JollyDays Supported Holidays: The Island of Malta with Ase, David & Candy

The Island of Malta

We couldn't think of a better way to start our holiday than exploring the local area in the glorious sunshine.

We made our way to the harbour and set sail on our boat trip to the small island of Gozo. On arrival it was interesting to see how green and luscious the countryside was here, compared to Malta. We were welcomed by our tour guide who took us around the island.

We passed through the village of Xewkija, where we drove past the largest church in Gozo. It also boasts being the third largest unsupported dome in the world. The sightseeing continued to Ta' Pinu Church, where we stopped off and admired the painting of the Blessed Virgin of Ta'Pinu.

The Blue Lagoon is located on Malta's smallest inhabited island-Comino, with its clear turquoise shallow waters, golden rocks and dramatic coastline. It was simply stunning.

The morning was spent at the National Sea Life Aquarium. A fantastic world opened up for us with tanks full of colourful fish, some big, some small, some beautiful and quite some ugly! A highlight being the glass tunnel where stingrays and sharks swam above us. We felt like we were under the sea! The interactive rock pools were full of starfish that we were able to touch, too.

Mdina, is a fortified city in the Northern Region which served as Malta's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. We also learnt that it is called the silent city due to its quiet streets and strict vehicle restrictions. It felt like we were stepping back in time as we entered Mdina. We started off with the Mdina experience; a short film explaining the history of the city. It was very informative and full of action. We walked up to a viewing point where you could see for miles, all the way out to sea. We then made our way to the breathtaking St Paul's Cathedral which was founded in the 12th century and according to tradition it stands on the site where Roman governor Publius met St Paul following his shipwreck on Malta.

We took our seats on the sightseeing bus tour that took us around the northern part of the island. We saw watch towers that are still standing around the coast of Malta. The tour took us through St Julian's Bay and onto Valletta, the capital city.

Here, we went on a boat cruise around the two natural harbours on either side of Valletta - Marsamxett Harbour and the Grand Harbour. We saw historical forts, old hospitals and creeks that only can be admired from the sea.

Wandering around the cobbled streets that are steeped in history was fascinating and we particularly loved watching the horse drawn carts passing us by.

When we weren't sightseeing we found time to relax and unwind in the warm sunshine and the brave amongst us even went for a dip and swim in the sea!

Nothing beats a delicious ice cream treat to end our days.

Most evening's we put on our dancing shoes and found a lively bar playing some fantastic disco music where we were always the last ones on the dance floor.