Upon arriving on the island of Malta, one of the first things I noted was its tiny size. Of course, I knew from before that it is a very small country, but I expected it somewhat bigger.
Peering at the map and contemplating how I could make the best fun out of my time there, it soon occurred to me that exploring the country on a bicycle would be the perfect way to go about it.
So I got myself a bike and spent two of my seven days in the country pedaling all around it. I will follow up with the trip report below, but before I do that, let us tackle some of the most common questions other travelers who want to do the same might have.
Is it tough to cycle in Malta?
All locals and other residents of Malta whom I happened to speak to about my cycling plan were highly discouraging. “It will be very tough,” they said, “Malta is hilly.” Quite true: Malta is a hilly island. Though it isn’t mountainous.
You will be going either up or down more times than not, but the inclination is seldom too steep; just average knolls. Nothing’s too hard about it overall. Any reasonably fit person, without particular cycling experience, could quite easily cycle from anywhere to anywhere within the country and back in a single day.
Is it dangerous to cycle in Malta?
More than by mentioning toughness, locals tried to daunt me from undertaking my trip by pointing out the danger of it. “Maltese drivers are crazy; they will kill you!” they said.
Well… admittedly… Malta is an extremely densely populated island and cycling infrastructure is nonexistent. Traffic is, not surprisingly, intense. It requires strong nerves and fortitude to meander through it. It should rather not be attempted by people who would get panicked in the case of a truck brushing past them on a narrow road causing the bicycle with them on it to flutter.
For someone, however, who, like me, has cycled in such parts of the world as Africa and India, it isn’t a great deal. Anyway, the good fun is off-road cycling along the numerous nice trails the country has to offer. Try avoiding the motorways, keep calm and focused when you cannot, and everything will be fine.
When is the best season to cycle in Malta?
I did the trip in November. On the whole, I think winter is the ideal time to do some cycling in Malta for a number of reasons. Most obviously, the scorching summer Mediterranean heat would make the whole venture somewhat excruciating. Furthermore, since by far fewer tourists are situated on the island, during the winter the traffic is significantly sparser.
However, there are also some pros associated with doing it in the summer. The extra daylight, which will make it more unlikely that you’ll have to cycle in the dark, is one of them. Also, having the chance to take a swim at all those beautiful crystalline waters you wonder at all along the way, is a great plus.
Where can you rent a bicycle in Malta?
There are plenty of bicycle rental services operating all year round in Malta. You should expect to pay around €10 per day, discounts being made for longer terms. Here are some of them:
And now on to the trip…
So on that halcyon, sunny autumn morning, I and my Dutch friend Simon, we fixed ourselves two nice mountain bikes from a place downtown Sliema
Day #1: Cycling to East Malta
The first part of the trip was devoted to the necessary trouble of getting out of the city. Constantly drifting between roads, pedestrian streets, and pavements, we managed to slowly meander through the dense traffic and circumvent the Marsamxett and Grand Harbours. We kept cycling through the still congested streets of Paula, Il-Fgura, and Zabbar… until we left the latter behind. This trip was now getting interesting.
Xghajra & northeastern Maltese coast
We got on a nice downhill trail going past the San Rokku Fort and reached the coast. A welcoming, wintry breeze blew upon us confronting the flustered Mediterranean Sea. Brisk, hulking waves were breaking against the whitish limestone shore, releasing a constant roaring and changing their color from azure to snow-white.
This spectacle was to be our constant companion for all the rest of the day until sunset, as we barely left the coast at all. We followed whatever dirt-road or trail was closest to the coastline; we had to find an opening through a wire fence that encircled a musical-fountain park belonging to the Smart City of Malta located above; and we reached the village of Xghajra.
If you’re wondering how to pronounce this latter name… I have no clue either; probably like something too complicated to bother about. Whatever it is pronounced, Xghajra is a cute little coastal village: just a few houses and a British artillery battery above them. I found this village especially quiet for being in Malta. Passing through it made no essential contrast with the adjacent coast when human presence is concerned.
