1.       A Stunning Coastline

When asking the question, ‘what is Malta famous for?’, the most generic answer we can provide is: sun, sea, and beautiful beaches. There’s so much more to Malta than golden sands and blue waves, but it’s undeniable that Malta’s beautiful coast is one of the Mediterranean’s most stunning landscapes.

2.     Malta has a Reputation as a Diving Hotspot

Malta is famous for its incredible coastline, but you don’t have to be lying on the beach to appreciate the Mediterranean’s unique charm. The archipelago’s famous, crystal clear waters especially make for great diving!

Frequently voted one of the world’s best diving locations, Malta is home to hundreds of reefs, caves, and ancient wrecks.

The warmth of Malta’s waters means that marine life is colourful and abundant, but a comfortable temperature also means that you can happily spend hours wallowing in the Med. This is convenient because there’s plenty to see once you get in the water.

Malta is well known for the shipwrecks lying just off its coast, including several shipwrecked HMS submarines. The archipelago is also home to some impressive, underwater geological features. Recently, Malta’s celebrated Azure Window sea arch collpased  in a severe storm. Although this event caused grief across the island of Gozo, the arch’s submersion still provides a stunning spectacle for thousands of eager divers.

3.     Malta has some of the Oldest Structures in the World

But Malta’s ancient wonders aren’t all under water. Despite being so isolated, civilizations have flourished on Malta for thousands of years.

Malta’s most historic claim to fame is the 5,00 year old Hagar Qim.   This limestone beauty is one of Malta’s celebrated Megalithic temples ,  many of which predate the pyramids and even Stonehenge.

These temples are all designated UNESCO Word Heritage sites, but they’re not alone on the prestigious UN list – Malta’s capital city of Valletta and the prehistoric Hypogeum are also UNESCO World Heritage sites.

4.     The Capital City, Valletta, is a real gem!

The capital city of Malta really deserves a paragraph of its own. According to UNESCO, the city is ‘one of the most concentrated Historic areas in the world.

Valletta was the first ever planned city in Europe, with the designs being drawn out by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1565. The original building plans resulted in a pretty spectacular city, but Valletta has only grown more beautiful with age.

Taking turns under the rule of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginian, Romans, Byzantine, and Arabs, Valletta boasts an eclectic range of architecture and a unique medieval charm  that any visitor to Malta needs to experience.

5.     Maltese Cuisine is Divine

Malta is also famous for its food, and rightly so. If you’re in need of a snack whilst touring Valletta, be sure to try a ricotta filled filo-pastry Pastizzi. Ideally, this should be washed down with a can of Kinnie, which is a local soft drink made with chinotto bitter oranges and a special blend of herbs and spices.

For dinner, you should try the rabbit, which is a Maltese specialty, especially when slowly cooked with onions and wine. If you still have room, Imqaret, or fig cakes, are a delicious sweet snack that you can find on every street corner.

6.     Malta is a Walker’s Paradise

After all that eating, some exercise is definitely in order, especially if you’re looking for an active holiday.   Luckily, Malta is a walker’s paradise, and you’ll find plenty of delightful hikes and pleasant strolls to take around the islands.

Touring Malta by foot will provide you with some stunning views, from dramatic cliff edge views of the Mediterranean sea, to lush, green valleys nestled with prehistoric ruins and ancient cave chapels.

The best time to hike in Malta is just after the first long rain following summer, when the wildflowers meadows spring to life.

7.     The Famous Maltese Festas

But unless you are heading to Malta on a hiking holiday, it’s best to come before the summer ends. That’s because summer is peak time for Malta’s colourful village festivals , or festas.

These feasts are an unmissable part of Maltese life. Every village in Malta has its own patron saint and its own individual festival, which may last up to a week , with fireworks and food stands livening up the summer nights.

8.     Movies Shot in Malta

As well as being famous for its diving, architectural sites, and festivals, Malta is also a popular film location in its own right.

