5 days in Memorable Malta- Full Itinerary
Arriving in Malta
We arrived in Malta late at night so we won't count this as one of our days on the island, however a top tip for when you’re arriving in Malta is to pre-book an airport transfer if you're not hiring a car. You can book a private transfer through get your guide via the link below- we love get your guide as all bookings are book now pay later and have free cancellation until 24 hours before so you can keep your travel plans flexible.
Day 1- Exploring St. Paul's bay
On our first day in Malta and were eager to get out and explore the local area, we stayed at the Mayflower hotel in St. Paul's bay which I would highly recommend and will link below so you can check it out.
First off, we headed down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast which was included in the price of our stay; it’s your standard hotel buffet breakfast, but we were really impressed by the variety of options available and the quality of the food was excellent.
Once we'd polished off breaky, we headed out to explore the bay. We love this area and are so pleased we chose to stay here, it has a lively but relaxed feel to it, exactly the atmosphere we were hoping for and with an eclectic range of shops, bars, restaurants and beach clubs, there really is something here for everyone.
The Mayflower hotel
We were delighted with our hotel, it's officially rated 3 stars but I would definitely give it at least 4! The rooms are lovely, bright and extremely comfortable, but the real star of the show here has to be the rooftop pool and bar; great tunes, great views, great vibes and 241 cocktails all day every day!
Nine lives
In the evening we headed down to Nine lives for dinner, this restaurant is ideally located just 5 minutes walk from the hotel and right on the beach; it’s the perfect place to have a couple of cocktails while watching the sun go down, before tucking into a delicious dinner! I pre- booked a table here in advance of arriving in Malta, you can easily do this through their website which you can find by clicking on the board below.
Day 2- Sight seeing in Valetta
Since the hotel is located right next to the bus station it’s super easy to get into Malta’s capital city, Valetta by bus. We took the TD13 bus from Bugibba Bay which takes around 40 minutes to get into Valetta, it’s a very pleasant air conditioned journey that goes all along the seafront so you get a beach tour along the way too! I've linked Buggiba bay bus station below so you can see where it is in relation to the hotel on the map.
Full details of the bus timetables can be found in the link below:
Things to do and places to go in Valetta
On arrival into Valetta we were astounded by this city's beauty. If you are ever in Malta you have to go here it is not to be missed! The city is vibrant, remarkably clean and bustling with locals and tourists making their way through the narrow stone streets to visit the historic landmarks. During our day in Valetta we visited:
If you want to take a walking tour of Valetta including all the places listed above and more you can book this via the link below:
Rampila restaurant
In the evening, before heading back to the bay, we had dinner at Rampila. This was recommended to me by a friend who had previously dined here and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a Mediterranean restaurant set in the historic bastions of Valetta, originally built by the Knights of St. John in the sixteenth century. We were seated outside on the terrace which made for an amazing view, the food and service are good too so would definitely recommend! Again, I did pre-book a table here which you can do at www.rampila.com
Evening back at the hotel
After getting the bus back to St. Paul's Bay, we enjoyed some cocktails on the rooftop bar by the pool of our hotel. At night, the views across the bay from here are spectacular.
Day 3: Café Del Mar
We spent the day at the world renowned Cafe del Mar beach club, this is located approximately 10-15 minutes walk from the hotel and you can walk to it all the way down the beachfront so it’s a really nice walk along the coastline to get there. The vibes here here are amazing; by day, it’s a perfect blend of relaxation and celebration and by night, it gets a little livelier and turns into more of a club scene hosting parties by some of the best DJs in the world.
I’d highly recommend pre-booking a bed here as it does get really busy and walk ins are on a first come first served basis. We pre-booked a luxury bed for €100 which was well worth the money. These beds are huge, with plenty of space for 2 and all your belongings, they are located in the perfect spot right by the side of the infinity pool and have a button to press for waiter service whenever you want to order food or drinks, which enables you to get them delivered straight to your bed meaning you don’t have to wait in queues at the bar. If you’re a sushi lover, the sushi here is truly the best I’ve ever had!
