Malta. Who's been??

I haven't been to Malta myself but friends have. The lesson to be learned is that there are absolutely no sandy beaches on that island. It's all cliffs and rocks. You spend the sun bathing portion of your stay at the hotel pool. La Valetta, the capital of Malta, has obviously got some great night life...

There are a couple of sandy beaches on Malta but it's nearly all rock faced sea. The sister island of Gozo has a few sandy beaches and Gozo itself is a 'must see'. As for Malta, you really must visit the silent city of Medina if you want a historical site. Water sport and kayaks rentals can be had in St. Julien's and Spinoza bays. Sliema is where all the best shops are and there's always a few good hotels with vacancies, but don't expect low prices, Malta isn't one of the cheaper destinations. On Gozo the capital Victoria is a must see, especially the old fortress. Remember that Malta and Gozo have very little farming industry due to their geographical structure and what there is tends to be vegetable crops. Most meat ( except for rabbits and a small amount of cattle ) is imported, this makes food stuff expensive by comparisson to other places. The Maltese are a lovely friendly people but they don't have a great cuisine. It's different but wonderful. I love it.

Thanks so much for the replies. I do appreciate any information that anyone can offer.
It seems Gozo sounds lovely. Do you recommend staying there instead of on Malta? Stay on Gozo and do a day trip to Malta? I wonder now.

It's a purely personal thing but my wife and I prefer the quietness of Gozo. If you want the details of a nice little apartment on the edge of Marsalforn ( the main resort village of Gozo ) please PM me and I'll be happy to oblige. Taking day trips to Malta is very practical, if you hire a car. Technically the Maltese drive on the left but in practical terms they drive in the shade and at great speed. Driving on Malta can be an experience. Gozo is also one of the only places I've ever hired a car without showing my driving licence, I handed over a little cash and received keys to a car that was interesting - hey, it got us around. Malta and Gozo are a bit like that, I love the Maltese but they don't give a fig for rules and regulations, they do things their way. They are wonderfully warm and friendly and helpful, it's a real experience.

We spent two weeks in Malta this summer, both islands and i have strong recommendations. First, since they drive on the left, and Malta island is small with a wonderful bus system, I don't think you should rent a car there. Gozo doesn't have such a a great bus system, so we rented a car as soon as we got off the ferry. Where to stay in Malta: since you like beaches and shops/restaurants, i suggest the St. Juliens/Sliema area where there are lots of all that. The busses run along the waterfront and you get to the gateway to Valletta (where there are frequent busses to everywhere) in less than half an hour. Then another half hour to 1 hour to anywhere else on the island, anywhere. The people speak both Arabic and English, are polite and helpful so you can just ask. Get a bus pass and you won't have to worry about change; this summer they used Maltese lira but changing to Euros soon. And there are amazing sites, temples that predate the pyramids by 1000 yrs. Go to aboutmalta.com

I hope you had a good trip! Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I spent a summer in Malta in 1991. Loved all the richness of the culture that came from Malta being invaded/occupied/in the vicinity of so many different civilizations. The ancient temples, the grottoes (in which St Paul and other early Christians are said to have hidden), Valetta, and Medina were fascinating (and the view from Medina? incomparable!). What's not to like about the bluest blue sea you've seen EVER on the ferry ride from the main island to Gozo? Hope you found the sandy beaches (mostly on the SW side, if I remember correctly) and came home with some of the lovely locally woven lace. I would love to go back!!