Historic features, UNESCO World Heritage sites, fabulous cuisine, some great swimming opportunities, awesome scenery — and all in an area of just a little more than 122 square miles. The Maltese Islands, there are five, but only three are inhabited, used to be part of Spain and Italy, but they gained independence in 1964.  Think of the island atmosphere, cuisine included, as a fusion of Italian, British, French, Spanish and Turkish influences.

If this sounds like an appealing vacation option, then Malta is for you. Travel advisors at GetAway Travel are ready to help plan your adventure in this Mediterranean destination.

Valletta, Europe’s sunniest capital city

 In addition to being considered Europe’s sunniest capital city, Valletta is also a European capital city with a large concentrated area of historical significance. The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Grandmaster’s Palace is one of the first buildings constructed in Valletta. It is used as government offices and has a grand courtyard, beautiful interior furnishings including artwork, frescoes and armor displays.

St. John’s Cathedral may look a little mundane from the outside, but inside it is an explosion of gold paint and colored marble. The classic Baroque interior includes a number of crypts where some of the Knights of St. John Grand Masters are entombed. There is gold gilding galore, artwork, ceiling murals and fabulous tile work, including some delicate and intricate designs on the floor. There are two spectacular, large paintings by Caravaggio.

Casa Rocca Picola Palace is a 16th century palace still inhabited by members of the original family. Twelve of the 50 palace rooms are open for tours and you can view the extensive collections of paintings, silver and hand-crafted antique furniture. Home to Marquis De Piro, a modern Knight of St. John, he sometimes pops in during a tour. The Palazzo Parisio is also open to tours and it has been described as Versailles in miniature.

Muza is Malta’s National Museum of Art. It’s in a 16th century mansion. Valletta is also home to the National Museum of Archeology, National Museum of Fine Arts, the War Museum and the National Library of Malta.

The Maltese National Theatre, or Teatru Manoel is one of the oldest theaters in Europe. It as built in 1731 to entertain the knights and general population. Open for performances and tours, the interior is done in Baroque style. Inside there are floral motifs, gold leaf, lots of velvet and balconies “beaded” by hundreds of tiny pearl-like light bulbs. The baby-blue ceiling is done in a trompe-l’oeil pattern that appears to be a soaring dome.

Valletta is home to the oldest saluting cannon battery in the world. It is still operating in the Upper Barraccara Gardens on the edge of Grand Harbor. The cannons fire at noon and 4 p.m. every day.

Meridiana Wine Estate is a traditional winery with a farmhouse in the middle of the vineyards. Take a tour and enjoy a taste or two of the country’s wine.

Underground secrets and stone temples

 Beneath Valletta is the secret World War II Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Command. In the war rooms, Eisenhower supervised the invasion of Sicily, radar sightings around the region were analyzed and enemy communications were intercepted. British RAF fighters were controlled from here. After the war, the headquarters remained operational tracking Soviet submarines until 1977.

To make the headquarters, builders tunneled into the rock under the Upper Barrakka Gardens. They opened up and expanded an older tunnel that had been used by the Knights of St. John.

In Paola, near Valletta, is another underground marvel. The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, most often referred to as the Hypogeum, is a subterranean complex of halls and burial chambers, built in three levels during three distinct time periods. There are living rooms, smaller rooms and passages as well as a variety of furniture carved from and into the rock. Archeological material including pottery, bones, different sized figurines and personal items such as amulets, pearls and beads have been recovered from the rooms.

Seven megalithic stone temples, developed independently of each other, are near Valletta as well as on Gozo, another of the Maltese Islands. Some are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the others are on the list to be catalogued as UNESCO sites. They were built before Stonehenge and the Pyramids. Coraline rock and limestone was carved to make huge doorways, statues, curved rooms and stone furniture.

So many other points of interest…

 Blue Grotto Dingli Cliffs are on the Southwest coast of Malta. The cliffs which are the country’s highest point, were formed by an uplift along the fault line. There are six naturally formed sea caves and a massive 30-foot limestone arch.

Mdina, an ancient walled city in central Malta was the country’s capital from the Middle Ages to the 1500s. It is considered one of Europe’s finest fortified cities and you can see a fascinating mix of Baroque and Medieval architecture. The Knights of Malta have a museum here and, the first season of Game of Thrones was filmed here.

St. Paul’s Bay is in Northern Malta. The National Aquarium has 170 ocean species to view. The Malta Chocolate Factory is also here! See how chocolate creations are made and attend a wine pairing/chocolate workshop.

Mellieha has a beautiful beach in a protected bay. The Popeye Village Theme Park is located here. When the extensive set for the Popeye move (1900) was built here, residents didn’t tear it down when the film was done, they made it into a theme park.

The church with the third largest rotunda in the world is located in Mosta. Built in 1860, the Mosta Dome is an impressive site indeed.

Gozo is accessible by ferry from Malta. Here you can watch sea salt harvested in huge pans from the Xwenji Bay. The Gozo Cathedral is on the main square and it’s a lovely cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Lord Cambray has been producing craft beers since 2014. Take a tour, enjoy some beer and chat with the brewmaster.

The island of Comino, named after cumin which grows wild everywhere, is home to the Blue Lagoon. Yes, the real Blue Lagoon. Take a selfie by the stunning turquoise waters.

The local food is an eclectic and tasty fusion of Italian, British, French and Spanish dishes. There’s rabbit stew, fish pie, fresh fish and you are never far from a family bakery no matter where you are!

Does a visit to Malta interest you? Contact an advisor from GetAway Travel for help planning a vacation that hits all your points of interest.