Walking in Malta is better than its reputation and completely governed by the calendar. From October to April it’s one of the more rewarding places in the Mediterranean to walk. From June to September, the middle of the day is dangerous.
The routes worth doing
Dingli Cliffs
The walk is flat, easy and spectacular, along the highest ground on the island. You can walk as far as you like and turn back whenever you want.
There’s a bus to the start and nothing between you and Africa at the other side of the drop.
More of the outdoors
The Victoria Lines
This is a Victorian fortification wall that runs the width of Malta along a natural fault line. Long stretches are walkable and it passes through country almost no visitor sees.
You can join and leave it at several villages, so it works as a short walk or a long one.
Getting to the start
Gozo’s west coast
The best of it runs from Dwejra to San Lawrenz, and along the Sanap and Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs. The clifftop is high and empty, with almost nothing built on it, and it stays quiet even in season.
The Comino circuit takes about an hour and a half around the whole island, once the day boats have gone.
Walking in Gozo
Paths are rarely waymarked
Routes frequently cross farmland on rubble-walled tracks. Footwear matters more than the distances suggest, because the surface is sharp broken limestone rather than soil.
Much of the coast has no barrier between the path and a long drop, which is worth remembering with children or in wind. Bird trapping and hunting are legal in defined seasons, so stick to visible tracks and respect closed gates.
Know before you go
Diving, sailing and the boat trips all book up first in July and August.
Where to walk
The routes
- Dingli Cliffs
- The walk is flat, easy and spectacular, along the highest ground on the island. The most accessible good walk in Malta.
- The Victoria Lines
- A Victorian fortification wall running across the island along a natural fault. Long stretches are walkable and it passes through country almost nobody sees.
- Gozo’s west coast
- Dwejra to San Lawrenz and the Sanap and Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs. The best walking on either island, and quiet even in season.
- Comino circuit
- About an hour and a half around the whole island once the day boats have gone.
- Selmun and Mistra
- Rough coastal ground in the north, above bays you can swim from at the end.
Almost none of these routes have tree cover. There is nowhere to refill once you leave a village. Limestone radiates heat upward as well as holding it, so the temperature on an exposed path is higher than the forecast suggests. In summer, walk before nine or after five, and carry considerably more water than you think you need.
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.