WE WALKED THE MALTA COASTAL PATH: HERE’S OUR REVIEW + KEY INFORMATION.
When we initially decided to visit this mediterranean island, we had planned just to make it a bit of a sightseeing tour, maybe hiring a car or taking buses. But then we realised, Malta is the tenth smallest country by area in the world.
And what’s great about small countries? Well, you can explore them by foot. So, that’s what we set out to do. Over 10 days, we explored Malta by coast, completely powered by our own two feet.
In this blog post, you’ll find everything we learnt as we walked around Malta and our review of the experience. You can also find a daily stages guide for our walk and a highlights reel of our adventure to accompany this (published soon.)
Malta doesn’t really have a “coastal trail”
First things first, Malta doesn’t really have a defined coastal trail. That is to say, there is not one continuous path around the island. There are no neat little sign posts telling you “Malta Coastal Path this way”. There are some sections of coastal footpaths, some roads and some dirt tracks that can be cobbled together to form a sort of coastal trail around the island. So, it is true that you can walk around Malta, but it’s not as simple as just finding a footpath and following the coast.
We weren’t too sure what we would find before we went, or whether we could actually get around the entire challenge. But, one way or another, we did it. And, we’ve now put together a map so that you can walk it too.
It took us 10 days to walk around Malta
We chose to walk around Malta in 10 days. For us, this was a really lovely balance between hiking and sightseeing. We also tagged on three days to walk around Gozo.
Our daily stages were often very short (some as short as 10 or 11km), and we felt that we had only just started walking when we arrived. But we wanted to take our time seeing Malta, explore on foot, rather than doing strenuous hikes every day.
We also chose to build in a few rest days to enjoy the island fully – we stayed in Rabat for two days and along the North coast in St Pauls and St Julians.
Looking back at our itinerary, we think we could have walked the route in 6 or 7 days rather than 10. For anyone who prefers hiking distances or around 20km +, this time frame would be ideal. But, 10 or 11 days is great if you have the time and desire to see the island slowly.
If we did it again, we might skip some sections
There are some absolutely mind blowing stunning sections of the Malta Coastal Trail. And, there are some mind numbingly boring sections too. We ended up trudging through industrial estates, working ports and sometimes came upon private land with massive “no entry” signs banning us from entering.
We’ve written about our daily stages and the highlights of the route (published soon). But, if we were to walk again, there are bits we would consider skipping. Now, I am a total completionist, so I love the idea of walking around the entirety of the island, but honestly, some of it may not be worth doing, especially if you’re short of time.
1. The walk from Valletta to the Three Cities (day one for us). Honestly – this is a thankless walk, through town, industrial areas and alongside roads. It’s not pretty. And, you can’t really walk along the coast because of industrial areas – we tried and failed. If I walked this route again, I would spend my time exploring Valletta in the morning, then take a boat over to the Three Cities. A much more glamorous entrance.
2. There is a short section from St Pauls to St Julians (day nine for us) that is quite dire at times, there’s a large chunk alongside a road. If you are pressed for time, take a bus to skip this bit. That said, the last few kms into St Julians are quite pretty.
3. Much of the route between Birzebugga and Zurrieq (day four for us) is unpleasant through industrial zones. We chose to stay in Zurrieq but accommodation is limited and we weren’t happy with where we stayed. A better solution may be to take a bus after Marsalokk to the start of day 5, the section from the Blue Grotto to Dingli – which is really special.
Navigation is difficult. In part, because we didn’t have a defined route to work off. As we have now created one on Komoot – we hope this helps future walkers. That said, it seems that there are often changes to footpaths and public access in Malta. We found that many footpaths marked on maps have been cut off by building work. We also frequently found that footpaths had been blocked by gates or sign posts stating that land was private.
But, it is possible to walk around Malta with a bit of patience
That said, with a little bit of patience and tenacity, it is entirely possible to navigate a way to walk around Malta. And it is exceedingly rewarding when you manage to do so!
You could walk all year round, but summer and winter may not be ideal
We walked in February and had decent weather for most of the time. Not too hot to walk (around 14 to 16°C in the daytime.) But we did have a fair few rainy days and stormy conditions that we would have preferred to avoid. Rain causes havoc with the trails which can turn to mud quickly.
An ideal time to walk in Malta would be spring or autumn. Perhaps March/ April and September/ October. I would recommend avoiding the walk in summer months – certainly July and August would be too hot.
We passed so many gorgeous beaches and swimming spots but it was just too cold to swim, even for us Brits. My advice would be to pick a time when you can enjoy both the walking and the Mediterranean sea.
Accommodation is plentiful
For much of the route, it is easy to get accommodation. Valletta, Marsalokk, St Pauls and St Julians are all popular holiday destinations and as such there is a wide range of accommodation. There are some sections with trickier accommodation – for example, it is better to stay in Rabat than try to find accommodation in Dingli. In Golden Sands, to the north west of the island, there is only one 5* hotel that may not suit all budgets. We got a good deal and decided to treat ourselves. An alternative would be to take a bus to a nearby resort like Mellieħa which has more choice.
Anyone travelling on a budget may wish to consider booking well ahead and travelling out of season. We walked in February and got some absolute bargains on hotel rooms – £25 for private rooms in 3* hotels with swimming pools. And, don’t forget that the bus network in Malta is great – it would be feasible to secure yourself a cheap hotel room somewhere on the island and take buses to/from the start of the walks. This may be a more cost effective solution than changing hotels each night.
