Malta & Gozo Short Breaks

Malta & Gozo at a glance

Blessed with a mild climate, Malta and its sister island of Gozo have an intriguing landscape packed full of historic ruins, regal palaces, Baroque cathedrals and a fantastic coastline offering a memorable year-round short break experience.

The islands occupy an important strategic location and have been ruled by a succession of powers including the Phoenicians, Romans, French and British. In 1964 Malta and Gozo gained republic status within the British Commonwealth. Both islands boast an embarrassment of well-preserved historical sites including the Megalithic Temples, which are among the world’s oldest free-standing structures, and the prehistoric Hypogeum, a well-preserved underground burial site.

Many popular seaside resorts and beaches can be found on Malta and Gozo, but the atmosphere of a quiet paradise remains intact on many of the islands’ uncrowded shorelines. Popular seaside attractions include the Alabaster Caves, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and Gozo’s Calypso Cave, long associated with Homer’s Odyssey as the location in which Calypso held Odysseus captive.

Things to do in Malta

• Valletta: Malta’s capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• St John’s Co-Cathedral: Completed in 1577, the cathedral is full of artistic treasures.
• Mdina: An ancient walled medieval city famed for its art glass.
• Ggantija Temples of Gozo: The oldest freestanding structures in the World.
• The Rotunda of Mosta: An impressive church boasting the third largest dome in the world.
• Casa Bernard: A medieval palazzo in Rabat with wonderful architecture and beautiful furnishings.

Getting around

Due to their small size moving around Malta and Gozo is easy. A good value and well-run bus network connects many of the most popular towns, villages and historical sites on both islands while hiring a car is a good value option too.

A regular ferry service links Malta to Gozo with a crossing time of about 20 minutes. 

Dining in Malta & Gozo

The cuisine of Malta and Gozo shows heavy influence from Italy with a twist of North African flavour and unique native tastes, offering special dishes in each region.

Must-try local dishes:

• Fenkata – stewed rabbit often served with vegetables
• Ross il-forn – a tomato based baked rice most often containing pork and cheese
• Maqrut – a diamond shaped date pastry that is deep fried

Shopping in Malta & Gozo

Good shopping can be found in all the major towns and villages, however there are a handful of open air markets which are synonymous to Maltese village life, these are great for the mingling of locals and international visitors.

Osprey Holidays Top Tips

Comino is a small island, just 3.5 square kilometres in total, located between Malta and Gozo. There is just one hotel on the island and it is otherwise uninhabited. One of the most beautiful spots in these islands, The Blue Lagoon, is located in Comino. A crystal clear, azure inlet of water, it is extremely popular with day trippers during the summer months.

Get your tailor-made city break itinerary

Osprey Holidays can create a fabulous short break to Malta designed completely around your needs. We can arrange whatever you need, including:

• All travel and transfers on days of your choice
• Accommodation from our handpicked range of Malta hotels, to suit your budget and requirements

Our award-winning team can provide expert advice and recommendations, from general questions to tiny details. Contact us now for your tailor-made itinerary.