Malta is an incredible country, and we were fortunate enough to live there as digital nomads for one year from 2024-2025. Our home base was in Sliema, however, the island is so small that you can easily reach other sides of the country within just a couple of hours. With so many incredible hidden gems in Malta, I’ve compiled this list of Malta highlights so that you can make the most of your time there!
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What I’ll Cover in This Malta Guide
- Is Malta Worth Visiting? (A Digital Nomad’s Perspective)
- The Historic Highlights: Valletta & Mdina
- Sun, Sea, & Swimming Hidden Gems
- Unmissable Day Trips & Island Boat Cruises
- Unique Experiences & Iconic Views
Is Malta Worth Visiting? (A Digital Nomad’s Perspective)
When researching where we should live on the Digital Nomad visa, Malta kept coming up as a great option for us. The application process was straightforward, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring the island. The summer, especially, is a remarkable time to be there, and we discovered so many spots that were off the beaten track. While we did enjoy exploring some touristy areas, we loved discovering hidden gems, and I’m excited to share these hidden (and also not so hidden) gems in Malta with you below!
The Historic Malta Highlights: Valletta & Mdina
Exploring Valletta (The Capital City)
Of course, while visiting Malta, you must travel to the capital, Valletta. My first hidden gem in Malta is to join a walking tour such as Ben’s Good Tour to find out more about the history behind this beautiful island. Ben is an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable, and he was our top recommendation for games and friends who visited.
Valletta is actually not that big, and it’s easy to walk around everywhere! There are plenty upon plenty of great restaurants and bars. Valletta is also quite easy to get to via public transit, including taking the ferry and bus!
Must-See Sights in Valletta
The architecture and buildings in Valletta are truly stunning. Remember to bring your camera and comfortable walking shoes with you! We went to Valletta multiple times, and the sites below are not to be missed!
- St. John’s Co-Cathedral
- National War Museum – Fort St. Elmo
- Upper Barrakka
- Triton Fountain
- Note: Some of these places are also included in the walking tour*
Where to Eat & Drink in Valletta
Valletta is jam-packed with restaurants and bars that it can be hard to even decide where to go! We were fortunate enough to test out a variety of places and add them to this hidden gems in Malta list! Among my favourites in Valletta are:
Nenu The Artisan Baker Valletta: Amazing Maltese restaurant that is certainly a MUST!
Black Bull: Enjoy some tasty eats and drinks with an amazing rooftop view in the heart of the city!
We loved visiting The Bridge Bar right before the Fireworks started in the Grand Harbour. This was the perfect place to enjoy some wine with a delicious food platter. On the day we went, it opened at 7:30 pm, and the outdoor seating filled up quickly!
Loved picking out a fun cocktail that looks like a painting at this quaint bar!
Wandering the Streets of Mdina
Mdina is a stunning city that is definitely worth a visit. While you’re there, you can visit the Old City, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul, and the Adina Dungeons, just to name a few places. The streets are quaint and stunning, and you’ll just wander around for a few hours! A Malta highlights list wouldn’t be complete without spending some time in Mdina!
Travel Tip: Our favourite hidden gem near Mdina is actually a pastizzi place! Go to Is-Serkin – Crystal Palace Bar for their AMAZING pastizzis, and you must try their pea one!
Sun, Sea, & Swimming Hidden Gems
Take a Dip in the Victorian Baths (Sliema)
I highly recommend heading to the Victorian Baths (formerly called the Roman Baths) in Sliema to enjoy relaxing in the water! It’s my favourite (not so hidden) gem in the area! Try to aim for either earlier in the day or later in the evening, as it gets VERY busy in the afternoon. The Victorian Baths are located just behind the Surf’s Side Restaurant. You will see a staircase at the restaurant entrance; just go down those stairs, and instead of heading to the restaurant, continue to the rocky beach area!
Travel Tip: If you are hanging out around the Victorian Baths, check out my complete guide on the Best Things to Do in Sliema and my breakdown of the Best Bars and Best Restaurants in Sliema for an unforgettable day out!
Resort Day Pass
Did you know that you can get a day pass to spend your time soaking up the sun at a beautiful resort? I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day at The Westin Dragonara Resort, Malta, in St. Julian’s, just reading, relaxing, and swimming. It costs about 30€ for the day pass. I recommend going right at the beginning of the day to get the best seating while maximizing your time!
Swimming at Il-Kalanka vs. St. Peter’s Pool
Il-Kalanka is the ultimate hidden gem in Malta! It’s located just a few minutes away from the very busy St. Peter’s Pool! We have been there a few times in the months of May and June, and there were hardly any people there at all! Although St. Peter’s Pool can be an interesting place to go, it is VERY crowded, and we had a much more enjoyable time at Il-Kalanka! You’ll want to drive (rent) a car to get here, but the parking lot is easy to find and right outside Il-Kalanka! This place is without a doubt my favourite on this Malta highlights list!
Hiking the Clay Cliffs & Riviera Beach
We really enjoyed our hike near the Clay Cliffs with great views of the sea! We parked our car near Riviera Beach, and it was a simple 10-minute walk to this hidden gem viewpoint located here. With this hike being located right next to the water, it makes for a great place to swim on a sandy beach!
Sandy Beaches in Mellieha
Although we have never actually been, we noticed how busy Mellieha beach was on the way to Gozo. There are plenty of umbrellas and chairs to choose from for your relaxing visit! It is a sandy beach, which is a hidden gem, as a lot of beach areas in Malta are rocky. If you do go, pop a comment below to let me know how it is!
