gottacaseofwanderlust

for souls that ache to explore

Malta: A Photo Travel Diary

January 2025

Islands just capture my entire heart and soul.

Malta was a dreamscape and a manifestation of what heaven on Earth is like.

I say this after every trip, but Malta is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

From the melted turquoise waters, incredible gastronomy, and friendly locals — it’s a place I would love to visit again and again.

Though I only had a short weekend trip, which was not nearly enough time to see everything I wanted, it was enough to cover quite a lot of the island’s highlights.

Take a look at some of them below and be prepared for your jaw to drop, as mine certainly did.

jump to:

  1. The Coast
  2. Hiking
  3. The Cities
  4. everything I ate!
  5. What I Wish I Knew Before Going: 
  6. Suggested Links for More:

The Coast

St. Peters Bay
THE WATER??!!!
LIKE… WHAT
Dingli Cliffs

Hiking

The Blue Grotto (stunning from above and no need to buy the boat tour below)
Munxar Window
Ras id-Dawwara
A hike only 15 minutes away from the Blue Grotto

The Cities

The pier at the Sunday fish, produce and flea market in Marsaxlokk
… London???
The quaint, quiet streets of Rabat
This was just funny (and sad) to me… American food really is our worst cultural export fight me on this.
Maltese baker with traditional loaves of Maltese bread
Street food!

everything I ate!

favorite eats:

  • Pastizzi (flaky pastries with the most popular fillings being ricotta cheese or spiced mashed peas)
  • Qassatat (a hearty personal pie with the same filling choices as a pastizzi)
  • Imqaret (a fried pastry with a date filling)
  • timpani (a pasta pie)
  • gozo ftira (Maltese pizza)

Check out my Malta food vlog here.

What I Wish I Knew Before Going: 

  1. Download a hiking app (like AllTrails) BEFORE embarking on a hike you found on Google Maps!!!!!! GOOGLE MAPS IS NOT 100% ACCURATE (I got lost badly at least 3 times)
  2. The weather is warm year-round. I visited at the coldest time of year and it still felt like summer for me (but then again I’m from Chicago haha). I only needed a light cardigan at night.
  3. Have cash on hand (euros), as small businesses and market vendors will only accept cash
  4. Buy the local transport card (19 euros for 4 days of unlimited rides) that will get you pretty much anywhere on the island
  5. If you prefer rideshare, Bolt is the app they use
  6. The main languages spoken are Maltese and English; however, many locals have an accent of English you may not be used to…
  7. If you can, spend at least 5 complete days to explore all you want on the island. 2.5 days was just scratching the surface…

Suggested Links for More:

  • Check out my Insta for Malta inspo here
  • For an interactive travel map of my itinerary click here
  • Learn more about Malta here

Lydia

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