Six things I wish I had known before travelling to Malta

I travelled to Malta for a bit of winter sun, expecting to take a few boat trips, sip coffee in the sunshine and maybe visit a few churches. I was not expecting Malta to have such a complex history, or such a mixture of cultural influences. I wished I had done a bit more research before going. So, for your benefit, here are six things I wish I had known before travelling to Malta.

1. The language is unique

First, the basics. I often like to pick up a few words in the language of the country I am visiting. But I was stumped by Maltese.

The best description I can give of Maltese is that it is like Arabic spelled out in western script with a hint of Sicilian but maintaining its own unique sound. It’s full of Xs and Ks and Qs. You end up with place names like Ta’Xbiex and Xewkija and Marsaxlokk. It’s completely unlike any other language I’ve encountered.

Fortunately for English-speaking visitors, good English is spoken in Malta.

2. Malta has a long and turbulent history

Malta’s long and turbulent history explains the quirks of its language. I can hardly keep track of how many different countries have occupied Malta over the centuries. Without even counting Malta’s earliest days, it was conquered by the Byzantines, then the Arabs, then it became part of Sicily after being conquered by the Normans who had also conquered Sicily, then the Spanish, then briefly the French, then the British. Malta finally achieved independence in 1964.

Malta has retained snippets of each occupation, whether language, food or architecture, and the result is a unique blend. One thing that surprised me is that Malta has red post-boxes, pretty much directly lifted from Britain!

3. The Knights Hospitaller are symbolic of Malta

The Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Knights of St John, are an important part of Malta’s symbolism. These Christian Knights ruled Malta for nearly 300 years until the French invaded in 1798.

The Knights’ symbol was a distinctive eight-pointed cross which is now visible all around Malta, including the unusually colourful tiles on the floor of St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. This cross is not to be confused with the George Cross on Malta’s flag, representing the military bravery award that the whole nation of Malta received in the Second World War after being attacked by Germany and Italy.

4. Malta’s cuisine is surprising

Malta’s cuisine is not what you would expect from such a hot climate. To my surprise, there is a heavy focus on pies, fried food and rabbit. I went to Malta in November so was more or less happy to eat rabbit pie at that time of year but I cannot imagine how heavy this food would feel at the height of summer! I can only assume Malta’s cuisine – particularly the pies – was inspired by its period of British rule.

I was determined to work out why rabbit was on every menu. Apparently the Phoenicians introduced rabbit to Malta three and a half thousand years ago as a source of food. I’ve also read that the Knights of St John imposed hunting restrictions on anybody other than themselves. When these restrictions were lifted, hunting rabbit became something of a rebellion and gained vast popularity. Malta’s rabbit consumption is now exponentially higher than any other country in Europe.

The influence from Italy and Sicily is also evident in Malta’s cuisine. One food I spotted all over the place was cannoli – tubes of fried pastry dough with a creamy filling – a Sicilian staple.

My favourite Maltese snack was pastizzi, which are ricotta or pea pastries. You can get mini ones – we found a place near the bus station in Valletta where they were a very reasonable price.

5. Public transport in Malta is easy

Malta has a great bus system with regular buses doing a loop from Valletta around the main towns on the islands. Valletta has a large bus station with clear directions about which buses go from where.

To get to Gozo from Malta you need to take a boat. The main ferry departs from Valletta and lands at Mgarr, taking about 45 minutes. You can also catch a boat to Mgarr from Cirkewwa at the north of the southern island which takes about 25 minutes.

To get to Comino, you need to go via Gozo. If you’re staying in Valletta, this means catching a boat to Gozo first and then a second boat on to Comino.

I’ve heard that it’s quite straightforward to hire a car in Malta. I’d consider doing this if I go there again, just to be able to get to the more remote beaches and odd corners of the islands. In Malta they drive on the left – another feature of Malta’s status as a former British colony.

6. Maltese people love cats

Maybe this shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me but cats are everywhere in Malta! It’s slap-bang in the middle of the Mediterranean so its love of cats is in keeping with other Mediterranean areas such as Greece, Türkiye, the Middle East and North Africa. Malta is a cat-lover’s dream!