Malta

Our first breakfast at the hotel set the tone for the week. Then we headed into Valletta, Malta’s small, honey-colored capital, and started at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, the terrace high above the Grand Harbour, for the view. It’s beautiful. The cannons of the Saluting Battery below fire every day at noon and 4 p.m. It didn’t interest us, but plan around those times if you’d like to see it.

After that, we wandered for hours. Valletta’s streets are lovely, full of shops, restaurants, and lookouts over the water, and wandering is the best way to see them. Don’t plan a route, and don’t hop from one viral photo spot to the next. Take your time, and you’ll find everything worth seeing on your own. It’s far more fun that way.

Along the way we found Casa Sotto, a pizzeria tucked away from the main sights. The pizza was fantastic. If you come across it, go in.

Then we took one of the traditional boats across the Grand Harbour. The dgħajsa, Malta’s painted wooden water taxi, crosses from below the gardens to Birgu, one of the Three Cities on the far side. It’s touristy, and it’s still a must. We loved it. On the other side, we kept walking around the harbor. That was the whole day: no plans beyond the boat, a lot of steps, and some of the best hours of the trip.

After a rest at the hotel, we had dinner at Naar Restobar in St. Julian’s, a trendy spot with a fun atmosphere. It’s central, and our table was right on the water by the bay. Bring a layer; April nights by the sea are cold. The mango matcha was good, and so were my tacos, but I’d pass on the grilled squid. And since Fuwamai was within walking distance, we went back for more pancakes.

• Upper Barrakka Gardens
• Valletta’s streets
• Casa Sotto
• Dgħajsa to Birgu
• Naar Restobar
• Fuwamai

We booked a day with Sea Trips to Gozo, Comino, the Blue Lagoon, and the caves. At the dock, they offered an upgrade to a “more luxurious” boat for about $5 more per person, and we took it. I wouldn’t call it more luxurious, but it carried fewer people, which we appreciated. You get the same tour and the same stops. Ours went to Gozo first, then the Blue Lagoon.

On Gozo, the tour sells a wristband for a bus to either the beach or the old town. Don’t buy it. Instead, if you’re comfortable on one, rent a moped from one of the little rental shops at Mġarr, the harbor where the boats come in. A local woman at the dock pointed us there and was delighted we were skipping the bus. It wasn’t expensive, the island is small, and you can see far more in your few hours than the bus allows. Gozo has almost no traffic, and it felt much safer to ride than Malta. It turned into one of the highlights of our trip, and we wished we’d spent the whole day there.

The ride up from the harbor was stunning. Our first stop was the old town, the Cittadella in Victoria. There isn’t much there, and we only walked around for a little while. Had we come by bus and been left there, I’m not sure what we would have done with the time. From there we rode to the Sanap Cliffs and the view over Xlendi, where little trails wander past an old watchtower and above the salt pans. Neither is spectacular, but the walks are fun and the views are lovely. Then we rode to Ramla Bay, the beach the bus would have taken us to. As a whole day, it would have been dull, and in April the water was too cold for swimming, even with warm air.

Riding through Xagħra, a small village, we saw exactly what the woman at the dock had meant: a tour bus stuck in its narrow streets. She told us this is her biggest frustration. The buses bring crowds to an island that wasn’t built for them, and she wished more people explored the way we were, like locals instead of tourists. That’s why I travel this way. Don’t follow the crowds. Go off on your own, and be respectful of the towns and people you’re visiting.

We stopped for a drink in Nadur, a little town on the way back, then returned the moped and boarded the boat.

• Sea Trips
• Mġarr harbor
• Cittadella, Victoria
• Sanap Cliffs & Xlendi
• Ramla Bay
• Nadur

From Gozo, the boat took us to the Blue Lagoon on Comino, the tiny island between Malta and Gozo. It’s beautiful; I won’t deny that. But it was the biggest tourist trap I’ve ever seen. It was so crowded you could barely walk, everything was overpriced, and the famous pineapple drinks, served in a hollowed-out pineapple, weren’t even good. We got off for about thirty minutes, then went back to sit on the boat. We never swam; the water was cold and packed with people.

All of Malta is beautiful, and there are better places to spend your time and money. Next time, and there will be a next time, we’ll take the ferry to Gozo and give it a full day on a moped, book a private boat on another day to reach quieter coves and lagoons, and skip the Blue Lagoon altogether. We’ll also go when the water is warm enough to swim.

• Blue Lagoon, Comino
• Back to Malta

We started in Marsaxlokk, the fishing village known for its Sunday market and its harbor full of luzzu, the painted Maltese fishing boats. The waterfront was charming, but the market was so packed you could barely walk through it. I found a gift for my mom there, but be ready for crowds.

From there we went to The Point, the shopping mall at the tip of Sliema, and walked a long stretch of the seafront. Then, since my boyfriend likes to gamble, we stopped at the Dragonara Casino in St. Julian’s. We visit a casino in every country we travel to. We keep it small: we set a budget, stick to it, spend an hour, and try to win once in every country. If you go, do the same.

Late in the day, we drove up to Mdina, the old walled city on the hill and Malta’s former capital. This is a place to wander. Go wherever you like and explore. It’s stunning, with something surprising around every corner, and even the little houses and alleyways are beautiful. We ate at Trattoria AD 1530, where you can sit outside within the old walls. The food was really good, and the atmosphere was lovely.

• Marsaxlokk market
• The Point, Sliema
• Sliema seafront
• Dragonara Casino
• Mdina
• Trattoria AD 1530

On our last full day, we flew to Sicily. We booked it the day before, the flights were very cheap, and Catania is only about forty minutes away. It was an easy way to be spontaneous. We took the early-morning flight, picked up a rental car at Catania airport, and drove to Taormina, a beautiful town resting along the cliffs above the sea.

Park at Porta Catania, an easy lot at the edge of town, and walk Corso Umberto, the main street, lined with beautiful shops and high-end boutiques for window shopping. Along the way you reach Piazza IX Aprile, the square with the checkerboard floor and the church of San Giuseppe, which opens onto one of the best views in town. Then, once again, just wander.

Breakfast at Mocambo Bar, the Dolce & Gabbana café on the square, was a rip-off: very expensive, with tiny portions. Still hungry, we walked down the street to Bistrot Siciliano Sikè, which was much better. Try the granita, Sicily’s famous frozen treat, and pair it with a croissant and a coffee.

Then we took the cable car down to Mazzarò, by the sea. The ride is fun, but there isn’t much at the bottom. We walked around and found only a little path down to the beach across the street. I don’t regret it, and if you’re in Taormina, go. I just wouldn’t make the trip for it. Back up top, we wandered to the Villa Comunale, the public gardens laid out by Florence Trevelyan, which are very pretty and have a lovely overlook.

For dinner, we wanted somewhere different, so we drove down to Giardini Naxos, the seaside town below, and ate at Ristorante Da Angelina. The food wasn’t spectacular, but it was nice to get away from the crowds and try somewhere new, and the staff were very friendly. That’s the beauty of having a car.

Then we raced back and barely made our flight. There were no other flights back before our flight home the next morning, so missing it would have been a disaster. We were running through the airport. Give yourself more time than you think you need. It helps to travel with only a day bag, but returning the car, traffic, and security in another country are all hard to predict. Sicily was absolutely worth popping over for a day. Just leave room to get back.

The next morning, we caught an early flight home.

• Catania
• Porta Catania parking
• Corso Umberto
• Piazza IX Aprile
• Bistrot Siciliano Sikè
• Cable car to Mazzarò
• Villa Comunale
• Giardini Naxos