The heart of downtown Valletta is Republic Street, the city’s lively, central thoroughfare. The capital of Malta. (Photo by: Kristen Thoennes)
Despite the temptation to fully pack a trip with all the attractions, the highest-rated restaurants and the most unique experiences, I have realized that I often prefer vacations where we have time to relax and unplug. Our trip to Malta was just this! If you are looking for a laid-back itinerary for this micronation in the heart of the Mediterranean, I have a few suggestions for you.
XVI Suites checked all the boxes for me—ocean view, free breakfast, and nearby restaurants. Plus, the staff were very friendly!
Part of our laid-back trip was enjoying a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. They have a set menu so do not expect your typical breakfast buffet. My favorite options were the Elba breakfast and granola bowl. Breakfast was not a quick affair. It gave us time to savor our cappuccinos, chat about what we hoped to see that day and even meet a cute brindle whippet that reminded us of our greyhound, Suzie.
Plaque located at the entrance to the Lascaris War Rooms. It shows the date of the first restoration in 1986 and its inauguration by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alex Sceberras Trigona. (Photo by: Kristen Thoennes)
After enjoying a mindful breakfast, we visited the Lascaris War Rooms in Valletta. There was a lot of interesting information about Malta’s part in WWII. We even spotted an original copy of the Stars and Stripes!
After the museum, we stopped for a snack break at Tribe Malta. We enjoyed delicious croissants and bevvies while people watching.
We slowly made our way over to the Triton fountain to meet our guide for a Valletta Walking Tour with Best Tours Malta. It was a great introduction to the city. Our guide told us more about Malta’s history, recommended some cafés and restaurants for later and told us about the favorite soda of Malta--Kinnie. While visiting the Lower Barakka Gardens, we had a chance to try Kinnie. It’s a must when visiting Malta!
After our tour, we visited a few shops to grab souvenirs before heading back to the hotel for dinner at the rooftop restaurant. I recommend the El Chapo cocktail!
For our second day in Malta, it was a toss-up between visiting Gozo, one of the Maltese Islands, or the Blue Grotto and Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Archaeological Park. Sure, you could do both on the same day but this was a laid-back vacation so we opted just for one. We visited Gozo and I’m so glad we did!
After taking the ferry to Gozo, you can opt to take a hop on hop off bus tour or you could take a ride share to different parts of the island. We chose the bus for convenience.
With limited time on Gozo, we prioritized just a few stops on the bus tour. The first place we stopped was the Ta’ Dbiegi Crafts Village. There you will find a variety of little shops selling pottery, leather goods, artwork, tasty treats and more. The second stop we took was Dwejra. We could easily have spent more time hiking around the cliffs at this spot, but we decided to see what the next stops had to offer. A bonus stop was at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu. During the ten-minute break, we had enough time to hop off, take a few photos of the exterior and enjoy the mosaic artwork outside before having to get back on the bus. For our last stop, we chose Victoria. If I could do it all over again, I would have opted for another stop, but we did find a cute shop selling unique postcards and other handcrafted items.
After we returned to the main island, we enjoyed dinner at Carvv Grill & Enoteca. After you order your entrée, you can visit the salad and soup bar for all-you-can-eat deliciousness.
Mdina Gate also known as the Main Gate or the Vilhena Gate, is the main gate into the fortified city of Mdina, Malta. (Photo by: Kristen Thoennes)
For our last full day in Malta, we visited the must-see towns of Mdina and Rabat. We booked a walking tour with Best Malta Tours but arrived a little early to leisurely stroll around, visit some shops and take pictures. We eventually met up with our guide, Chris, and enjoyed a fantastic walkabout. It was a real treat learning from him! I highly recommend booking this tour to get the full Mdina and Rabat experience.
After the tour, we grabbed some pastizzi from Serkin Crystal Palace, a shop that came highly recommended by both our ride share driver and tour guide. Pastizzi is a Maltese pastry that are either filled with ricotta or peas. We tried one of each. They were flaky, buttery and delicious!
If you are looking for a laid-back spot to escape for a few days, put Malta on your list! You will not be disappointed with the beautiful ocean views, tasty food, and choice of activities to fill your days.
