When to visit Malta for hikes, festivals and (yes) sun

09.08.2024 - 19:50 / lonelyplanet.com

Aug 9, 2024 • 4 min read

Renowned as one of Europe’s sunniest destinations, the islands that make up Malta are indeed an ideal place for a vacation filled with swims and lying out for hours.

In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea – 96km (60 miles) south of Sicily and 386km (240 miles) east of Tunisia – the diminutive but mighty country has been a tourism mainstay for generations thanks to its 300+ annual days of sun. This reputation, however, brings crowds of holiday makers, digital nomads and English-language students, all of whom naturally drive the prices up in the peak summer months.

And yet there is an appeal to this archipelago in every season. 

Visiting in the shoulder seasons of early spring or late fall, as well as in the off season of winter, provides travelers with better temperatures for hiking, rock climbing, cycling and taking in the islands’ natural beauty, as well as more-comfortable temperatures for exploring the astonishing prehistoric temples here.

Bottom line: Malta is much more than a beach destination, and our season-by-season breakdown will help you know what to expect whatever time of year you visit. 

Malta and Gozo are home to some of the oldest temples in the world, as well as a wealth of stunning coastal trails to hike. Spring’s sunny but relatively cool days make for the best moments to experience both.  The weather is bright and comparatively fresh from March to May, with maximum highs of 18°–24°C (64°–75°F). You won’t need to worry about getting scorched when visiting Malta’s impressive temples, the oldest and best preserved being the limestone wonder Ħagar Qim and its smaller neighbor Mnajdra. Archeologists have dated the monuments to as far back as 3700 BCE, and suggested that the island's prehistoric inhabitants built them to worship the sun and mark the changing seasons. 

Hiking the wildly scenic loops and paths along Malta’s coast – in particular, the Dingli Cliffs and Fawwara Trail – is also best done at this time of year, before the summer heat sizzles. Spring also brings Easter ceremonies, which the Maltese take very seriously. Week-long celebrations include parades, markets and local bakers selling figolli, sweet, almond-filled cakes shaped like lambs or bunnies.

Maltese summers get hot. Very hot, with highs of 30°–38°C (86°–100°F) and up to 85% humidity. From June until late September is the best time to visit Malta and Gozo’s excellent beaches by day (it’s really too sweaty to consider doing anything else) – then head to a festival of local festa once the sun has set. International music festivals take place all season long. Produced by the music network every year since 2007, Isle of MTV brings huge pop acts to Floriana – with all tickets free. Glitch Festival has