Malta’s dramatic cliffs, stunning landscapes, and ancient buildings make it the perfect backdrop for many feature films and TV shows, particularly those aiming for an antiquated feel. The films ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Troy’ both take advantage of Malta’s classical charm, while the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise passed off a few Maltese landscapes as Caribbean beaches.

‘Game of Thrones’ also contains several scenes filmed around the intensely photogenic capital of Valletta. Game of Thrones fans will also be keen to know that Gozo’s famous, but sadly collapsed, Azure Window provided the backdrop for Daenerys Targaryen’s wedding with Kahl Drogo.

9. Comino Island & The Blue Lagoon

Comino provides another of Malta’s photogenic landscapes. Famous for its isolation and tranquility, the beautiful Cominois one of Malta’s tiniest islands, measuring only 3.5 km in area.

Home to only three residents, who commute to Gozo, Comino is better known for its bird population, and the area is a celebrated nature reserve. Comino’s rugged coastline and sheer cliffs were once the refuge of pirates and smugglers, but now they provide breathtaking views for tourists.

No trip to Malta is complete without at least a day spent admiring Comino’s crystal clear lagoons, and enjoying the island’s peaceful isolation.

10. Malta’s British Connection

From the perspective of the many British tourists that flock to the islands, Malta is famous for its British connection.

One little known fact about Malta is that the Maltese still drive on the left-hand side of the road, making Malta one of only four European countries, including Britain, that still drive on the left.

This left handed quirk is due to 160 years of British rule, which lasted until 1964 when the islands gained their independence. Across Malta, you can still find plenty of picturesque evidence of the British empire’s presence in Malta, from coastal fortifications, to beautiful buildings like the Malta Stock Exchange

Colours of Malta presenta a Conventions Malta una case history dedicata al mercato italiano.

Nessuno ci vieta di ricordare e di programmare gli eventi futuri!

Leggiamo la testimonianza della DMC Colours of Malta:

Numero partecipanti: 350

Date: 19-23 giugno 2019

Hotel: HILTON MALTA

Questo evento è stato prestigioso per Malta in quanto i partecipanti erano tutti partner di alto livello di un’agenzia finanziaria rinomata.

L’incentive house MARE20 ha invitato l’amministratore delegato di Colours of Malta, Davide Cachia, a Milano, per fare una presentazione su Malta.

Il programma creato è stato attentamente studiato per soddisfare le loro esigenze. Gli eventi precedenti erano sempre stati organizzati nei migliori Resort in Sardegna, Grecia e altri paesi del Mediterraneo, quindi abbiamo iniziato proponendo i migliori Resort 5 * di Malta.

Alla fine Malta è stata scelta per la vastità delle diverse attività che possono essere svolte in poche ore di tempo libero. Il programma prevedeva numerosi incontri presso l’Hilton Hotel in cui si svolgeva l’incontro annuale con i partner e nel loro tempo libero potevano scegliere tra una scelta di tour culturali che coinvolgevano Valletta, le tre città, il sud e i templi.

I tour erano di due tipologie: visite guidate private o attività più attive come gite in barca con una sosta sulla spiaggia con pranzo, una giornata a Gozo, l’isola gemella di Malta, e altre attività ricreative a loro scelta.

Malta è la destinazione ideale in quanto si possono fare molte cose in poche ore grazie alle brevi distanze.

In una delle serate abbiamo organizzato una visita a Mdina, antica capitale di Malta, con un concerto privato nella Cattedrale, seguito da una cena in uno dei principali ristoranti di Malta.

E’ stata organizzata anche una cena barbecue a bordo piscina dell’Hilton e la cena di gala è stata presso la magnifica Sacra Infermeria con un cocktail sul Rooftop appena aperto.

L’Hotel prescelto è stato l’Hilton, che è una delle migliori strutture 5 stelle proprio nel cuore di St Julians, vicino a ristoranti, bar e casinò. L’Hilton dispone di sale riunioni multiuso e di un ampio centro congressi in grado di ospitare fino a 1400 persone. Le camere da letto sono state recentemente rinnovate così come l’area pubblica.

