A country · 167 places · 6 regions

Malta, all of it.

167 curated places across 6 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Valletta · via Wikimedia Commons

The 4 biggest regions — Port Region, Gozo Region (Għawdex), Northern Region and Western Region — read below as chapters, with 2 more waiting past them.

Chapter I · Port Region · 36 places

Port Region

The capital of Malta is one of the smallest national capitals in the world and one of the most concentrated historic cities in Europe, built in a single campaign by the Knights of St John following the Great Siege of 1565 on a barren promontory between two of the finest natural harbors in the Mediterranean. The grid of baroque streets holds an extraordinary density of palaces, churches, and auberges, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens terrace provides the canonical elevated view over the Grand Harbour toward the Three Cities. St John's Co-Cathedral contains Caravaggio's largest canvas, the Beheading of John the Baptist.

Valletta

Port Region, Malta

✦ March to May, October to November · $$

Vittoriosa

Port Region, Malta

✦ March to May, October to November · $

Tarxien Temples

Port Region, Malta

✦ March to June · $

All 36 places in Port Region →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Gozo Region (Għawdex) · 34 places

Gozo Region (Għawdex)

Malta's smaller sister island is characterized by a more rural, agricultural landscape of terraced fields, old stone farmhouses, and a slower pace of life compared to the main island. The Citadel of Victoria, the island's capital, is a compact fortified hilltop with a cathedral, palaces, and bastions from which all of Gozo is visible. The Xlendi and Marsalforn inlets provide sheltered swimming, and the diving site at Dwejra, centered on the former Azure Window sea arch before its collapse in 2017, remains one of the best dive locations in the central Mediterranean.

✦ April to June, September to October · $$

Meet Gozo All 34 places in Gozo Region (Għawdex) →

Chapter III · Northern Region · 26 places

Northern Region

One of Malta's largest sandy beaches, Golden Bay is a south-facing cove on the northwest coast sheltered by low sandy cliffs that glow amber and gold in late afternoon light. The beach is backed by the Riviera Hotel and accessible by public bus, making it the most visited family beach on the island, with rental facilities and a protected swimming zone. The clifftop above the northern edge of the bay provides a sweeping view across the bay toward the Comino Channel.

Golden Bay, Malta

Northern Region, Malta

✦ May to October · $

Ghadira Nature Reserve

Northern Region, Malta

✦ March to May, September to November · $

Mellieħa

Northern Region, Malta

✦ May to September · $$

All 26 places in Northern Region →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Western Region · 17 places

Western Region

Malta's ancient walled hilltop capital, known as the Silent City, sits at the geographic center of the island on a limestone ridge and served as the island's primary settlement from the Roman period until the Knights moved the capital to Valletta in the 16th century. The narrow baroque streets and medieval palaces are largely residential and almost entirely car-free, giving Mdina an atmosphere of preserved stillness unusual among European historic centers. The bastions offer a 360-degree panorama across the island to the sea on three sides.

✦ March to May, October to November · $$

Meet Mdina All 17 places in Western Region →