We stayed at cafe del mar until the sun started to set, as the vibe picked up and became a little livelier, we decided to head out for dinner somewhere else as we’d had a fantastic day, but wanted a bit more of relaxed atmosphere going into the evening.
Dinner at Bognor Bar and restaurant
After a short walk down the beachfront we came across the Bognor Bar & Restaurant. The setting of this place is idyllic, it’s right on the beach with views out over the ocean and fairy lights hung up around the terrace. There is an acoustic singer providing entertainment on the terrace which provides a calm, peaceful and romantic atmosphere. The food and drinks are great and service good too, would recommend eating here and sitting outside on the terrace if you are in the area.
Day 4: Boat trip to Blue Lagoon
This was our favourite day of the whole trip by far! We booked a boat trip to visit the Blue Lagoon by catamaran and what an experience it was. We headed down to the meeting point at the harbour which is around a 10 minute walk from the hotel. There are various boat trips you can take from here to the blue lagoon but I can honestly say this one is by far the best.
Why choose the catermaran?
All the other boats looked super crowded and tourists were packed on like sardines, but this catamaran is so spacious, we never struggled to find a spot, it features 2 levels of luxurious sun beds and a bar serving up fantastic cocktails at very reasonable prices. They play music on the boat which really enhances the experience and provides an excellent atmosphere. You can book the exact boat we went on via the link below:
After visiting the blue lagoon, we got back on the boat and headed to crystal lagoon; a stunning spot in the middle of the ocean with illuminous bright blue waters where you have the opportunity to get off the boat and take a swim in the sea. We also had a BBQ here and would definitely add this on when you book your trip as the food is fantastic, they have meat and vegetarian options and can cater for most dietary requirements.
The last stop of the boat trip is popeye village, which is the original film set from the 1980 musical production of Popeye and now a top tourist attraction in Malta. Unfortunately due to the tide we wern’t able to get off the boat here but it was still a really interesting sight to see. If you want to take a trip here is it easily accessible from Malta and tickets can be booked at wwe.popeyemalta.com
Dinner at Vinnie's
We’d had an eventful day on the boat so in the evening we opted for a more casual and informal meal. We walked along the front and came across Vinnie’s which looked cheap and cheerful but we liked the setting; you can sit outside and have a nice view of the sea, it’s also a great spot for people watching as there are many people walking past here taking a stroll along the promanade.
We were pleasantly surprised with how good the food is here, the prices are cheap but the quality of the food is not. As coffee lovers, we also had the best coffee here that we’d had in our whole time in Malta, for a cost of only €1!
Day 5: Our last full day in Malta
For our last day we opted for a chilled one by the hotel pool, making the most of those incredible panoramic views and 241 cocktails from the rooftop bar while we still had the chance.
I can’t recommend the Mayflower hotel enough, but if you are looking for an all inclusive option, or somewhere a little more upscale, I have included an alternative hotel below which is located right beside the mayflower hotel so all the activities listed in this guide will still be just as easily accessible.
Alternative hotel option
This hotel is home to the Taza sky bar, which is known to be one of the best places in St. Paul’s bay for food and drinks with an outstanding view. The Taza sky bar is open during the months of June- September. It’s open to resident guests staying at the hotel all day and night from 9.30am, and open to none resident guests in the evening from 7pm
Day 6: Travel home
We headed to the airport in the morning and our transfer was arranged by reception at the Mayflower hotel.
If you do visit Malta, I hope you enjoy exploring it as much as we did! Check out our highlights from this trip below…
Check out our Malta Highlights
We hope you found this guide helpful if you are considering taking a trip to Malta.
You can view the highlights from our Malta trip on my Instagram page which is linked in the ‘about’ section of my thatch travel shop.
Iv also included a short highlights reel below:
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