At some point, while cycling along a particularly quiet part of the coast, we witnessed a rather offbeat spectacle. We first heard the gunshots. Soon after, we spotted the shooters. Two local villagers in military outfits had taken cover within a ruined shack and were shooting down seagulls. I wonder whether they were going to eat them or they just did it to satisfy their sadistic instincts. Given that they shot them while flying over the sea – unless they were up to go swimming in the freezing, turbulent sea to get them out – I suppose they did it with the latter motive.
We continued southeast along the coast, past yet another fort, until we reached the tip of Zonqor Cape. From there we kept following the coast to the west and entered the suburbs of Marsaskala Town.
Marsaskala & St. Thomas Bay
Marsaskala is a very pretty town. There is a good number of historical fortifications, churches, and other architectural curiosities. The most notable feature of the town, though, is its bay: a long and narrow inlet known as Marsaskala Bay or Creek. Plentiful small and larger boats are scattered all over its turquoise surface.
We made a break at the town’s
St. Peter’s Pool & Delimara Peninsula
Here was the most beautiful part of the trip on this day. We found some very scenic narrow trails running over green meadows, by the edge of vertical cliffs.
The views we got to marvel at were constantly stunning. The wide Mediterranean was our consistent companion, witnessing how she boisterously crushed on the tall white precipices.
Engulfed in awe, we kept moving along secluded bays and around rough promontories. At times, the trail died out altogether and we had to cycle over bare rock. At other times, we had to shoulder the bikes and climb over steep slopes to spot another trail.
The highlight of this part of the trip was the St. Peter’s Pool. This is an amazingly beautiful natural pool, formed within a hidden cove. In the summer months, it’d make an ideal spot to camp and spend several leisurely days sunbathing, swimming and cliff-jumping.
It was shortly before sundown we finally made it to the very tip of the peninsula. A lighthouse, some remnants of old fortifications, and a number of other forsaken man-made structures stand there, giving the place an idyllic air of nostalgic forlornness. The thick flock of seagulls overheads was squawking in such an excited manner that suggested they regarded the scenery with very similar emotions.
We propped the bikes against some rocks and squatted aground to briefly contemplate existence and its beauty, while observing the sun’s plunging course towards the obscurity of the sub-horizontal.
And now we had to hurry up and take advantage of the twilight, so to get back the soonest possible, diminishing the chances of our existence ceasing prematurely by some careless crazy driver.
Back to Sliema via Zejtun
This time we took the small road leading up across the peninsula. We got to marvel at some last for the day fascinating views over Marsaxlokk Harbour. And concurrently with the day’s ultimate twilight, we passed through Zejtun Town.
Now we had to make a decision on what way to take back: calculating whether the possibilities to get killed would increase by a greater magnitude over the increment of traveling time or the one of traffic density… Cycle through the city streets or take the highway?
Phew! Who knows? Hard thing to calculate. Intuition suggests survival chances are greater through the city, but I was kinda tired and longed after the couch and a cold beer… We took the highway.
During these two days of my cycling trip in Malta, as well as the entire week of my stay there, I can’t recall I saw any cyclist at any place. That’s why I can perfectly understand why the car – and especially the truck – drivers were bewildered to bump into two bicycles, baring absolutely no light signaling, in the middle of the highway and the tunnels through the night. I don’t judge them for beeping the horn and cursing out of the windows all the time.
Sure enough, we were soon back to the hostel, sitting on the couch, cracking the beer cans open.
Day #2: Cycling to the west coast of Gozo
Another sunny morning over Malta. I got up early and started preparing for my second cycling adventure in this country. Today’s destination was the west coast of the island of Gozo; basically, the most distant place within the country that I could reach from Sliema.
Simon was pretty tired and daunted after yesterday’s trip, so that he made me aware, from the previous evening already, that he’s not sure whether he will join today. I was about to leave, and he was still in the dorm bed sleeping soundly. He was evidently sure by now… that he will not join.
I rode the bike and started munching up the day’s long-distance…
Crossing Malta
It’s not been particularly pleasant to cycle through the night yesterday. And today I had a by far longer distance to cover. I had to be fast.
So to have ample time to cycle around and explore while on Gozo, I pedaled across the island of Malta, up and down the knolls, literally non-stop for the 2 hours it took me to reach the port on the northernmost tip of the island. I followed the line from Sliema to Birkirkara, Mosta, Manikata, past Popeye’s Village, and through Ghadira Nature Reserve, onto the ferry terminal.
