Valletta, Malta Questions

[ajtraveler66]

We are planning a 9-day Med Cruise for 2023.  I'll be honest, we plan to splurge in some ports (Athens, Santorini, Naples, Florence, Rome)  but cannot afford to do so in every port.  So ......

 

Is there any 'must do' in Malta? ... Is this a good place to 'hit the beach'? ... Is there neat stuff to do within walking distance of the port? ... OR  is this a good day to just rest and  'enjoy the ship'?

[edinburgher]

Valletta itself is very easy to explore on foot and there are a number of worthwhile sights to visit either at low cost or no cost depending on which you choose to enter, although I advise you spend 1 euro pp for the lift which takes you up to the Barrakka Gardens at street level.  It will save you a steep climb up on foot and coming down is free of charge., Fabulous views from these gardens.

 

There have been many many threads about Malta which you would find helpful to read.  Finding them is easy. 

 

Simply got to the "Other Meditteranean Ports"  board but not to any individual thread.  Log in, and just below your username, input the word Malta in the empty search box.  Hit "on this forum" from the dropdown immediately underneath it and hit the little magnifying glass.  All previous posts containing the word Malta  will appear ready for you to read.

 

And don't miss the sail-in to Valletta. The entry into the Grand Harbour is really quite spectacular.

Edited July 24, 2022 by edinburgher

[carlmm]

The ships dock right next to historic, walled Valetta, thus you can easily walk around and enjoy the sights there. There are more than one can cover within one day in the town itself, thus there is no need to splurge in any excursion to, albeit certainly also interesting, parts of the island. 

There are no beaches close by. The top sights are the Gradmasters palace and the cathedrale.

[carlmm]

And, no, it is not a good day to stay on the ship! 😉

The second you step oft the ship you are on historic ground.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Agree with Edinburgher above, as well as the others.   This was our second visit to Malta, so we found a taxi driver near the port to take us to Marsaxlokk (lots of cute, colorful boats in harbor there) plus Mdina, a walled city.  It was $85 for 3 hours; believe that's a standard price.  Then I went up the lift, and walked around the port, and all in all, it was a fun day.  Most people love Malta.  When we were there before, I took a public bus to Marsaxlokk and then met my husband in Valletta to explore the city.  It was interesting but I like getting out of city more than staying in.  If you want something kind of different, you can take one of the little boats across the dock to another part of the area.  I forget what they're called, though, (dhasa maybe?) but you can see them from up in Barrakka Gardens. Take a couple euros for the lift. It was one euro in May up; free down. From port, you'll likely walk downward to get there....

 

There's a cool webcam which often shows part of a cruise ship when one is docked there, plus the walkway that you'll likely see if you walk down to the lift.  And if you want a tourist info booth, we found one quite near the port, a bit up from the jewelry store when you exit the port. And there are a couple booths nearby which I think are normally staffed by excursion vendors in the morning. 

 

And there are ferries, and Blue Lagoon or Grotto or something like that, and Popeye Village way up north, and this and that...lots of things to do!  And everyone speaks English, which is nice.  And the cruise out at night is kind of nice - some of the fortifications are lit up, and you pass the two little lighthouses, and maybe the giraffe crane, etc.  And getting through the terminal to the city (lower level, anyway) is easy.....

As you can see, I like it all......Here's giraffe, Malta coming in (Siege Bell, etc.), Marsaxlokk, Mdina.

[iancal]

Our first time in Malta there was a HOHO bus waiting at the dock.  Very inexpensive and it included a boat tour which we took.   Got off the bus at Mdina and spent an hour there.  Did the boat tour.  Then walked about DT for an hour or so.

 

Enjoyed it so much we returned for 9 days while on our way to Sicily.  Loved it.

Edited July 27, 2022 by iancal