One of cruising’s most majestic sail-ins takes you into a city with oodles of history and charm, and an island with plenty to explore. Valletta, which can dock seven cruise ships at a time, features on most western and wider Mediterranean cruise itineraries. A variety of cruise lines also start or finish cruises here, from luxury expedition company Ponant to big mainstream companies such as P&O UK.
Arriving in this magnificently fortified Renaissance-era town is a Mediterranean cruise highlight. Ships glide past Fort St Elmo into Grand Harbour, encased in honey-coloured ramparts and battlements, above which rise layers of tall houses and churches. You’ll feel like one of the Knights of St John, who built the current town in the 16th century: the view has scarcely changed since, apart from container ships being loaded further along the quays.
The cruise terminal is well located at the foot of the old town. You’ll find duty-free shops, ATMs, tourist information and day storage for luggage if you’re disembarking for a later flight. Just along the shoreline, a lift takes you up the medieval ramparts into Upper Barrakka Gardens, which has a terrific outlook and easy walking access into the town centre.
Many cruises transit through Valletta, but some do start or end here, particularly in the luxury sector. Don’t miss the chance to explore for a couple of days – add an extra day and you can visit second island Gozo too. Stay at the grand dame of Valletta hotels, the Phoenicia Malta, or family-run Casa Ellul in an old palazzo.
Valletta’s historical core is small, with sea-gazing ramparts, Renaissance-era streets, and ornate inns of the Knights of St John, to which has been added a striking contemporary Parliament designed by Renzo Piano. You’ll find lingering traces of British rule, from a statue of dumpy Queen Victoria to red post boxes and bakeries filled with jam tarts. Main drag Republic Street provides great strolling, especially in late afternoon when locals come out for a ritual perambulation.
Highlights are the Grand Master’s Palace, draped in paintings and tapestries, and the magnificent Co-Cathedral of St John, whose austere exterior hides an interior of baroque decoration, frescoes, and patterned marble floors emblazoned with coats-of-arms. It houses one of Caravaggio’s most famous paintings, the superb and disturbing Beheading of St John the Baptist . Shore excursions aren’t likely to get you active, and Malta can be roasting hot, but you’d be unlucky to encounter rain.
The tourist office has maps of walking trails: the Dingli cliffs are glorious. Diving and snorkelling is among the best in Europe, catered to on numerous boat tours. Mellieha Bay and St Thomas’s Bay have good windsurfing.
For traditional, rustic Maltese dishes head to Nenu the Baker and tuck into honeyed pork belly, blistered octopus and rabbit fried in garlic, as well as ftira, a semi-flat, pizza-like bread with various scrumptious toppings. For a more upmarket treat, Italian-influenced Giannini provides expansive harbour views and dishes such as seared quail breast and Black Angus beef fillet with whiskey cream. Malta’s main island is so small that you can visit any of its attractions on shore excursions or – budget time for tangled traffic – by taxi.
Some excursions take in highlights on whirlwind coach tours, others focus on particular sights such as splendid fortified hilltop town Mdina, or pretty fishing village Marsaxlokk and the Blue Grotto. Malta has extraordinary archaeological remains such as the monumental prehistoric ruins of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra..