Di seguito il programma svolto:

GIORNO 1

Arrivi all’Hilton Hotel 5*
Welcome e riunioni in diverse sale meeting
Cena libera
GIORNO 2

Consegna delle riviste nell’atrio prima dell’incontro degli ospiti
Arrivi in ​​aeroporto
Meeting tutto il giorno in diverse breakout rooms
Escursioni pomeridiane con coordinatore a disposizione – Valletta, Golden Bay o sud dell’isola
Cena al Gazebo, Hilton – buffet a sedere

GIORNO 3

SPA e trattamenti a disposizione degli ospiti
Consegna delle riviste nell’atrio prima dell’incontro degli ospiti
Arrivi in ​​aeroporto
Meeting tutto il giorno in diverse breakout rooms
Escursioni pomeridiane con coordinatore a disposizione – Valletta, Golden Bay o sud dell’isola
Mini tour di Mdina prima di cena con guide + cena da Bacco – buffet maltese

GIORNO 4

SPA e trattamenti a disposizione degli ospiti dell’Hilton SPA
Tour a sud dell’isola
Tour di Valletta
Meeting unico
Cena al Merkanti Beach Club, Hilton – Menu barbecue
GIORNO 5

SCELTA ESCURSIONE INTERA GIORNATA DI:
Valletta AM / PM (Cattedrale + Palazzo del Gran Maestro)
South of The Island AM / PM (templi)
Intera giornata a Gozo in barca e pranzo a Ta Cenc
Intera giornata in barca a Comino + pranzo a Baia Beach
Full Day Golf + pranzo al sacco
Parrucchiere a disposizione
Aperitivo in terrazza e cena al MCC con intrattenimento

GIORNO 6

Attività di tennis e pallavolo in hotel
Pranzo in hotel
Partenze
GIORNO 7

• Partenze

‘’Once you’ve been through tough times, you can only become stronger.’’ Alesha Dixon​

May the renewal of life at Easter, bring new blessings of love, hope, peace, good health and happiness to you and your loved ones. ​

May you embrace the changes we are facing only with positive energy and bounce back bigger and better.

Colours of Malta ​wishes you a peaceful Easter.

Typically, Easter celebrations in Malta last a long few days and have a strong religious significance also know as Holy Week.

The celebrations begin the Friday preceding Good Friday when a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows is carried in a procession through the streets of Valletta, the capital, as well as many other small towns and villages. This is the kick off of the Easter celebrations and is a wonderful experience.

Towards the end of Holy Week, the celebrations really kick up a gear on Maundy Thursday. This is when the Last Supper is commemorated and worshippers pay visits to seven ‘Altars of Repose’, all in different churches. ‘Altars of Repose’ are altars where the Communion hosts, which are consecrated during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday are placed, in preparation for Good Friday, and so form a crucial part of the Easter celebrations. The altars are beautifully decorated and offer a real visual treat, as well as the opportunity to reflect on the holiday and celebrations. Then comes Good Friday, a rather sombre affair, seen as a day of penance and is observed through veneration of the cross and processions in different locations, during which scenes from the Passion and Death of Christ are carried out. Although this may seem a gloomy day, it is a crucial part of the whole Easter experience in Malta.

Easter Sunday is a day of huge celebration, thus day starts with the ringing of the bells in churches to celebrate the resurrection. At mid-morning, a statue of the Risen Christ is processioned through the streets and carried triumphantly into the church. This is a day for celebration, fun and another crucial aspect… followed up by many traditions. It is a tradition to present children with chocolate coated Easter Eggs as part of the celebration, along the typical figolla, which is an almond filled pastry in the shape of a rabbit, lamb, heart or fish. Both of these are treats following the fantastic family feast which takes place after 40 days of potential fasting and no sweets.

