If you have the time whilst you’re in Malta, you have to go to Mdina, and you have to go on the Malta Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours. The bus tours cost 15 euros per person. They have a North Route, a South Route, and also a Malta at Night Tour. You get to see the whole of Malta from an open-top double-decker bus. An audio tour is included – they had both English and Japanese – and you can get off at various stops and catch the next bus when it comes along an hour later. A fantastic service at fantastic value!
We took the North Route bus tour around the island on our second day. The first stop worthy of mention was the town of Mosta. We didn’t get off here, as we wanted to spend time in Mdina, but the Mosta Dome is spectacular.
The Mosta Dome’s actual name is the Parish Church of Santa Maria, which was built between 1833 and 1860. Wherever you go in Malta, there will always be a rather grand church around the corner!
Next stop, Mdina, the Silent City, and the old capital of Malta!
The origins of Mdina can be traced back to 1500 BC, which is fairly amazing. The lanes and streets of Mdina are incredibly beautiful. The colour of the stone and the shape of the lanes, and the fact that you hardly see any other people apart from tourists (especially if you get off the beaten track), lend the city a mystic quality. It is obvious why so many film crews use Mdina as a location for Hollywood movies!
Mdina Main Gate, built in 1724
Lanes and Houses of Mdina, Malta
Mdina was the one place Yayoi specifically wanted to go, and I have to say it was lovely. Go and spend some time wandering around Mdina, if you get the chance.
Hopping back on the North Route Malta Sightseeing bus tour, we passed through Mgarr, and then on to the holiday resorts of St Paul’s Bay and Bugibba, before heading back towards Sliema where we caught the Marsamxetto ferry across to Valletta (also great value at just less than 1 euro per person).
View of Valletta from the Sliema-Valletta ferry
I really enjoyed our second day in Malta. We got to see so much of the island’s towns, people, and countryside because of the bus tour. In fact, the bus tour was so good and such good value that we decided we would do the South Route a few days later. More on that in another post!
