Top five spots on our tour of south Malta
The second instalment in our series looking at the best places to visit on the City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off tour buses, we take a look at the top five places that you shouldn’t miss on the tour of south Malta!
Valletta Waterfront
The Valletta Waterfront is comprised of a beautiful promenade of quintessential baroque and medieval buildings that runs adjacent to the grand harbour, a beautiful stretch of serene water created by the town’s natural landscape.
The nineteenth century Baroque warehouses created at the orders of Grandmaster Pinto and 17th Century Forni Stores are two of the main historical attractions that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and are endemic of the eclectic nature of the area’s diverse history.
The Waterfront offers a great variety of bars and restaurants for its numerous visitors, meaning it is a great stop on this particular tour.
This location also offers you the chance to change onto the north route tour bus if you have also booked a trip on this.
Check out the official website for more details.
Tarxien
The Tarxien Temples are a place of real historical significance and well worth a visit for anybody looking to glean an insight into megalithic life on the islands.
The temples were constructed between 3600 and 2500 BC, the temples were extensively used for rituals, which probably involved animal sacrifice – evidence of which lasts to this day.
Excavated between 1915 and 1919, the temples contain decorated stone blocks and screens, reliefs of domestic animals and spirals, statues and a number of altars – providing you with an unparalleled insight into pre-historic religious practises.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site provides you with the opportunity to explore one of the largest and most complex prehistoric locations on the islands and is a must see on our tour of south Malta!
Marsaxlokk
With a history extending back to as far as the ninth century BCE, Marsaxlokk is a charming village that enables you to indulge in some of the island’s best fish restaurants.
Wandering around the numerous quaint, traditional Maltese buildings that are on offer – including the beautiful parish church dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, The Madonna of Pompeii – gives you the dream opportunity to really soak in what Maltese life is all about.
A sea of traditional Luzzu fishing boats bobbing gently in the harbour means this an idyllic spot to call at on the tour.
Marsaxlokk also boasts a small sandy beach on to the east of the village for those looking to chill out by the sea once they’ve finished exploring.
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Blue Grotto
Consisting of a majestic stone arch and a system of caves, the Blue Grotto is easily one of the most picturesque sites of natural beauty available on the tour.
The site attracts some 100,000 visitors per year and is popular amongst divers and snorkelers for its crystal blue waters, which allow for great exploration of the region’s marine life.
Boat services are also available at the site for those looking to gain a first-hand experience of the caves.
Due to the unique nature of the setting, it has been utilised as a location for many films – most notably the 2004 blockbuster Troy – meaning it may be of interest to any film fanatics out there!
This video of the spot is well worth a watch!
Fort St Elmo
Fort St Elmo is a great attraction for visitors looking to explore Malta’s rich war-time history.
The fort hosts numerous re-enactments of historic events across the tourism season, providing the perfect opportunity for history lovers to indulge in their love of times gone by.
Once listed as one of the world’s most endangered sites of heritage, extensive restoration work has been undertaken to protect Upper Saint Elmo and the Carafa enceinte and secure the future of this iconic location.
Fort Saint Elmo most is perhaps most famous for the role it played during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, where it was the scene of some of the most intense fighting following an invasion from the Ottoman Empire.
Withstanding a 28 day siege, the fort eventually fell to the Turkish invaders. However, the resilience of the fort’s citizens played a pivotal role in enabling reinforcing Spanish troops to arrive on the island and for the domestic forces to prepare another two fortresses to combat the invasion.
If you would like to learn more about Fort Saint Elmo then head over to the Heritage Malta website.
Read: Our top five things to explore in Valletta
If this article has gotten you in the mood to explore the many treasures that our tour of south Malta has to offer then click here to book a tour of the south!