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Malta & Gozo
Discover Malta & Gozo
Savor a glass of limuncell after a day climbing the steps and tracing the ramparts of Valletta.
Let your hair down in the Paceville party zone or at Rabat's open-air nightclubs.
Scratch your head and ponder the who, what, when, and why of prehistoric temples.
Hire a centuries-old farmhouse for poolside R&R in a sleepy Gozitan village.
In This Guide
One author, one fireworks festival, one serious Eurovision disappointment, 10 boat rides, 12 pastizzi, no rabbits harmed in the making of this book.
Diving & Snorkeling chapter highlights all the best dive spots.
Savor a glass of limuncell after a day climbing the steps and tracing the ramparts of Valletta.
Let your hair down in the Paceville party zone or at Rabat's open-air nightclubs.
Scratch your head and ponder the who, what, when, and why of prehistoric temples.
Hire a centuries-old farmhouse for poolside R&R in a sleepy Gozitan village.
In This Guide
One author, one fireworks festival, one serious Eurovision disappointment, 10 boat rides, 12 pastizzi, no rabbits harmed in the making of this book.
Diving & Snorkeling chapter highlights all the best dive spots.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
261 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Bain
57 books1 followerI'm a Melbourne-born, Reykjavík-based writer and editor with more than 20 years of professional experience.
I've lived, worked and studied in various corners of the globe, including London, Denmark, St Petersburg and Nantucket. I was frequently drawn from my base in Australia to research diverse destinations for Lonely Planet, from Tasmania's glorious vineyards to luminous Greek islands, by way of Maine's lobster shacks and Slovenia's alpine lakes.
The Nordic region has always staked a large claim to my heart, with repeated visits to Iceland and Denmark for work and pleasure. Iceland became an addiction – so much so that I moved to Reykjavík in November 2017.
My new life involves grappling with confounding Icelandic grammar and icy winter pavements, uncovering cool new local destinations, and endless marvelling over aurora, volcanoes,
birdlife and knitwear patterns.
I've lived, worked and studied in various corners of the globe, including London, Denmark, St Petersburg and Nantucket. I was frequently drawn from my base in Australia to research diverse destinations for Lonely Planet, from Tasmania's glorious vineyards to luminous Greek islands, by way of Maine's lobster shacks and Slovenia's alpine lakes.
The Nordic region has always staked a large claim to my heart, with repeated visits to Iceland and Denmark for work and pleasure. Iceland became an addiction – so much so that I moved to Reykjavík in November 2017.
My new life involves grappling with confounding Icelandic grammar and icy winter pavements, uncovering cool new local destinations, and endless marvelling over aurora, volcanoes,
birdlife and knitwear patterns.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 17, 2018
"Malta packs glorious variety into its small archipelago. You'll find prehistoric temples, fossil-studded cliffs, hidden coves, thrilling scuba diving and a history of remarkable intensity."
*The Deep Blue Sea
Malta's landscape contrasts rocky stretches of coast that end in dizzying limestone cliffs with sheltered bays that hide gin-clear water and red-gold beaches. The islands' many marinas jostle with boats, and you can take to the water in sky-blue traditional craft, stately yachts or speedboats. Snorkellers and divers have much to explore underwater as well, a world of caves, crags and wrecks.
*A Mediterrean Cocktail
Malta is staunchly Roman Catholic but is also home to a beguiling mix of cultures that has stewed together over generations. Traditional Maltese food mixes Sicilian and Middle Eastern flavours, while making use of local ingredients such as rabbit and honey. The Maltese people are warm and welcoming: if you ask for directions, it's likely a local will walk with you to help you find the way. Plenty of 21st-century sophistication can be found, but there are also pockets where you feel you’ve gone back in time, especially on Gozo, where mammoth churches tower over quiet villages.
*Prehistoric & Futuristic
Malta's geographical location in the centre of the Mediterranean made it an alluring and much-fought-over prize, and the islands are full of majestic above- and below-ground defences. The capital, Valletta, built by the Knights of St John, is a harmonious grid, Mdina and Victoria are fortress-like hilltop towns, and watchtowers dot the coast. Even Malta’s fishing boats resonate with the past, their prows painted with eyes, just like the boats of their Phoenician predecessors.