Food and refreshment is easy to come by
In most towns we stayed we found a small grocery store and were able to stock up on supplies before heading out for the day. As always in Europe, Maltese bakeries were our friends – they tend to open early and serve hearty and well priced pastries. We were also never short of a place to get a morning coffee. Many hotels we stayed in offered breakfast included in the room rate, so we felt well fuelled.
In general, we didn’t find that many amenities on the actual route, but there were a few. It was always a treat to find a coffee shop mid-way through the day. I’d recommend taking lunch or snacks with you, as there are lots of lovely spots to picnic.
The towns we stayed in all had at least a few bars and restaurants to choose from. We enjoyed seafood suppers by the water, pizzas in cosy cafes and the occasional bit of international food too.
Locals are very friendly
Despite the fact that we must have looked a little crazy at times with our backpacks and hiking gear around the island, we found that locals were extremely friendly and welcoming.
Many people said hello to us, or gave us a cheery “good morning”. Lots queried why we were wearing shorts when they were absolutely freezing! And a few locals stopped to ask where we were walking to or to offer route advice. Maltese people speak amazing English and we always found it easy to communicate.
We felt safe as we walked around
We felt generally quite safe as we walked around the island. Malta is a friendly and generally quite safe place to visit.
That said, there are only a couple of sections where we met other hikers – around Dingli cliffs for example. Otherwise, we were often walking alone. If I was a solo traveller, I think I would feel comfortable, but I’d be sure to let someone know where I was and avoid walking in hours of darkness.
As Malta is a small island, you’re never far from civilization if you have an emergency or need help. And, buses are pretty useful if you need to take them.
Some of the hiking is a bit hairy
I’ll be honest, there were a few sections where we took a deep inhale before setting out. In particular, Day Five which leads to Dingli cliffs. Whilst Dingli itself is not so scary (you can’t really get close to the edge), the sections leading to it are not for the faint hearted. There are steep drops, paths that get fairly close to the edge and a few rocks requiring clambering.
That said, compared to more technical hikes that we have done, like the Lycian Way in Turkey, we didn’t find it too bad. Surefootedness is required, as are decent hiking shoes. Other than that, it’s just about taking the challenging bits carefully and staying well away from the edge of the cliffs!
But generally it’s not that difficult
The total distance we covered was just short of 150km. This makes the route a relatively accessible long distance hike. Over our 10 days of walking we climbed around 2400m – around 8,000 ft. The equivalent to climbing Ben Nevis twice, but over 10 days, that’s a pretty leisurely pace!
In general, a good level of fitness, hiking confidence and sure footedness is required. As well as an adventurous spirit. But, the hike isn’t technically challenging (for the most part.) Especially when paced well over 8-10 days.
Walking around Malta gives you a chance to see the whole island
We love slow travel and for us, the walk around Malta really gave us a chance to do this. By exploring slowly on foot, we were able to really get under the skin of the island. We didn’t feel that we had skipped anything or only seen the tourist sites. It can be a rewarding experience to see everything, warts and all. To get to see how people live and where the work happens – as well as the pretty tourist bits. Not every bit of the walk was pretty, but as tourists i believe that we shouldn’t just pick and choose what we see. The world isn’t perfectly curated.
That said, sticking to the coast meant that we got to see the famous sites too. From Dingli Cliffs, to the port of Marsalokk. And, the outstanding capital of Valletta. I found such satisfaction in knowing that I was exploring on foot – whilst others have driven or taken a bus. It’s also super easy to get into the centre of Malta if you want to – we chose to spend a few days in Rabat and Mdina and just took a short bus to get to/from the coastal route.
The scenery is incredible
I can safely say that each day there was at least one “wow” moment, often many more. Whether it was arriving at the Three Cities through the ancient gates, standing on the towering Dingli cliffs, walking past Neolithic monuments or just marvelling at how blindingly blue the sea was. The scenery was totally “blow the doors down” incredible.
We loved the walk, but preferred hiking around Gozo
The chance to walk around Malta is a once in a lifetime thing and I am so thrilled that we chose to do it. I can honestly say that it was well worth the ten days that we took to walk the edge of the island. That said, I am also so glad that we decided to take an additional three days to walk around Gozo – the smaller island located to the North of Malta.
If I had to choose whether to do one walk or the other, I would choose Gozo. For walkers, the smaller island is a paradise. The path is more defined and it just feels like a wonderfully neat adventure over three days.
It’s a bit of a cliche, but there is something unique about Gozo and it does feel like stepping back in time. I would 100% recommend visiting Malta and walking sections of the coast, but the entire route may not suit everyone. But, if like us, you have time – do both!
Walking The Malta Coastal Trail: Our Review
So, after all that, what’s our verdict on The Malta Coastal Walk?
TRAIL MARKINGS + NAVIGATION: 5/10 – there are no trail markings and navigation is manageable with a map.
DIFFICULTY: 7/10 – there are a couple of challenging days and good fitness is required, but overall the distances are small.
ACCOMMODATION + AMENITIES: 8/10 – there is plenty of accommodation on route for a range of budgets, but a few hotspots where it is difficult. Amenities are great, but often not on route.
VARIETY + LANDSCAPE: 8/10 – the route has good variety, with some incredible scenery. A few sections aren’t as pretty and may be worth skipping.
PLEASURE + LEISURE: 10/10 – there are interesting towns and cities on route, plenty of restaurants and cafes too. Plus, you get the chance to see the entire island!
Malta & Gozo Coastal Trails eBook
If you want all the information you need in one place, why not get hold of our eBook. This book gives you 152 pages of information about the route, including daily stages guides and how to prepare.
It is currently only $5.99 in our shop.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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