Even Malta’s fishing boats resonate with the past, their prows painted with eyes, just like the boats of their Phoenician predecessors. 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.
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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. 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. 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. Traditional Maltese food mixes Sicilian and Middle Eastern flavours, while making use of local ingredients such as rabbit and honey. Malta is staunchly Roman Catholic but is also home to a beguiling mix of cultures that has stewed together over generations. Even for the short-term visitor to Malta, a simple ferry journey across Grand Harbour in Valletta is a magical experience. Above the water, walking tracks negotiate view-filled pathways linking isolated coves and surprising historical structures. Snorkellers and divers have much to explore underwater as well, a world of caves, crags and wrecks. The islands' many marinas jostle with boats, and you can take to the water in sky-blue traditional craft, stately yachts or speedboats. 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. You'll find prehistoric temples, fossil-studded cliffs, hidden coves, thrilling scuba diving and a history of remarkable intensity. Malta packs glorious variety into its small archipelago.