Sensing Serendipity: Magical Malta

If you have not yet considered visiting Malta then this beautiful country should be on your bucket list! Malta is by far one of our favorite places and we were lucky enough to take a weeks vacation there in the early spring a few years ago before we had kids. It's not the easiest place to get to but I promise, it is worth the trip!

Mgarr Church, Malta

Malta, also known as the Maltese Islands, is made up of 3 islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. It is nestled in the Mediterranean with it's closest neighbors Sicily (to the North) and North Africa (to the South & West). It's proximity to different countries has made Malta a melting pot of customs & cultures with traces of history from many different empires. I'm no historian, however, one of the reasons we love Malta so much is due to the melding of influences throughout history. It made for a unique and historic visit to this small European country!

For this trip we decided to rent a car driving on the wrong (or right side) of the road. That was an adventure in itself! If you've ever been to Europe then you've experience their love of the "roundabout" or "rotary". The roundabouts were in definite excess in Malta and combining that with driving on the opposite side of the road, well, let's just say it was interesting! Renting the car allowed us to explore the island on our own which we usually prefer to do at our own pace. We found so many nooks and crannies and it made us feel more immersed in the day to day life.

RABAT

One of our first stops was in Rabat and we were lucky to be there for Feast of St. Joseph. Malta is a Catholic country and they take their religious festivals very seriously! We had so much fun watching & being among the parade of people. You really couldn't avoid it!

Walking through the narrow streets and alleys hung beautiful chandeliers and lanterns. I also have a love for European doorways and these were amazing!

MDina

This fortified city has a lot of history and was the capital of Malta up until the medieval times. Mdina retains most of its original architecture and boosts narrow alleyways and centuries old buildings. It also sits on top of a hill lending to beautiful views of the island.

Mdina is a sleepy village and easily walkable. It's really like nothing you've ever seen and the architecture is outstanding!

We stopped at St. Paul's Cathedral, which like many churches in Europe, was built within a small square. St. Paul's really just seems to jump out of nowhere. It was pretty impressive with beautiful interior! A must see during a stroll through Mdina!

Marsaxlokk Bay

Marsaxlokk was one of our favorite destinations in Malta! It's located on the water and has a very popular open fish and food market on Sundays until around 12:30 pm.

The fishing boats were painting bright beautiful colors and stood out in the bay. We ate lunch at one of the local restaurants and had one of the most delicious seafood meals! This scenic waterfront town should be a definite to do on your Malta list!

Valletta

Valletta is the current capital of Malta and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a lot of history in Valletta with beautiful architecture and art influence. We primarily walked around Valletta, admired it's architecture, and visited St. John's Cathedral.