Choosing the right base changes everything. From Sliema, you have the coastline on your doorstep, simple connections across the harbour, and easy routes to Malta’s most iconic places, especially Valletta. During your stay at Palazzo Violetta, here are the best places to visit in Malta, organised for relaxed exploring, with specific locations you can pin on your map and actually follow.
1. Valletta — Culture, Views & Capital Energy
Valletta is compact but layered: grand streets, honey-gold limestone, hidden stairways, and harbour panoramas that appear suddenly at the end of a lane. It can be described as an ‘open-air museum’, and is beautiful during any time of the day.
Don’t miss:
- St John’s Co-Cathedral
- Upper Barrakka Gardens
- Lower Barrakka Gardens
- Strait Street
- City Gate + Triton Fountain
2. The Three Cities — Birgu, Senglea & Cospicua
Across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, the Three Cities feel more local and slower, with beautiful waterfront lines and fortifications.
Don’t miss:
- Vittoriosa (Birgu) Waterfront
- Fort St. Angelo
- The Inquisitor’s Palace
- Gardjola Gardens
3. Mdina – The Silent City Feeling
Mdina is Malta at its most cinematic: a walled city of quiet lanes and warm stone, best when the light softens.
Don’t miss:
- Mdina Gate
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Bastion Square / Mdina Bastions
- Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum
- Rabat + St Paul’s Catacombs
4. Marsaxlokk — Colour, Sea Air & Harbour Life
A postcard harbour village with bright boats and a totally different rhythm from the cities.
Don’t miss:
- Marsaxlokk Waterfront
- Marsaxlokk Market area (Open only on Sunday Mornings)
- St Lucian Tower
5. Dingli Cliffs – Big Skies & Open Views
This is where Malta feels wide and dramatic, with cliff-edge horizons and strong coastal air.
Don’t miss:
- Dingli Cliffs Viewpoint
- Chapel of St Mary Magdalene
- Clapham Junction cart ruts
6. Blue Grotto Area – Coastal Drama & Sea Colours
Rugged coastline, deep blues, and that “Malta postcard” scenery – perfect as a half-day trip.
Don’t miss:
- Wied iż-Żurrieq
- Blue Grotto Viewpoint
- Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra Temples
7. Gozo – A Calmer Island Day
Gozo feels slower and more spacious, with big views, village life, and dramatic coastal corners.
Don’t miss:
- Victoria (Rabat) + The Citadel
- Xlendi Bay
- Ta’ Pinu Basilica
- Dwejra Bay
- Wied il-Mielaħ Window
8. Comino – Pure Sea Time
Comino is all about the water: bright, clear, and made for swim-first days.
Don’t miss:
- Blue Lagoon
- Crystal Lagoon
- Santa Maria Bay
- Santa Marija Tower
9. Sliema Waterfront – Don’t Skip Your Own Neighbourhood
Sliema isn’t just a base, it’s an essential part of the holiday. The best “Malta hotels” are the ones that put you close to daily sea views and easy evening walks, whilst being close enough to everything.
Don’t miss:
- Sliema Promenade
- Tigné Point
- Independence Gardens
- Manoel Island
