Almost everything Malta offers on the water runs between May and October, and a fair amount of it all year. The sea is warm, clear and, on the right coast for the day, completely flat.
What you can do
Kayaking and paddleboarding
The only way to reach caves and bays with no land access. You need sheltered water, so the right coast changes with the wind.
Rental is easy at the bigger bays, and a guided trip will take you somewhere you would never find alone.
Which bay is sheltered todayBook a kayak trip
Snorkelling
Anywhere with rock, which is most of the coast. Visibility here is very good and you need nothing but a mask.
The rocky spots away from the sandy bays are better for it. They are also the quieter ones.
Diving and snorkellingBook a snorkelling trip
Jet skis and towed toys
Concentrated at the larger sandy bays in summer, run by licensed operators only. Where they may and may not go is enforced.
Small engine boats can also be hired by unlicensed users within limits. Check what the limit is before you plan a route around it.
Book watersports
Sailing and windsurfing
Schools operate year round and Malta’s reliable summer breeze suits learning. The same wind that closes a bay for swimming makes another one good for sailing.
This is the one activity where you want wind rather than fear it.
Wind and conditionsBook a sailing trip
Everything on the water
What is on offer
- Kayaking and paddleboarding
- The best way to reach caves and bays with no land access. Sheltered water is essential, so the right coast changes with the wind.
- Snorkelling
- Free and excellent almost anywhere with rock. Visibility here is very good.
- Jet skis and towed toys
- Concentrated at the larger sandy bays in summer. Licensed operators only, and rules on where they may go are enforced.
- Sailing and windsurfing
- Schools operate year round, and Malta’s reliable summer breezes suit learning.
- Boat hire without a licence
- Small engine boats can be hired by unlicensed users within limits. Check what the limit is before you plan a route.
A wind blowing off the land makes the water near the shore look calm while pushing anything inflatable steadily out to sea. This is the most common way people get into trouble here. It catches paddleboarders and children on floats in particular. If the wind is coming from behind you as you look at the sea, do not use anything inflatable.
There is almost always somewhere flat in Malta, because the islands have coast facing every direction. The beach picker ranks every bay against the current wind, which answers the question faster than reading a forecast.
What changes with the season
You get the best walking of the year, and the island is green.
- The countryside is green from February to April and burnt brown by June, so put the walking days early in the trip.
- The sea does not really warm up until May. Treat a beach day as a coast day and you will not be disappointed.
- Holy Week moves every year and changes opening hours across a lot of towns. Check the dates before you fix a day to Valletta.
Everything is open and everything is busy. The heat sets the timetable.
- The midday heat limits you more than the distance does. Start early, stop between one and four, then go out again in the evening.
- The Blue Lagoon needs a slot booked in advance. It is free, but it is not optional.
- Beaches fill from mid-morning, and the northern buses fill with them. A full bus will drive straight past your stop.
The sea is still warm and the crowds have gone. Many people prefer October for that reason.
- The water lags the air by about a month, so swimming is still on the table through October.
- The Valletta harbour ferries switch to their winter timetable on 1 November, and the last crossing comes earlier than people expect.
- Rain returns in November. Keep one flexible day rather than booking every morning.
Swap the beach days for walking days and the itineraries still work.
- The sea is too cold for most people, so every beach day in these routes becomes a coast walk instead.
- Comino boats run to a reduced service or stop altogether, so treat the Blue Lagoon as a summer plan.
- The sites and the museums are almost empty in winter, so this is a good time to walk round them.