waters.

If you're seeking Malta holidays with diverse tourist facilities than Sliema has a great combination of leisure activities, sophisticated eateries and excellent shopping areas. This trendy resort looks out across to Valletta, so enjoy a drink in one of the bustling cafes on the strand. St Julians is a tranquil fishing harbour during the day, with trendy bars and restaurants coming to life st night. Be as active or as relaxed as you please - there are plenty of ways to enjoy your Malta holidays. The resort has a casino and numerous clubs for those seeking fun and entertainment.

A relative newcomer for holidays in Malta is the seaside town of Qawra which has a decidedly upmarket feel. The resort centre has selection of shops dotted along the seafront as well as numerous bars and restaurants. Unfortunately Qawra does not have a sandy beach but the welcoming sparkling waters are perfect for taking a dip. Other popular resorts for those taking holidays in Malta include Gozo and Mellieha Bay.

Value Holidays to Malta with Olympic Holidays

Book your holidays to Malta with Olympic Holidays a leading specialist tour operator to Cyprus and Greece with over 40 years expertise in offering quality holidays at great value. As well package holidays to Malta, we offer an excellent range of flights to Malta and hotels in Malta. For great savings on holidays to Malta book online or call our reservations team, lowest price guaranteed!!!

Holidays in Malta - Things to see

Valletta City: Malta's capital city has some fantastic example of traditional Maltese style baroque architecture. During you Malta holidays be sure to visit St John's Cathedral and the Grand Master Palace which houses an intersting armoury collection as well as detailed tapestries design for Louis XIV. Valletta has a number of fascinating museums including the National Museum of Fine Art and the National Museum of Archaeology . Valletta's Manoel Theatre is the second oldest theatre in Europe to see opera, music and ballet performances.

Mdina: Visit the citadel a fine example of a walled medieval city, from the Bastion Square witness the wondeful views of the St Paul's Bay and the sourroundig areas.

Archaeological Sites: A highlight of nay holiday to Malta is to see the archaeological sites located near Paola. Tarxien has neolithic temple, Hypogeum has a three-level complex of ancient underground burial chambers dating back 3,000 years and Ghar Dalam where the remains of extinct birds and animals have been found.

Gozo Festival: During the summer Gozo has a festival with fireworks and horse racing in the street.

Comino Island: Relax on the remote island of Comino with its unusual rock formations, small bays and lagoons.

Holidays in Malta - Things to do

Scuba Diving and Snorkelling: The best dive sites are located in the north, the caves and steep drops such as Qawra Point and Cirkewwa are very popular. For the more daring Wied Iz-Zurrieq is a excellent spot for night diving.

Windsurfing: Malta holidays are great for windsurfing, Mellieha Bay, St Pauls Bay or Bahar Ic-Caghaq are excellent spots.

Family Excursions While on Malta Holidays

Make your holidays to Malta extra special and book one of our wonderful excursions, we have a range of excursions that have been carefully selected to cater for everyone's interests. Some of our most popular excursions are:-

Valletta - City of Nights: We drive to the Capital Valletta and walk to the Barrakka Gardens for a panoramic view of the Grand Harbour. Then on to St. John's co-Cathedral, Malta's greatest treasure that includes the famous painting by Caravaggio. Our tour proceeds to the Grand Master's Palace, which houses the Parliament, the offices of the President of Malta and the Armoury.

Highlights of Malta: We drive towards Mosta to visit the famous Dome considered to be 3rd largest in Europe. We then visit Ta' Qali Crafts Village to watch local artisans at work producing typical Maltese ware which includes glass, silver and filigree. Free time is allowed for shopping of local products at bargain prices. We then proceed to the Silent City Mdina with its defense bastions dating back to the 9th Century. We walk through the town visiting St. Paul's Cathedral and then to the Bastions for a panoramic view of the Island. We then walk to Rabat to visit St. Paul's Grotto. A typical Maltese lunch will be served in one of the village restaurants. Finally we proceed to Dingli Cliffs for a panoramic view of the open sea where we will also stop to see some Cart Ruts.

Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk: We drive to Wied iz-Zurrieq to the picturesque Blue Grotto where weather permitting we shall take a boat to the Grotto to view the magnificent underwater flora (Boat fare not included). We will then proceed to the southern part of the island to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk where free time to stroll around the market will be allowed. One can also admire the typical traditional brightly painted coloured fishing boats  'luzzu'.

