Day 2: Gozo and Comino
As well as the main island of Malta, there’s also the smaller nearby islands of Gozo and Comino. Both of these are definitely worth a trip. If you only have 5 days in Malta, I recommend just doing a day trip to Gozo and Comino. But if you have more time in the area, you can stay on the island of Gozo and spend some more time there. I just visited Gozo and the Blue Lagoon on Comino as a day trip. I felt like I saw enough – although more time would have been nice. Here’s how to visit Gozo and Comino as a day trip from Malta.
Ferry from Sliema or Valletta to Gozo
You can take the ferry from either Valletta or Sliema to Gozo. You definitely don’t need a car for this day trip, as it’s best to take the passenger ferry. The trip takes less than an hour, and the views are amazing. I loved the views back towards the skyline of Valletta.
Once you get further away from the built up areas of Valletta and Sliema, you can really appreciate the natural beauty of Malta. The cliffs are really impressive, with the gorgeous blue sea.
The harbour in Gozo is really pretty, and you get a great view of it as you come in on the boat.
Victoria, Gozo and the Citadel
If you get a ferry fairly early in the morning from mainland Malta, you can have a few hours on Gozo exploring the island. I recommend heading straight to Victoria, the ‘capital’ city of Gozo. It’s a short bus ride from the harbour.
I enjoyed walking around the streets of Gozo and soaking up the city life. It’s a much quieter, more peaceful city than Valletta. But there’s still plenty of things going on, as well as a good selection of shops, cafes and restaurants.
The main highlight in Gozo is the Citadel. It’s definitely worth climbing up to the Citadel to get some amazing views over the island of Gozo.
The Cathedral here is really impressive, set at the top of some steps so it looks huge. It’s set in a nice courtyard right in the heart of the Citadel.
The Citadel on Gozo dates back to the Bronze Age. There’s some fascinating history here, and you can pay to go inside some of the museum areas at the Citadel to learn more about the history. Alternatively, if you don’t have much time before your ferry, you can just walk around the outside of the Citadel walls and enjoy the stunning views.
Comino and the Blue Lagoon
After spending some time exploring Gozo, you can get a ferry to the nearby island of Comino. Comino is an even smaller island, and there aren’t any towns of cities on Comino. Instead, Comino is home to the absolutely stunning Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon is a natural inlet of water, that naturally has the most amazing blue colour. The yellow rock of the cliffs around just make the bright blue shine even more brightly. You can get some amazing views of the Blue Lagoon as you walk around the cliffs.
You can also swim in the Blue Lagoon. But be warned – it can be very busy here, with a lot of people and boats. So although the colour of the water is lovely, it’s not always the most relaxing place to swim. There’s a sort-of artificial ‘beach’, which is basically just an area of concrete. I visited at the end of September and it was so busy – it took a while to find a patch to put my towel.
The swimming area is quite small – there’s an area that is roped off from the boats where you can swim. It’s a bit painful to walk into the water, as you have to walk over rocks. And it’s busy in the water as well – it was too busy to swim properly.
I enjoyed the Blue Lagoon, and I thought the scenery and the colour of the water was amazing. But it was just a bit too busy to be a relaxing place to enjoy. There were just too many boats, too many people, and too many stalls trying to sell you drinks. I think it’s still worth visiting just for the stunning scenery, but be warned it could be very busy.
Boat trip to the Crystal Lagoon and caves
From the Blue Lagoon area, you can take a smaller boat for a boat trip to the nearby Crystal Lagoon and caves. This boat trip takes about 20 minutes, and it’s really enjoyable.
You speed away from the Blue Lagoon – quite quickly! And in a short amount of time you’re at the Crystal Lagoon. It’s much quieter and more peaceful here than the Blue Lagoon – there isn’t a beach where you can swim, so people don’t tend to come here unless they’re on a boat trip to see the caves. The caves are really impressive, and it’s nice to see them from the water.
After visiting the Crystal Lagoon, you can take the boat from the Blue Lagoon back to mainland Malta for the night.