The Easter feast is the pinnacle of the celebrations and is an occasion for the whole family to get together. Delicacies include kwarezimal, also known as ‘Lenten’ cookies, which are sweet, traditional cakes or biscuits, more common during the period of Lent, but also widely celebrated and enjoyed as an Easter sweet.

Due to the covid-19 restrictions, churches have been shut and no processions or religious ceremonies are being held during Holy Week this year.

• Valletta – The Capital City, a city built by the Order of the Knights of St John and HOME TO St Johns co Cathedral and the Caravaggio Museum
• Birgu – well known for its vital role in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565
• Mnajdra and Hagar Qim Megalithic Sites (Qrendi) – World Heritage Sites that date back to the Ggantija Phase (3600-3200 BC)
• The Hypogeum – the only underground burial prehistoric site in Malta, its over 600 years old and a Unesco Heritage Site
• The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady (Mosta) – the 3rd largest dome in Europe, and the 9th largest on the world, survived a German Luftwaffe bomb in 1942
• Mdina – one of Europe’s finest examples of an ancient walled city and extraordinary in its mix of medieval and baroque architecture
• St Paul’s Catacombs Rabat – this site represents the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta
• St Paul’s Church and Grotto, Rabat – one of the earliest places of Christian worship on the island and St. Paul’s gift of healing and him remaining unharmed after a snakebite made the locals regard him as a God
• The Roman Domus – a museum that contains what remains of an ancient Roman townhouse built during the Roman reign in Malta
• Dingli Cliffs – highest in Malta at around 825 feet (250 m) with splendid views of the open ocean and of the Maltese islet of Filfla
• Ta’ Qali artisanal village – the hub where Maltese artisans showcase and sell their master works to locals and tourists alike
• Hand made blown Malta glass –  glass items to suit all, one of Malta’s top artisanals
• Maltese Wine- Grapes grown on the island are blessed with a favorable Mediterranean climate all year round, yielding wines that are ripe with character and flavour.
• Marsaxlokk – small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history
• Sanctuary of Our Lady in Mellieha – located at the edge of a hill, in the heart of Mellieha. Built in the late 19th century, this church is popular both for pilgrimages and for the magnificent views it offers over Mellieha bay, Gozo and Comino.
• WW11 Shelter – The shelter was a fully functioning mini city with a maternity ward and infirmary during World War 2
• Blue Grotto – a number of sea caves in the southern part of the island, famous for the extraordinary sea reflections and remarkable shades of blue
• Gozo –  famed for its character and places of interest. Some of these include the Calypso Cave and the Ġgantija Neolithic temples which are among the oldest surviving man-made structures
• Comino – known for the famous Blue Lagoon bay with its crystal clear and azure-coloured water
• Rabbit – Traditional Maltese stewed rabbit, better known as ‘Stuffat tal-Fenek’, is considered Malta’s national dish

What is the Maltese cross?
The Maltese cross is a symbol that is most commonly associated with the Knights of Malta ,who ruled the Maltese islands between 1530 and 1798. The Maltese cross is nowadays widely used and associated with Malta as a country, used by the national airline Air Malta as part of its livery, and even featuring on the Maltese Euro coins, for example.

What does it look like?
The shape of the Maltese cross is star-like with four V-shaped arms that are joined together at the tips. It’s frequently used either in black and white or red and white and is symmetrical both vertically as well as horizontally

What’s the history behind the cross?
Although the Maltese cross is most famously associated with the Knights of Malta, as well as Malta itself as a country, it is thought the symbol evolved from a closely resembling cross found on coins minted in Amalfi (an Italian republic) during the 11th century.