Prehestoric Temples: We drive to the southern part of the island and start with a visit to the three Megalithic Temples of Tarxien, which date back to 3000 BC. The temples are Malta's most important antiquities and are considered to be unique in the world. We then visit Ghar Dalam, 'The Cave of Darkness' and its fossilized remains of prehistoric animals of the glacial period. Finally we visit the Prehistoric Temple of Hagar Qim, which was built, between 3500 and 3000 BC. This temple, which is constructed solely of globigerina limestone, is standing high overlooking the islet of Filfla.

Fernandes Cruise: A full day cruise departing from Sliema Marina and cruises North westwards towards Gozo on a beautiful 38 metre long two masted gaff rigged vessel. Drop anchor in a secluded bay in Gozo and after lunch we sail towards Comino where we drop anchor in the beautiful Blue Lagoon. (Summer Only)

Gozo: Gozo is the legendary abode of Calypso daughter of Atlas. Our tour starts with a visit to the Ggantija Prehistoric Temples in Xaghra and then proceeds to Dwejra to see the 'Azure Window', Fungus Rock and the Inland Sea. We will also stop to see the local lace and knitwear for which the island of Gozo is renowned. Lunch will be served in a Typical Gozitan Village. After lunch we visit the Citadel including Gozo's Cathedral in the capital Victoria and we will experience a sound and vision show of the island of Gozo. Finally we embark the ferryboat at Mgarr Harbour to return to Malta.

Sicily Tour: A full day Sicily excursion visiting Taormina Sicily's prime tourist resort which is facing Etna and the Blue Mediterranean. This peacful panoramic resort 206 m above sea leavel was colonized by the Greeks who built a theatre in the Hellenic period. We will also visit Mount Etna which is the largest active volcano in Europe. The climb to the crater takes us through picturesque villages and an ever changing landscape. (Summer Only)

For further information and to secure your place on all the above exciting days and nights out, see your Olympic representative in the resort. The best time to book would be at the Welcome Get Together on the day after arrival.

Holidays in Malta - Eating/Drinking

The wonderful Mediterranean cuisine is definitely one of the highlights when taking holidays in Malta, much of the food is produced using fresh locally sourced produce. Much of the cuisine has an Italian influence, particularly Sicily in the south of Italy. As well as Italian food dishes from the Spain, England and the Middle Eats have made their way to Malta.

Varied Nightlife - Malta Holidays

The nightlife in Malta is as relaxing and vibrant as you want it be, the club scene has grown over the last few years. The main action is located in Paceville in the coast near St Julians.

Alternatively if you just want to relax of over a few drinks and watch the world go by there are a multitude of cafes and bars.

Holidays in Malta - Climate

Max Temp C	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
Malta	19	23	28	31	31	28	24
London	14	17	20	21	21	17	15
Sunshine Hours	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
Malta	9	10	11	12	12	9	7
London	5	6	7	6	6	5	3

Malta Holidays - View 5 Day Forecast

Holidays in Malta - Beaches

Crystal clear waters and smooth pebbly or rocky beaches make up most of Malta's beaches. Mellieha Bay offers a large stretch of sandy beach and there are fantastic opportunities for watersports and snorkelling with colourful fish and breathtaking corals in most coastal areas.

Holidays in Malta - Transport

Boat: If you'd like to visit the various sourounding islands during your holidays Malta than ferries are best in terms of both cost and convenience. Gozo island is a must for all Malta holidays and it can be reached by a regular ferry service run by the Gozo Channel Company moves between Cirkewwa on Malta and Mgarro on Gozo and can accommodate people and cars. The ferries to Comino are less frequent and do not cater for cars.

Bus: A good way of getting around around during Malta holidays, the buses leave the terminus in each town. Bus rides around Malta particularly are cheap and no trip is longer than the 50 minutes it takes to cross the island.

Taxi: All taxi are fitted with meters and charge regulated fares with fixed fares from the airport. Malta is a relatively small island and travelling around the island by taxi is very easy.

Car Hire: A perfect way of seeing more during your Malta holidays, this way of getting around gives flexibility and independence.

Holidays in Malta - Shopping

You will find great local products such as lacework, glassware, silver and gold items. The main resorts offer a jumble of market stalls and shops selling an array of interesting souvenirs to take home.