*Mysterious Ancients
Malta and Gozo’s astounding prehistoric sites were constructed by sophisticated-seeming temple builders, who also left miniature figurines and mammoth sculptures of ‘fat ladies’, which have survived millennia and are housed in Malta's fascinating museums. Out in the open, gigantic temples and towers from many different eras stand proud, continuing their endless watch over the sea. But the most extraordinary site of all lies underground: Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, a 5000-year-old necropolis carved from the living rock.
A very comprehensive guide and history of Malta (the book takes us from ancient origins, to knights of Malta, or Napoleonic times, and also conflicts with the Ottomans plus various settlers/conquerors such as Arabian influences and a look at the inquisition. Info about the Maltese cross and various traditions/foods/religions etc...) I enjoyed the timeline and suggestions for travel and seeing hotspots. We, me and my love Kinga, had an amazing time in Malta and was reading this while there to learn more about everything Maltese. (The street names and language sounds distantly similar to Arabic too.)
Worth a read for anyone travelling there for tips and information concerning Maltese culture, history and places worth visiting.
*The Deep Blue Sea
Malta's landscape contrasts rocky stretches of coast that end in dizzying limestone cliffs with sheltered bays that hide gin-clear water and red-gold beaches. The islands' many marinas jostle with boats, and you can take to the water in sky-blue traditional craft, stately yachts or speedboats. Snorkellers and divers have much to explore underwater as well, a world of caves, crags and wrecks.
*A Mediterrean Cocktail
Malta is staunchly Roman Catholic but is also home to a beguiling mix of cultures that has stewed together over generations. Traditional Maltese food mixes Sicilian and Middle Eastern flavours, while making use of local ingredients such as rabbit and honey. The Maltese people are warm and welcoming: if you ask for directions, it's likely a local will walk with you to help you find the way. Plenty of 21st-century sophistication can be found, but there are also pockets where you feel you’ve gone back in time, especially on Gozo, where mammoth churches tower over quiet villages.
*Prehistoric & Futuristic
Malta's geographical location in the centre of the Mediterranean made it an alluring and much-fought-over prize, and the islands are full of majestic above- and below-ground defences. The capital, Valletta, built by the Knights of St John, is a harmonious grid, Mdina and Victoria are fortress-like hilltop towns, and watchtowers dot the coast. Even Malta’s fishing boats resonate with the past, their prows painted with eyes, just like the boats of their Phoenician predecessors.
*Mysterious Ancients
Malta and Gozo’s astounding prehistoric sites were constructed by sophisticated-seeming temple builders, who also left miniature figurines and mammoth sculptures of ‘fat ladies’, which have survived millennia and are housed in Malta's fascinating museums. Out in the open, gigantic temples and towers from many different eras stand proud, continuing their endless watch over the sea. But the most extraordinary site of all lies underground: Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, a 5000-year-old necropolis carved from the living rock.
A very comprehensive guide and history of Malta (the book takes us from ancient origins, to knights of Malta, or Napoleonic times, and also conflicts with the Ottomans plus various settlers/conquerors such as Arabian influences and a look at the inquisition. Info about the Maltese cross and various traditions/foods/religions etc...) I enjoyed the timeline and suggestions for travel and seeing hotspots. We, me and my love Kinga, had an amazing time in Malta and was reading this while there to learn more about everything Maltese. (The street names and language sounds distantly similar to Arabic too.)
Worth a read for anyone travelling there for tips and information concerning Maltese culture, history and places worth visiting.
October 19, 2022
Beautiful country, up-to-date guide!
