Valletta, Malta Port Reviews
Valletta, Malta On Your Own Shore Excursion
By Tom Ogg

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Overview:

Fort St. Elmo, Valetta, Malta

Malta is one of three islands that make up the Maltese Archipelago and is strategically located between North Africa and Italy. For this reason, Malta has a rich history of being invaded by just about every culture that existed in the Mediterranean since 800 BC. The bloodiest was the invasion by an Ottoman fleet of over 30,000 men in 1565. This assault lasted more than 3 months and was won by 10,000 troops led by Jean de la Valletta, the city's namesake. Malta became part of the British Empire in 1814 and then completely independent as a sovereign nation in 1964. Valletta enjoys excellent Mediterranean weather year around, however plan on it be hot if you are visiting in the mid-summer. The official currency of Malta is the euro.

Cruise Port Location and Information:

Docked in Valletta, Malta

The cruise port is located right next to the entrance into Valletta's walled city. The cruise terminal itself is quite modern and many improvements have been made to establish Valletta as a home port for some cruise lines.

The Port of Valletta, Malta

The port itself is becoming a wonderful destination. Several international chain restaurants have opened and there are a good number of quality shops to visit. Sidewalk Cafes line the promenade and the entire area is very interesting.

The Valletta Harbor

The harbor itself is also quite interesting. Clearly an important part of Valletta's economy, the harbor sees a constant flow of traffic from all over the world.

Exploring on Your Own:

One Entrance to Valletta

Valletta is easily explored on your own and this is the best way to see everything. There are tourist facilities within the cruise terminal where one can get a tourist map of Valletta making it quite easy to get around. The city of Valletta is quite compact and just about everything is located on just a few streets. As a walled city, you will need to access it through one of the gates open to pedestrians.

Climbing up to the Center of Valletta

Once through the gate, one must climb up to the top of the city to gain access to the streets that the attractions and shopping are located upon. It is a pleasant walk, but can be steep.

The Valetta HoHo Bus

If strenuous walking is an issue for you, there is a Hop On Hop Off bus that will take you around the city of Valletta that stops right at the port. This would be a great solution, however exploring Valletta's side streets is part of the experience one would miss using the HoHo bus.

Shopping Tips:

Upscale Shops in Valletta, Malta

Valletta offers excellent shopping opportunities for both upscale and designer products, as well as local products.

Valletta Shopping Street

In Valletta the shopping is pretty much restricted to two streets. Republic and Merchant Streets run parallel to one another and offer block after block of shopping.

Valletta Flea Market

You will also find an active flea market selling primarily to local residents of Valletta. While the shopping is good, the prices are fixed in the stores and there is a VAT tax added to everything.

Port Highlights:

Valletta's Walls Are Sunning

Exploring Valletta, one can't help but be reminded of Valletta's turbulent past. It is easy to see soldiers trying to climb the walls to invade the city. It is also easy to see why Valletta remained independent throughout the centuries.

St. John's Cathedral

A "must see" for everyone is St. John's Cathedral. I know "not another church". but this one is well worth it. Known as the "Church of the order of St. John" this was home to the Knights (yes, the ones with the armor and lances)

The Grave of a Knight in St. John's Cathedal

The Cathedral houses numerous graves of Knights that were a part for the order of St. John. It is almost surreal to witness this cathedral and its wealth. Everywhere inside fine art, gold, silver and marble make up a visual that is overwhelming.

The Palace of the Grand Masters

Also of interest is the Palace of the Grand Masters. Currently the home to Malta's Parliament, it also houses period furniture and art. Of special interest is the armory that houses the armor and weapons used by Knights and soldiers over the centuries.

Another Valletta Church

Valletta has a good number of churches throughout the city and they are all older and wonderful to explore.

The Alter

With such a rich history, religion has played a major part of Valletta's past.

The National Museum of Archaeology

While I am not much of a museum buff, this one is very interesting, as it houses artifacts from Malta's past that go back centuries before the birth of Christ. Very interesting stuff unique to Malta.

Valletta Square

Throughout Valletta you will see little squares and sidewalk cafes inviting you in for a coffee or snack.

Valletta's Architecture is Quite Interesting

Because of Malta's unique location between two completely different continents, the architecture in Valletta represents a blending of architecture that is quite distinctie.

The Museum By the Upper Barrakka Gardens

One cannot help but be reminded of how many times Valletta was invaded. The Upper Barrakka Gardens was once the exclusive gardens for the Knights and you can see why. The pictures of the ships docked and the harbor of Valletta above wee taken from the gardens. You can see the row of cannons that were presumably used to thwart invaders ships with ease.

Valletta Art

Vallettaa's rich history, excellent shopping and wonderful culture make this city a must see in my mind.

Off the Beaten Path:

The Gate into Mdina

Several miles from Valletta in the center of the island is the old section of Malta known as Mdina. Mdina is a walled city that was the epicenter of culture until the time of the knights, who decided that the location of Valletta would be more secure from attack. See below to see how you can easily do it on your own.

Dining and Drinking Suggestions:

I didn't see anything that would motivate me to dine in Valletta. I am sure that there are find restuarants, but we didn't try any. We did do some bar hopping at the port and found that to be extremely entertaining.

Must Do List:

A visit to St. Johns Cathedral is certainly a must do.