The Maltese Archipelago lies virtually at the centre of the Mediterranean, with Malta 93kms south of Sicily and 288kms north of Africa.
Gibraltar is 1,826kms to the West and Tel Aviv is 1,940kms to the East.

The beauty of the Maltese Islands for visitors is their size. Even if you are here for only a few days’ stay, you can see and do an incredible amount, from cultural sightseeing to action sports like diving. And you won’t waste time getting from A to B. The public transport network of buses covers nearly all the Islands. Car hire rates here are good value compared to other European destinations. And for a slow-paced romantic form of transport, why not try a horse-drawn Karrozin? They offer a by-gone way to visit the sites in the key historic places including Mdina and Valletta. Details on all forms of transport, from the practical to the fun and romantic, see below.

Malta’s climate is strongly influenced by the sea and is typical of the Mediterranean. The Islands have a very sunny climate with a daily average of five to six hours sunshine in mid-winter to more than 12 hours in summer.

Winters are mild, with the occasional short chilly period brought about by the north and north-easterly winds from central Europe.

Summers are hot, dry and very sunny. Day-time temperatures in summer are often mitigated by cooling sea breezes, but in spring and autumn a very hot wind from Africa occasionally brings unseasonally high temperatures and humidity. This is known as the Sirocco, or, in Maltese, the Xlokk – this wind affects Greece and Italy as well; in Malta the air is generally drier because of the short sea track from the African coast.

Annual rainfall is low, averaging 578mm a year, and the length of the dry season in summer is longer than in neighbouring Italy. Sea bathing is quite possible well in to the ‘winter’ months, and the peak beach season can last until mid- to late October.

Most Maltese are Catholic, but other religious denominations are also represented. There are small Anglican, Church of Scotland, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Methodists and Muslim communities. Church services held by the various Denominations.