Malta

Malta is, in all senses of the word, the centre of the Mediterranean. It lies 93 km from southern Italy and 288 km from the North African coast and roughly in the middle between the east and west Mediterranean coast. The two inhabited islands that form the Maltese archipelago, Malta and Gozo, have an area of 316 square kilometers and 152 kilometres of coastline.

Its geographical position is what makes Malta so unique and special. The weather is mild for 9 months of the year with temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees throughout the year, going up to between 28 and 35 degrees in the three summer months.

The islands are dotted with beaches, both sandy and rocky, and are all within a half an hour bus ride at the most from the main town centres. Getting around is easy either by hired car or by public transport. Most Maltese are bilingual – they speak the local language Maltese and English fluently, while many of them are also fluent in another language, usually Italian.

But that is only half the story. Malta is a treasure trove of history, home to the oldest free standing buildings in the world – the Ggantija temple in Gozo date back to 5000 BC. The various remains from the Roman period, the magnificent medieval palaces in Mdina and the baroque masterpieces of the 16th and 17th century in Valletta – nowhere in the world can one find such a diverse array of history in just 300 square kilometres.

For young people especially Malta is a small paradise with every leisure activity imaginable both during the day and night. Paceville and St. Julian’s have become one on Europe’s major night entertainment centres with its restaurants, bars and night clubs which stay open practically around the clock.

For more information about the Maltese Islands please go to the official website of the Malta Tourism Authority at www.visitmalta.com.