Unmissable Day Trips & Island Boat Cruises
Catamaran & Boat Tours to Comino Island
A list of hidden gems in Malta wouldn’t be complete without a boat tour to Comino Island. Taking a trip to Comino Island is by far one of the most popular things you can do in Malta. This is always a lot of fun, and the water is amazing! A typical boat tour to Comino Island would include 2 stops: one at Crystal Lagoon and another at Blue Lagoon before making your way back to your starting point.
I have gone to Comino Island a few times through private boat tours and even a catamaran day cruise! These experiences were AWESOME, and I highly recommend them! The private boat tours vary in price, and we paid around 400€ for our day trip to Camino Island! Besides the Catamaran Day Cruise mentioned below, our private tours were most cost-effective as we were touring with friends and family.
Join a Catamaran Day Cruise!
Tip Top One offers a public day cruise on a catamaran for about 130€ per person. It was easily a highlight for me as my friend and I spent the day on the water sipping rosé, enjoying the meal on board, and jumping in the water. It took me a long time to find this excursion, and I felt lucky to even stumble upon it. It was a full-day experience and worth every penny! Be sure to pack sunscreen and sunglasses! I even recommended it to friends of ours who visited, and they loved it too! The ultimate hidden gem for a getaway day to Comino Island!
Gozo Island Highlights
Gozo Island is such a great place to explore. My favourite spots are Xlendi Bay and Ramla Beach. These are amazing swimming spots, and we even saw an octopus while snorkelling at Ramla Beach! Having a car is the best way to explore Gozo. It was simple to take the ferry with the car we rented, and just to note, you only pay for the ferry on your way back from Gozo – not on the way there.
I have also taken a Jeep Tour around Gozo. It worked out great as the pick-up and drop-off were in Sliema. We were provided with transportation to Gozo and hopped right into a Jeep when we arrived on the island. It was a fun day out with a friend, seeing many different sights in Gozo. There wasn’t much downtime to relax, however, and I would have liked to have spent more time in Xlendi Bay. The ride was a bit fast/little rough at times, so keep that in mind before booking.
It was fun to meet other people, however, as there were 4 of us on this small group tour! If you don’t have much time and want to see Gozo, then this could be an option!
Wied il-Għasri (The Hidden Gorge)
We were so lucky to have Wied il-Għasri recommended to us while visiting Gozo. This place is truly a hidden gem in Malta and most definitely should be added to your Gozo itinerary! While we went a bit later in the day and it was a bit cooler, we didn’t go for a swim. Even so, the views were really neat, and we loved the viewpoint!
See the Salt Pans
There are multiple places where you can see the Salt Pans while exploring Malta and Gozo Islands! They are quite interesting to see, and it’s amazing how they are used to collect salt!
I would certainly recommend going to see the salt pans, and if you are interested, you can purchase this local salt from plenty of stores in Malta!
The Blue Grotto Boat Tour
Joining a Blue Grotto boat tour is a neat experience and something I would only do if you had extra time. The tickets for this 20-minute short excursion will cost 10€ for an adult and 5€ for a child. The water is amazing, and it is neat to go into the little caves. That being said, it was over quite quickly, and I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to go here.
The Sunday Market in Marsaxlokk
The Sunday Market in Marasaxlokk is pretty neat; however, it does get very, very busy. The boats here are very beautiful to look at, and I always enjoy seeing them. There are also many seafood restaurants to choose from if you are interested!
Something to Note: We went later on in the morning on a Sunday, and a fair number of the pop-up shops were already taken down. Even still, finding parking was a bit of a small nightmare.
Hidden Gem Secret: You can still see some shops if you go on days other than Sunday. There aren’t quite as many, but it will certainly be less busy, and you will still experience the market feel!
Unique Experiences & Iconic Views
Maltese Wine Tasting
I enjoyed having a Maltese Wine Tasting while exploring Valletta. We had the tasting at Ellul Wines & Spirits, and it cost about 20€ per person. There are a few wine tours available in Malta, but I found the tasting in Valletta to be a hidden gem right in the capital city, especially as the wine tours can be a bit out of the way depending on where you are staying.
Chocolate Making in St. Paul’s Bay
Ru’s sister and BIL gifted us this experience at the Malta Chocolate Factory for Christmas last year. We did the Gin and Truffle Making Experience and enjoyed making the chocolates ourselves and tasting a variety of gin cocktails. The day we went, we were the only ones there, but you’ll likely have a few more groups in the room for the experience as well. Don’t worry – you’ll get to keep the chocolate, and they are tasty!
This experience was really neat and a fun addition to this hidden gems in Malta list!
Popeye’s Village
We enjoyed exploring Popeye’s Village, especially as it was the set for Popeye’s musical film in 1980. This is a great spot for families, as you could easily spend most of the day there. There are many sunbeds for you to drop off your things (though it’s hard to come by an empty one) while going for a swim or just simply exploring the film set. You can also join a tour to learn more about this interesting little village!
Dingli Cliffs Views
The views from Dingli Cliffs are quite beautiful! You don’t need to spend too much time there, but I’m glad that we fit it into our itinerary when we had our car rental. You could even pack a picnic and enjoy the views if you have the time!
It was hard to narrow down a list of hidden gems in Malta as there are so many beautiful spots on the island! I would recommend going between May and September in order to truly enjoy the warmer weather and spend time in the water!
Do you know of other hidden gems in Malta that I didn’t mention above? Write it below for fellow travellers to see!