Evening at a hotel pool
One of the great things about visiting a hot, sunny country like Malta is that you can have some beautiful evenings at a hotel pool. I think it’s definitely worth choosing a hotel that has a pool, so you can enjoy some pool time after a busy day sightseeing. There are lots of hotels in or near Valletta and Sliema that have pools. I chose a hotel in Sliema that had a gorgeous rooftop pool, which was just stunning at sunset and in the evening light.
Staying at a hotel with a roof terrace is also great for watching the sunset, and seeing the views at night.
Keep reading for days 3, 4 and 5 of your ultimate itinerary for exploring Malta without a car.
Day 3: Marsaxlokk and Popeye Village
On day 3 of your trip to Malta without a car, it’s time to use some of the excellent public buses to explore more of mainland Malta. You can get the bus almost anywhere on the island. And it only costs 2 euros for a ticket that lasts for an hour – so even if you need to change buses, you can do this just on one ticket. The buses are so cheap and go everywhere on Malta.
If you’d rather not take the bus, or if you’re in a rush, there’s also the option to use taxi apps like Uber or Bolt. Both Uber and Bolt have a great service on Malta. They’re quite cheap, and there are plenty of cars so you can usually get a ride within 5 minutes. I used a combination of buses and Uber/Bolt on my trip to Malta.
Marsaxlokk village: Sunday fish market
Marsaxlokk is a really pretty, small village on the East coast of Malta. I loved it here – it was one of my favourite places that I visited in Malta. The main square is a great place to start, near the impressive Cathedral.
If possible, try to visit Marsaxlokk on a Sunday. On Sundays, there’s a great market here. There’s a fish market, as well as colourful fruit and vegetables. I enjoyed walking around the bustling market and enjoying the sights and smells. Further down the market, there’s a huge range of other stalls, with lots of clothes and gifts you can buy.
Marsaxlokk harbour and boats
My favourite part of Marsaxlokk is the harbour and the boats. It’s such a pretty area.
The boats are really colourful, with the blue and yellow pattern.
I loved walking along the edge of the harbour and enjoying the peaceful sea views.
Seafood lunch in Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk is one of the best places in Malta to try fresh seafood. There’s a great choice of seafood restaurants here. I went to one called La Nostra Padrona and it was excellent.
The octopus and squid risotto was my favourite dish. It was cooked in a rich, fish sauce and the octopus and squid were so flavourful. There’s also a great selection of fresh fish – the menu changes based on what fish are caught and available that day. I had tuna steak and it was great.
Popeye Village
Popeye Village is a great place in Malta to spend an afternoon. It’s a great place for kids, but there’s plenty for adults to do as well. It’s definitely not a kid-only attraction. You can get the bus here from lots of places on the island, or take an Uber/Bolt if you’d rather get here a bit quicker. Popeye village is on the North West coast of the island.
Popeye Village has lots of fun things to do. It’s a full movie set that you can walk around. The 1980s film Popeye, starring Robin Williams, was filmed here. The entire village was built for the film, and it’s been left exactly how it was. So you can walk around the film set and feel like you’re in Popeye’s world.
There are actors at various points, all dressed up as Popeye characters. There are lots of interactive shows happening around the village, where you can get involved if you want to. But you don’t have to get involved – it’s easy to just walk past if you’d rather. As well as the shows, there are some exhibits telling you more about Popeye the cartoon and the film.
The views from Popeye village area great. Even if you’re not a big fan of the cartoon or the film, it’s worth coming here for the views. The village is set in a really pretty cove, with lovely views. You can sit at one of the cafes here and enjoy the views out to sea while drinking a Maltese Kinnie.
Popeye Village beach
Popeye Village also has a ‘beach’. It’s not a sandy beach – more of an area of concrete, but there’s plenty of places to relax and enjoy the view. You can swim in the sea as well. It’s a great place to enjoy swimming in the sea and also enjoy the views.
Watch the sunset
The cliffs near Popeye Village are one of the best places to watch the sunset in Malta. You can walk just a short distance from the entrance to Popeye Village, past lots of Prickly Pear plants.
And from the cliffs, you can watch the beautiful Malta sunset.
It really is a stunning place to end your third day of exploring Malta without a car. After watching the sunset, you can get the bus or Uber/Bolt back to your hotel.
Keep reading on the next page for days 4 and 5 of your adventures in Malta, with the stunning Blue Grotto next.