The ferry to Gozo
I locked the bike outside of the terminal building and proceeded to the counter. The ticket cost €4.65 plus €1.15 for the bicycle both ways. Fairly cheap. No complaints.
I had to wait briefly before the gate, with all the rest of the passengers. Then the gate opened and I rolled in. I chained the bike in the garage and onto the deck I moved.
The trip lasted for some 20 minutes, and it was a pleasant one. It was almost midday by then. The sky was bright and immaculately blue; the sea rather placid; and the temperature mild. We skimmed past Comino Island, and entered the Mgarr Harbour of Gozo. On to exploring this new piece of land…
Xewkija & Victoria
After having cooled down during this hour the whole strait crossing lasted, I found the slope after the port kinda intense. Eventually, I found myself cycling across an elevated, rather flat area into the hinterland of Gozo.
I was basically expecting Gozo to be just a thumbnail of Malta, but after all, it gave me a quite different feeling. Firstly, the concentration of its inhabitants and, as a result, the traffic was notably sparser; the quality of the cycling experience was significantly more peaceful. The landscapes are quite the same with Malta, but more pristine here. The style of its towns and villages is pretty similar to the ones of Malta, but their people seem kinda more easygoing and their lives’ tempo somewhat more relaxed.
My first stop was the village of Xewkija: arguably Gozo’s oldest village. I drifted along its streets barely encountering any human activity. I wound up at the village’s central plaza where one of Gozo’s main landmarks: the Rotunda Church: stands. There were two little cafes there – the only ones I saw in the village. I sat at one of them – amongst a company of some nonchalant elders in the process of getting drunk from being tipsy – and had my lunch and a cup of coffee in the shade of the aged, imposing temple.
Adjacent to Xewkija is Gozo’s capital: Victoria, often referred to by locals as Rabat: the only proper town in Gozo. Being still in a race against the sun, I didn’t check it out much; I just bypassed it quickly through the outskirts. Although, later on, on my way back, by the time I had lost the race for good, being already dusk, I stopped by Victoria downtown and rambled about a bit. It is a pretty vivid town. There are several hotels, restaurants and cafes. Despite the late hour, there was quite a number of tourist coaches pulled over by the central square. The town overall can boast snazzy architecture and has plenty of historical sights to satisfy the visitor.
Gozo west coast & Dwejra Bay
Back in the afternoon, I headed southwest from Victoria and soon met the coast. The views over the upheaved green meadows down to the deep-blue sea were again splendid.
I found some really fun trails that led me along the periphery of the island’s southwestern cape. At times I got to do some very cool downhill tracks over bare rock. And then, over a lofty vertical cliff, I got to wonder at the trip’s highlight: the Dwejra Bay.
This is a fairly broad, smoothly rounded cove with a big, grotesquely formed rock towering out of the sea right at its entrance, which is known as Fungus Rock. Ancient sailors entering the bay must have personified this rock as some deity, spirit or any sort of mythical creature. There was quite a number of sightseers who’d come there on buses or in cars via the paved road. I felt quite privileged to be able to regard them and this natural wonder from my remote location up the cliff.
The sun was getting close to completing another course across the globe’s cap which has Malta on its apex. I mounted my bike and put it in a good test down the steep, rugged slope until the bay shore. The bike had to endure the test until the tip of the narrow promontory beside the northern side of the islet. A really exquisite vantage point to marvel at the sunset that one was.
The sun started to lick the horizon. Radiant and thermal energy in the atmosphere started becoming scant. It was time to start on my long way back.
The way back
It was a rather long and cold way. By the time I left Victoria, darkness was absolute. The roads were inadequately lit. I felt kinda like a ghost cycling on their sides – or like a candidate to become a ghost, to be more precise.
While waiting for the next ferry, I got to have a burger for dinner at a snack bar high on the slope before the port. The magical night view over the strait offered good inspiration for exhilarating daydreaming.
Back to Malta Island eventually. Further darker and colder night. Many pedal strokes and fright-causing trucks later, I was again back to the couch opening my rewarding beer. That was it with the cycling trip in Malta.
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