Blue grotto from Valetta

[4AUSTRALIANS]

We will be in Valetta, Malta early June on Celebrity.

Can anyone adivse if its possible to do the Blue Grotto on our own.

I am reading its full of boats, is it actually possible to also swim there.

Most times when we arrive in ports there are locals at the port tryng to get you to go with them on tours. Would this also be the case in Valetta?

[aquilegia]

I don't see why you couldn't get a bus or taxi to the area, but as far as i know you then have to take a boat trip to the Grotto, which is actually several caves. It's a while since I last vacationed in Malta, but I don't think you can access the caves without a boat and I can't imagine they would let you off to swim. I would think it would be too dangerous with all the boats around.

[cruisead]

If you Google "Blue Grotto Malta" you will see a listing of numerous independent tours that are offered. I personally think that taking a tour with any independent tour company is a better idea than trying to go it on your own. I saw one tour that was only $58 USD per person, which is a pretty good price.

[CanadaDeb]

We lived in Malta ( DH is from there ). You could get a private cab to take you ( traffic is horrible so it will take awhile ) and take a boat excursion, they run all day. Ask the driver to let you have a swim, most of them are pretty easy going. Enjoy...it is my fav place in Malta :)

[CanadaDeb]

If I could also suggest while you are in Valletta....any number of kiosks all over the city ( and Malta for that matter ) sell a local snacks called Pastizzi. It's a baked filo pastry filled with either ricotta cheese or mushy peas....they are so so so tasty...not to be missed. :)

[tartanexile81]

When we were in Malta in 2013 there were a number of hoho buses which stopped right outside the port and which covered different areas of the island. We did the one to Mdina which I'd highly recommend but our friends took the bus to the Blue Grotto and were very disappointed. It's also worth spending time in Valletta itself because it's a very interesting town with historic buildings

Edited March 29, 2015 by tartanexile81

[4AUSTRALIANS]

Thankyou all for your advise. Its really hard when we only have 1 day in Valetta as to what should take priority. Do we do the hop on hop off bus and see around the area, focus on being at the township itself or go to the Blue Grotto which looks gorgeous.

The last thing we want to do is try and see it all and feel rushed as if we have only touched on lots of things rather than focus on one.

Thoughts ?????? Anyone who has been there done that.

Especially who has actually lived there.

I buy the pastizzi here at home frozen, I am sure the fresh ones there are scrumptious. No comparison

[CanadaDeb]

Thankyou all for your advise. Its really hard when we only have 1 day in Valetta as to what should take priority. Do we do the hop on hop off bus and see around the area, focus on being at the township itself or go to the Blue Grotto which looks gorgeous.

The last thing we want to do is try and see it all and feel rushed as if we have only touched on lots of things rather than focus on one.

Thoughts ?????? Anyone who has been there done that.

Especially who has actually lived there.

I buy the pastizzi here at home frozen, I am sure the fresh ones there are scrumptious. No comparison

 

Ah lucky you!!!! We live in Canada now and there are no pastizzi shops anywhere around here. I am so jealous :)

 

I don't know how many hours you have in Malta but I think the issue with the hop on hop off is that the traffic is so congested you would spend lots of time getting from one point to another. The Blue Grotto could easily take a couple of hours if you choose a boat ride, swim and maybe having some lunch or a drink ( there are several little restaurants serving everything from burgers to fresh fish ) Valletta is also a great place to visit...a nice mixture of history, culture, retail and restaurants. Of course this is IMHO...I hope that whatever you decide to do that you enjoy it and have a great day :)

[Vol fan]

Thankyou all for your advise. Its really hard when we only have 1 day in Valetta as to what should take priority. Do we do the hop on hop off bus and see around the area, focus on being at the township itself or go to the Blue Grotto which looks gorgeous.

The last thing we want to do is try and see it all and feel rushed as if we have only touched on lots of things rather than focus on one.

Thoughts ?????? Anyone who has been there done that.

Especially who has actually lived there.

I buy the pastizzi here at home frozen, I am sure the fresh ones there are scrumptious. No comparison

 

 

 

When we were there for the day, we did a private tour with a guide that we arranged with others from our Roll Call. We drove to the Blue Grotto, but did not go to it from the sea. Here are some of the many pictures I took of it. It's very beautiful from above. Our guide took us to Valletta, Mdina, all over really, and was excellent. She was actually the VP of the bank there and a friend of one of the Roll Call member's parents. She took the day off, rented a van, hired a driver and took us all over Malta. It was awesome.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Vol fan

[tartanexile81]

We didn't have any problems with traffic when we were on the hoho bus and we left the ship around 10:00. When we went to Mdina, had a bit of lunch in the café in the walls (very reasonable) so we had a couple of hours there then still had time to get back to town for a decent wander round and some shopping.

Edited April 1, 2015 by tartanexile81