Malta : Land of Knights

Flight from Montreal to Valletta to discover the cultural and architectural heritage of Malta. Enjoy your first walk through the narrow staircase streets and Baroque squares of Valletta. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Valletta is a fortress city that gained its first letters of nobility a long time ago, during the reign of the Knights of the Order of Malta.

Handing over your rental car.

The knight-builders shaped the main emblems of Valletta: the Palace of the Grand Masters, state flats of the 16th century, the opulent Saint John’s Co-cathedral, tomb of the Brotherhood of Malta, as well as the city’s private mansions such as the Casa Rocca Piccola or the Upper Barrakka Gardens, arranged in an ancient fort where you can attend the ceremonial cannon firing.

Set out to conquer Gozo, your second island in the Maltese archipelago. From Cirkewwa, take the ferry to this rough rock with low scrubland and high rocky spurs. This mineral island is surrounded by turquoise blue sea and has an imposing citadel that you can visit. The bay of Dwejra and its Qbajjar saltworks, anchored on the cliffside, are also must-see places.

Close to Comino, when the season permits, you can take a boat to explore the island. The stories of the knights give way to those of the pirates who, in the past, hid their loot in this sublime meander of coves. Panoramic views of the uninhabited atoll of Cominotto and the emerald and sapphire cameos of the famous Blue Lagoon are among the treasures of a Malta tour.

Gozo’s eastern coastline has beautiful orange sand beaches such as the popular Ramla Bay or the secret San Blas Bay which is joined by a winding path strewn with fragrant fig and lemon trees. A very Mediterranean air that may inspire you to go for a picnic by the sea or even snorkelling.

Discover the museum cities of Mosta, Rabat and Mdina. The remarkable Rotonde Sainte-Marie and the vast catacombs of Saint-Paul are the universal standard-bearers of Mosta and Rabat. In medieval Mdina, the “city of silence”, everything is golden: the history, the sunny facades and the calm that reigns in this city.

Discover the cities of Mosta, Rabat and Mdina. They have several remarkable buildings, including the Sainte-Marie rotunda, which has one of the largest domes in the world, and the catacombs of Saint-Paul. The towns of Mosta and Rabat promise you many discoveries related to the history of the island of Malta.

The cliffs of Dingli are worth a visit, as are the rocky headlands hosting the megalithic sites of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Also enjoy the spectacle of the Blue Grotto, which is played at the water’s edge. The luzzus, the typical Maltese boats, blend into the blue décor of this beautiful cave and the pretty harbour of Marsaxlokk.

If you are looking for some final souvenirs of this tour in Malta, the shopping heart of Sliema is a must.

Last day free. You can shop during the day, the seaside town is busy in the evening, when the last light of day is picked up on the waterfront by the camels and moths, around pastizzis, delicious Maltese ricotta puff pastries!

Return your vehicle and fly to Montreal.