June 1, 2017
Voy a repetir lo que he dicho en otras guías, porque la reflexión es la misma y la estructura también:
Las guías de viaje de este estilo ya solo tienen sentido en el siglo XXI por la conveniencia de tener casi toda la información necesaria en un único sitio porque, por lo demás, carecen de la fluidez y la velocidad de actualización (particularmente en lo hostelero) que nos pueden ofrecer nuestro portal favorito de hoteles, Yelp o TripAdvisor. Evidentemente, el modelo está cambiando y, por muy actualizada que esté una guía, las ciudades son conjuntos que evolucionan cada día más rápidamente y lo que ayer molaba puede que hoy no: la única forma de saberlo es a través de Internet (y en la UE desaparece la itinerancia dentro de dos semanas).
Pero a mí me gustan mucho las guías Lonely Planet porque te dejan bien claro cuáles son las cosas que no debes perderte a nivel cultural en cada sitio y, siendo cosas que muchas veces tienen siglos, es difícil que su importancia cambie de un día para otro; también me gusta mucho que te dicen en qué atracciones compensa comprar la entrada previamente para evitar horas de cola, los trasfondos artístico-históricos de todas y cada una de ellas, sus horarios y precios... De otra manera, es muy complicado que todo estos datos se ofrezcan en una única página.
También hay que tener en cuenta que una guía de estas características no se lee de cabo a rabo como un libro cualquiera, sino que se usa para organizar un viaje pero no para aprendértelo y, llegado el momento de estar allí, leer con mucho más detenimiento las descripciones de cada lugar. Lo bueno que tienen estas es que también tienen un acercamiento histórico y artístico completo de cada región que sirve como introducción a todas las especifidades que se desarrollan. ¡Es material valioso!
Supongo que, con el paso del tiempo, este tipo de guías desaparecerán completamente en beneficio de páginas web que ofrecerán lo mismo a través de GPS, incluyendo audioguías y otra serie de cosas muy beneficiosas. El progreso es imparable pero, mientras tanto, cada vez que salgo de viaje me llevo mi Lonely Planet, que tampoco está de más.
Las guías de viaje de este estilo ya solo tienen sentido en el siglo XXI por la conveniencia de tener casi toda la información necesaria en un único sitio porque, por lo demás, carecen de la fluidez y la velocidad de actualización (particularmente en lo hostelero) que nos pueden ofrecer nuestro portal favorito de hoteles, Yelp o TripAdvisor. Evidentemente, el modelo está cambiando y, por muy actualizada que esté una guía, las ciudades son conjuntos que evolucionan cada día más rápidamente y lo que ayer molaba puede que hoy no: la única forma de saberlo es a través de Internet (y en la UE desaparece la itinerancia dentro de dos semanas).
Pero a mí me gustan mucho las guías Lonely Planet porque te dejan bien claro cuáles son las cosas que no debes perderte a nivel cultural en cada sitio y, siendo cosas que muchas veces tienen siglos, es difícil que su importancia cambie de un día para otro; también me gusta mucho que te dicen en qué atracciones compensa comprar la entrada previamente para evitar horas de cola, los trasfondos artístico-históricos de todas y cada una de ellas, sus horarios y precios... De otra manera, es muy complicado que todo estos datos se ofrezcan en una única página.
También hay que tener en cuenta que una guía de estas características no se lee de cabo a rabo como un libro cualquiera, sino que se usa para organizar un viaje pero no para aprendértelo y, llegado el momento de estar allí, leer con mucho más detenimiento las descripciones de cada lugar. Lo bueno que tienen estas es que también tienen un acercamiento histórico y artístico completo de cada región que sirve como introducción a todas las especifidades que se desarrollan. ¡Es material valioso!
Supongo que, con el paso del tiempo, este tipo de guías desaparecerán completamente en beneficio de páginas web que ofrecerán lo mismo a través de GPS, incluyendo audioguías y otra serie de cosas muy beneficiosas. El progreso es imparable pero, mientras tanto, cada vez que salgo de viaje me llevo mi Lonely Planet, que tampoco está de más.
