Malta: Scenic, historic and intriguing

Malta has been on my destination wish list for several years and I finally managed to get there in early May. Scenic views and historical beauty absolutely everywhere! We decided to stay in Valletta and it was a very good choice. We spent four nights and three days in Malta, and that was fine. Gave us time to see what we wanted to see but we did not go out to Gozo. Walked everywhere in Valletta, but be prepared for very steep hills. And we did take the elevator once from the Grand Harbor up to the Barrakka Gardens. We also took Ubers a couple of times. I had arranged in advance an all day tour around the island for Day 1. We had a very enjoyable day, went to many sites around the island with a pleasant driver/guide who gave us plenty of time to stop and see things as we wished and happily told us about his island. The waterfront scenery is so attractive and the views of thick, steep walled fortress after fortress were impressive. I booked directly with the company rather than through a third party vendor and the price was very reasonable and the trip was tailored to what we wished to see and do. My favorite stop was at the beautiful old city of Mdina and it is a must see for Malta experiences. The colorful seaside village of Marsaxlokk was also a neat place to visit. and there was a neat outdoor market alongside the waterfront. That evening for dinner we went down to the Valletta waterfront to eat outdoors.

On Day 2 we explored Valletta, its fortresses, gardens, churches, etc. walking everywhere. The St. John's Co-Cathedral is absolutely stunning. Probably the most opulent church I have every seen. On Day 3 we took a two hour cruise around the Grand Harbor and the three cities. You catch the cruise at the Sliema ferry dock. Afterwards we spent time exploring Sliema on foot. In the evenings there was lots of live music outdoors at local restaurants and a very lively passeggiata scene. We were there the weekend of the coronation of King Charles and there was a marching band and parade celebrating since Malta was once a British colony. Lots of restaurant choices. We stayed at a great hotel in the historic pedestrianized area of Valletta. The hotel had a rooftop restaurant where breakfast was served and there was a rooftop pool, both with spectacular views of the harbor. The hotel was a splurge for me because I usually stay at more budget style places but it was lovely and was exactly in the area where we wanted to be. I very much enjoyed seeing the Maltese houses with their lovely balconies. Many older places are being beautifully restored. I also liked hearing the local people speak the Maltese language and seeing the signage in Maltese. Lots of Arabic influence from northern Africa. But English was also spoken everywhere. In fact, I found many of the people to be multi-lingual. I didn't see many American tourists in Malta. It seemed to me that most were European.
We flew into Malta from London. I know there is a lot of interest in Sicily right now. Malta would be a great three or four day add on to a trip to Sicily. There is a ferry between Valletta and Pozzallo, Sicily. Pozzallo is south of Noto and Modica.