What’s the meaning of the Maltese cross?
The Maltese Cross formally adopted by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John in 1126, stylistically owes its origins to the crosses used in the crusades, when it was identified as the symbol of the “Christian warrior”: Its eight points denote the eight obligations or aspirations of the knights, namely “to live in truth, have faith, repent one’s sins, give proof of humility, love justice, be merciful, be sincere and whole¬hearted, and to endure persecution”.
With time, the eight points also came to represent the eight langues (or “tongues”, but in effect national groupings) of the noblemen who were admitted to the famed order, namely those of Auvergne, Provence, France, Aragon, Castille and Portugal, Italy, Baviere (Germany), and England (with Scotland and Ireland).

The Maltese cross remains the symbol of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which is still in existence (and active as an international organisation for medical and humanitarian aid) today. As part of its present-day teachings, the cross represents eight beatitudes (or ‘blessings’). A good first aider in service of the Order of St. John is Observant, Tactful, Resourceful, Dextrous, Explicit, Discriminating, Persevering and Sympathetic.

The season of blooming flowers, mild evenings and religious celebrations. Spring in Malta is the time of undeniable beauty. The sea is still too cold for swimming but exceptionally calm. The trees are getting greener and the blossoms are all out. It’s the start of the al fresco dining season and ideal weather for any outdoor activities both by the sea and in the countryside.

Spring welcomes the most significant dates in the Roman Catholic calendar – namely the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. In Malta, the religious rituals observed during Holy Week are faithfully attended by the locals.

Spring days provide plenty of opportunities for relaxation in the sunny outdoors, allowing you to lounge in the sun or ramble through countryside lushness.

L-Għar tal-Mixta sits overlooking the beautiful red sands of Ramla l-Ħamra, on the opposite side of the iconic Calypso Cave on the island of Gozo.

This cave, secluded and far off the beaten track can be reached by trekking north of the ancient town of Nadur. By following a small rock-covered path and negotiating a few steps, one can access the beautiful cavern which is typical of many caves around the island. Alternatively, you can visit Ramla Bay and take an up-hill path from the shore, which will take you around 40 minutes. What makes this cave particularly interesting is its name – a cave with a similar name, also on the island of Gozo, was inhabited by troglodytes and the word “mixta” is said to derive from the word ‘mxett’ meaning ‘wintering’. Over the years, lots of Bronze Age pottery has been discovered in and around the cave which have confirmed the fact that they were homes for ancient inhabitants. It is supposed that the cave was created by humans as a way of providing shelter and protection from invaders’ vessels, whilst also serving as a vantage point for Gozitans looking to secure their shoreline.

Another thing that makes the trek to Għar Mixta worth it, is the stunning view from the entrance to the cave. The view of Ramla Bay and the surrounding countryside is one of the location’s best features and has led to it being known as one of the most beautiful and picturesque places on the island.

Charles & Ron is a contemporary lifestyle brand with a distinct Mediterranean flair and a dedication to superior quality. Maltese culture is at the heart of the Charles & Ron design ethic and the designers invite you to be part of their Mediterranean “love affair”.

Charles & Ron feature on an international level with fashion shows held in New York on a yearly basis and have exhibited at both New York and Los Angeles fashion week since 2014. Some of their couture was also selected to be placed on display at Buckingham Palace for Vogue’s Commonwealth Fashion Exchange.

Charles & Ron Malta inspired designs truly have an international appeal and have been often seen being donned by international celebs like Jessie J, Kelly Rowland, Ally Brooke, Nicole Williams, Michelle Williams, Ashanti, Mercedes Mason amongst many more.

Ġbejna (plural ġbejniet) are cheeselets made in the Maltese Islands from goat’s or sheep’s milk. They are prepared and served in a variety of forms: pickled, salted, peppered, covered in herbs, dried or plain, fresh cheeselets.

Legend has it that sea water was used as a curdling agent for these cheeselets. The ġbejna is a key ingredient in Maltese dishes varying from soups, to sandwiches, as an appetizer, as a condiment and sometimes even in sweets.

Prior to Malta’s accession to the EU, the EU accepted Malta’s request to protect the traditional ġbejna as a traditional sole product of the Maltese Islands!