Malta - The Must Go-To Place in the Mediterranean
Malta still has a lot offer to those who are curious enough to set foot on its shores. It’s a land full of culture, history and natural beauty. But above all, it’s a place where sailing your boat is fun and easy to do.
Sea & Coast
Malta’s privileged position in the Mediterranean basin meant that I was quickly colonized by ancient peoples and fought over many times during the ages. But now that the country has enjoyed more peaceful times it has become a thriving tourist center off the south of the Italian peninsula.
What most Yacht Charter sailors get wrong when thinking about Malta is the fact that it’s not really an island, but an archipelago, a group of islands. It lies 93km south of Sicily and 300km north of Africa. There are numerous islands but only the 3 largest are inhabited, Malta, Gozo and Comino, with the smaller ones, Cominotto, Filfa, St. Paul’s and others being deserted.
With its 316 square km of land surface (about twice the size of Washington), Malta is made up mostly of coralline limestone which translates into low, rocky plains or coastal cliffs when it comes to the littoral. The waters around the island are full of maritime traffic, and not just Yacht Charter boats but also commercial traffic.
The Maltese landscape is heavily reminiscent of the South Italian one. That is due to the Mediterranean climate of the region which is subtropical with mild rainy winters and hot dry summers. The fact that there are only 2 seasons, proves a hit with the Yacht Charter crowds which can thus extend their stay.
Since urbanization doesn’t take up much of the island, there are a lot of parks and nature reserves that play host to a wide variety of exotic plants (including some very rare species of cacti) and bird species. First of all there is the small forest (one of 2 on the whole island) of Buskett near Rabat and then there’s the Ghandira Nature Reserve near Mellieha. The whole islet of Filfa was declared a bird sanctuary and now it’s a frequent stop for Yacht Charter holidaymakers.
Culture & History
Malta has been populated since Neolithic times and there are still artifacts that can be seen scattered on the island, as are remnants of other cultures that passed by here. The Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans all left their mark not just on the landscape but also on the people. This is even truer when it comes to the Arab domination that started in the Middle Ages.
Today, the population speaks Maltese on the island but English is also the official language. Italian is widely understood and French to some degree. That means that our Yacht Charter adventurers should have no problems in making themselves understood.
The capital of the country is Valleta, named after a French nobleman who headed the Order of Saint John and also helped defend the island during the Turkish siege of 1565. Other important cities from a Yacht Charter and touristic point of view are Cottonera, Rabat and Qormi. Each has its own attraction to offer.
Seamanship & Experience
With ports and harbors dating back to Roman and Phoenician times, you can imagine that sailing has a long tradition in Malta. There are two major ports: the Grand Harbour in Valletta with wharves and docks catering to boats as big as cruise liners and the Marsamxett Harbour, also in Valletta but with a more yacht-oriented structure.