November 28, 2025
A simplified analysis and guide to help you through Malta. It allowed me to put down a few places I want to see when visiting, and which buses to take, and where on a map they are located. When googling I found lots of conflicting information/names from bloggers so this was nice to just get the answers straight. Relatives have been forcing youtube videos at me and as much as these can be helpful to get an idea I still want to read it to know it. In hindsight I wish I had read the book BEFORE agreeing to book as of course the first thing I turn to is that February is the coldest and windiest month to visit and they recommend March if you are doing the spring time. Of course relatives wanted February to escape the Canadian cold.... looks like we will be going from freezing cold to just annoying cold. Sigh. Let's see how the trip goes, either way a holiday is nice. I ended up buying a travel guide to take with me as I originally borrowed the book.
June 21, 2022
Even though it's not a particularly large island (though very densely populated), as this book informs, there is WAY too much to see and do on Malta. Fantastically rich history, megalithic constructions that are a thousand years older than the pyramids, so many cultures that either conquered or stopped by for a quick occupation, diversity of peoples, food and languages, zowie!
We're house-sitting there for three weeks in July, so the book was a good, if short, grounding for the visit. Gonna be hot, but that's what siestas (sorry, no Italian or Maltese here) are for.
We're house-sitting there for three weeks in July, so the book was a good, if short, grounding for the visit. Gonna be hot, but that's what siestas (sorry, no Italian or Maltese here) are for.
April 16, 2018
On holiday in Malta for the first time and used this guide book as a reference for various things I wanted to do and places I wanted to visit. It gives a good insight into the history and culture of the islands although most of my time was spent in Sliema and Valletta.
January 15, 2020
Informative & Useful
We are on our way to Malta for a holiday this year after a gap of some twenty years since my last visit.
Filled with lots of useful information, tour and itinerary suggestions it will definitely be accompanying us.
We are on our way to Malta for a holiday this year after a gap of some twenty years since my last visit.
Filled with lots of useful information, tour and itinerary suggestions it will definitely be accompanying us.
December 30, 2024
Warning: This book contains grave misinformation about diving and swimming. It says you can do swimming and diving all year long with water temperatures between 25-29°C. That's wrong. In winter water temperature drops down to 15°C, not suitable for swimming or diving. How can you mess up so hard.
September 13, 2017
Somehow it wasn't as useful as other LP guides I have been using for a while. Maybe it would need some updates/additional informations.
December 13, 2017
Хороший подробный путеводитель. Lonely Planet как всегда на высоте. Именно с их путеводителей, как правило, начинаю знакомство со страной.
June 3, 2018
Can’t wait to go here. Book covered everything I wanted.
Want lonely plant to go back to putting all the history at the beginning of the. Ok and not at that end as they do now.
Want lonely plant to go back to putting all the history at the beginning of the. Ok and not at that end as they do now.
September 5, 2024
Informative book. Read via the Borrowbox app. Have a family wedding to attend in Malta next year. Will probably buy a paper copy before we go too
May 9, 2025
More pictures would have made this book better! But still a great guide that’s easy to follow!
February 21, 2012
It's a fair enough summary of things to see and do in Malta and Gozo, but ultimately, never more than a summary.
Bought another guide, published by Bradt, which turned out to be about three times as thick and rich in detail, with maps and photos.
So, on the whole, I think I'll buy Bradt in future, if they are an option.
Bought another guide, published by Bradt, which turned out to be about three times as thick and rich in detail, with maps and photos.
So, on the whole, I think I'll buy Bradt in future, if they are an option.
April 8, 2016
I bought the Lonely Planet guide book expecting some of the beautiful pictures they have in their magazines. Although the information seems good, and there are lots of great sections which will come in handy when we go away, overall I was disappointed with this book.
May 8, 2013
Meno precisa ed esauriente di altre guide Lonely che ho usato in passato. Peccato.
October 11, 2013
Great guide. Accurate, interesting facts. Handy size. Some inside tips too.
February 28, 2014
Historically a very interesting place with lots of excellent museums.
August 7, 2015
Muy buena guía de viaje con muchos detalles y hechos históricos
July 4, 2024
Lonely planet never disappoints. this is a very extensive and complete guide of the country.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews