From stunning scenery to epic history, the Mediterranean isle of Malta has it all
EIGHTIES snooker player Tony Drago, World War Two heroics and a football team that makes even England look good.
Shamefully, that is about all I could have told you about Malta before my first trip to the Mediterranean island.
Less than three hours away by plane, Malta offers a fascinating mix of culture, history, sun and partying. Something for everyone, in other words.
Neck braces should be compulsory for tourists in the capital Valletta, where I joined visitors gazing up in wonder at the jaw-dropping architecture, some of which dates back to the 16th century.
The entire city is recognised on Unesco’s World Heritage list and you needn’t have a religious bone in your body to find St John’s Co-Cathedral heavenly.
Dating back to 1572 as a church for the Knights of St John, it is a masterpiece of Baroque art and architecture.
The dizzying, flamboyant ceiling took six years to paint and depicts scenes from the Bible, while the walls of its nine chapels are decorated with gold and silver.
Marble tombstones add yet more colour, while an audio tour brings the vivid artwork to life.
It is a lot to take in, even before you reach the room housing the huge Caravaggio canvas The Beheading Of St John The Baptist. It is regularly ranked among the greatest paintings of all time and is a haunting sight.
Back on the streets of the fortified city — perched high on rocks above a deep harbour — I needed a pint.
Caravaggio had a reputation as a hellraiser and I next found myself in a sort of unofficial shrine to unruly actor Oliver Reed.
The tiny city-centre bar simply called The Pub was where Reed died in 1999, aged 61, during one of his legendary booze sessions.
He was in Valletta to film Gladiator, released after his death in 2000.
After winning an arm-wrestling contest against crew of the HMS Cumberland, Reed collapsed, having downed eight pints of lager, 12 double rums and half a bottle of whiskey.
I didn’t try to match his epic consumption and there wasn’t time anyway with so much to do.
The fortified city of Mdina, Malta’s former capital, dates back to the eighth century BC and its narrow alleyways are still home to 300 people.
Its history is fascinating but these days tourists are just as keen to glimpse the location of King’s Landing in Game Of Thrones.
The so-called Silent City offers panoramic views across Malta from its walls, so don’t forget your camera.
Next up was the stunning megalithic temple complex of Hagar Qim. The mindboggling limestone structures were erected on an exposed rock on the south of the island between 3700BC and 3200BC.
They offer a tantalising idea of how the island’s earliest communities lived and worshipped.
Nearby was a chance to hop on a boat and explore the magical Blue Grotto, formed by sea caverns along the coastline from Qrendi.
Sunshine piercing the caves makes the seawater mirror blue shades on the walls and ceilings.
The 20-minute trip was great fun and the turquoise waters a visual treat.
Heading back to Valletta, I took in Queen Elizabeth’s former home, when she lived on the island as a naval wife between 1949 and 1951.
And I visited the monument to Sir Winston Churchill, who described Malta as “the unsinkable aircraft carrier” for its unwavering defence against the Axis powers during World War Two.
Churchill’s bust stands in the Upper Barrakka Gardens, a public green space affording yet more stunning views across the harbour.
The island is rightly proud of its history, including withstanding the siege by Italy and Germany between 1940 and 1942, for which the former British colony was awarded the George Cross.
The island’s location slap-bang in the middle of the Med has given it huge strategic importance throughout history, with Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and French all having invaded at one time or another.
No wonder there is so much for history buffs to delve in to.
Filmmakers also flock to the island, with blockbusters including Troy, Munich, The Da Vinci Code, Assassin’s Creed and The Count Of Monte Cristo all featuring scenes shot there.
All that sightseeing left me famished. And the best meal of my visit was waiting for me in Diar il-Bniet, a rustic restaurant in the rural idyll of Dingli.
It was a charming venue to sample fresh Maltese food and the rabbit was divine.
I stayed in the classy Saint John Hotel, a 4H boutique a stone’s throw from Valletta’s heart.
The adjoining Cheeky Monkey gastropub is perfect for people-watching and grabbing a tasty dish or two.
I also spent two nights in the 5H Palace Hotel in Sliema, a short taxi ride up the coast from Valletta.
The rooftop swimming pool is terrific while the bars and restaurants were packed with satisfied, relaxed holidaymakers.
Heading for the airport, I found myself cursing my lack of time to explore the nightlife of St Julian’s to the north of Valletta.
Or the beautiful islands of Gozo and Comino. Or the countless historical sites, fossil-studded cliffs and scuba-diving caves.
There is so much more to this amazing island than Drago, snooker’s Maltese Falcon. About that, I stand corrected — and I’ll be back for more.
GO: Malta
GETTING/STAYING THERE: Three nights’ B&B at the 4* Saint John Hotel in Valletta costs from £364pp, based on two adults sharing, including return flights from Luton in May.
A seven-night, room-only stay at the 5* Palace Hotel in Sliema costs from £674pp, based on two adults sharing, including return flights from Luton in May.
Call 0203 870 6844 or see .