In partnership with Visit Malta
The Maltese islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino are great for family holidays. Here’s how to make memories with the whole family on this sunny archipelago.
Malta’s clean, safe beaches are perfect for a toddler’s first holiday, with their shallow waters and decent facilities. Meanwhile, older kids and teenagers can banish boredom by scuba diving, snorkelling, go karting and mountain biking their way around the islands and their coastlines. And its easygoing culture, pleasant climate and crowd-pleasing food make Malta perfect for a multigenerational trip, too. Here’s how to do it best.
For families with young children
Summer is spent outdoors in Malta, which gets around 300 days of sunshine per year. For holidays with little ones in tow, this means sun-soaked days on the beach – from family-friendly resorts to secluded, pristine coves.
The choice is almost endless, but by prioritising accessible beaches you can filter out the less child-friendly beaches (many beaches on Malta’s three islands are at the bases of rocky, steep paths). 11 beaches here have Blue Flag status, meaning that they’re certified for their cleanliness and safety. There are three beaches in Gozo that tick the boxes of accessible access, parking and toilet facilities: golden-sanded Ramla l-Hamra, the shallow waters at Marsalforn beach and Hondoq Ir-Rummien, a pretty, white-sand cove.
Golden Bay, in the northwest of Malta, has facilities and easily accessible walkways – as well as shallow tides, fine sand and rocky cliffs. St George’s Bay, all the way across on the east, is surrounded by hotels and restaurants, so everything you need is on hand.
Young children can also have fun meeting some animals at Malta’s farms. Diar il-Bniet offers fruit picking and kids’ craft classes, while the petting farm at Ta’Qali Park is home to goats, sheep, a donkey, pony, horse and even a llama.
You can crank up the energy at Popeye Village, a former film set built for the 1980 musical production of Popeye. Nowadays it’s a theme park where kids can be a movie star for the day hosted by Popeye characters – as well as climb an obstacle course, jump around in Malta’s largest indoor play area and look at over 100 original comics in the on-site museum.
Or, there’s the PLAYMOBIL Fun Park, where toddlers can meet classic PLAYMOBIL toys in different areas such as City Life, Rescue, Aquarium, Pirates, Police, Knights and Fairy Tale.
For families with teenagers
As a growing watersports hub, Malta is great for adventure holidays with teenagers. With the sea warm enough for swimming until after the October half term, and beaches surrounded by rocky cliffs just made for jumping off, older kids hardly need any extra entertainment on holiday in Malta, Gozo or Comino.
But fun is readily available in the form of diving, jet skiing, kayaking and dinghy sailing. Families with teens can sea kayak all the way from Gozo to Comino, exploring the rugged coastline and its coves along the way. Or, take an early morning route around Dwejra Bay and try diving in the beautifully crystalline Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon might be one of Malta’s most popular dive sites, but there are many more, catering to all levels of experience and abilities. An unusually large number of shipwrecks await beneath the sparkling sea – the legacy of the archipelago’s 18th-century pirates. Many of Malta’s wreck dives, however, are boats that were purposely scuttled in recent decades to be used as tourist dive sites.
The Tugboat Rozi, in Cirkewwa, is a beginner-friendly spot where you’ll share the water with rainbow wrasse, cardinal fish, sea bream and scorpion fish. Then there’s the MV Karwela, a former ferry off the coast of Gozo, and for super-experienced divers, the actual wreck of a Blenheim bomber plane from WWII.
Back on land, there’s horseback riding (particularly popular around Mellieħa and Golden Bay, on the northwest coast), go karting, mountain biking and even jeep safaris. Rock climbing is increasingly popular here – there are over 1,500 routes in around 30 different locations, which have all been developed in the past 20 years.
All that activity is bound to work up some appetites. Mediterranean Malta is ideal for teenage-sized and inexpensive pizzas, both Italian-style and of the traditional Maltese kind – ftira. This ring-shaped, leavened bread comes stuffed or laden with the likes of tomato, sardines, tuna, onion, capers and olives.
For multigenerational holidays
Holidays with the whole, extended family – from aunties and uncles to in-laws, and grandparents to new babies – are getting more popular. Laid-back, pint-sized Malta is a relaxing choice for a trip like this, with its small capital city, Valletta, and activities for all levels of mobility.
Take the whole family on the Two Harbours Tour, a historic ride around the capital, to admire its fortified bastion walls from a comfy suntrap. Head back to dry land to explore the city’s history further – Malta is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites. The mostly pedestrianised centre is dotted with fortresses and stories dating back to the sieges of 1565 and 1942 – the recently restored Fort St Elmo and Fort St Angelo are on the Grand Harbour.
In Birgu, on the opposite side of the harbour, you’ll find the Malta at War Museum – whose subterranean tunnels sheltered hundreds of people during Second World War bombings. The underground attractions continue at the St Paul’s Catacombs, a labyrinth of Roman tombs.
Then, for a touch of luxury while keeping things simple, visit one of Malta’s glamorous beach clubs for an afternoon. The Reef Club is one of the archipelago’s longest established lidos and encompasses a large pool, a sandy beach, and a series of inlets with access to the warm, turquoise sea. There’s even a kids’ club.
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