TRAVEL. MALTA.
Between Paradise Beaches, Turquoise Blue Water, Stunning Cliffs and Fields of Flowers
Hiking along the coastline of Malta
The water was crystal clear, the sky blue. Waves were gently splashing onto shore and a light breeze was blowing. The sun was touching my skin as I was looking across the coastline covered in blooming spring flowers.
Another day in Malta. We woke up to a clear sky and headed out as soon as we finished breakfast. Taking once again a bus to a new destination.
There was no bus taking the shortest route to where we wanted to get to but by switching busses, walking through a town in the countryside, and hopping on another bus, we reached the place.
The first thing that came to my mind as we approached the Golden Bay was the massive hotel building. So far, I had not seen a single hotel complex on the island.
Being such a popular tourist destination as Malta is, one would expect it to be crowded with oversized all-inclusive resorts. But it is not. The Radisson Blue here at Golden Bay was the first one we saw on 4 days on the island.
Now, I’m sure there are more of these hotel complexes but they are either hidden inside old, fortified buildings in the capital of Valetta or they are to be found on beaches we didn’t visit.
Walking down the road from the bus station, we passed a souvenir shop and I bought a package of fresh strawberries from a local street vendor.
We approached the beach where tourists were bathing in the sun. We had no intention of lying down next to them or going for a swim in the freezing Mediterranean Sea.
Instead, we walked along the short beach aiming for the trail starting on the other side. Between the rocky shore and grassy hills, we found a trail covered in blooming wildflowers.
I stopped over and over again to look to my right and make sure the color was real. The ocean was shining in such a bright turquoise blue, it was difficult to believe this was true.
At one point, we couldn’t get across the large boulders above water and had to scramble up the slope to continue walking atop.
And just around the bend, another bay opened up in front of us.
Another bay, another beach. More tourists sunbathing in the sun, very few of them moving around.
We hiked back down the cliffs and reached the beach. I took off my shoes to walk barefoot in the sand and feel the cold ocean splash against my feet.
It was windy, sure. But the sun was shining and it was warm enough for us to walk around without a jacket.
We saw another peninsula with larger boulders at the bottom and a flat surface at the top. A few trails were leading around and across and we quickly found ourselves alone. In nature.
The tourists disappeared behind us.
Looking back over our shoulders, we could still see the large hotel complex of the Radisson Blue but we could also see the spectacular cliffs far in the distance rising out of the water.
The trail at the end of the peninsula was bringing us higher, leading right below the cliffs around to the other side. Smaller and larger caves appeared between the boulders.
At the end of the trail, we had to watch our steps as a steep gravel slope was falling straight into the ocean and a ledge of the rocks was hanging above our heads.
Once we were back off the peninsula, we had to climb up the slope. A breathtaking view stretched behind our backs from steep cliffs, hidden beaches and grassy hillsides.
It was difficult not to stop every few meters and look back.
We had spotted that rock leading into the bay and the turquoise blue water from far. We only needed to find a way leading down the cliffs.
And there we were. On our own little peninsula.
And yes. The only reason why we walked all the way down there was because we wanted to take a plunge. We walked around the rock and inspected the water from all sides, analyzing the depth and where it would be safest to jump in.
I guess that is the difference between being in your twenties or your thirties. A few years back, we would have just taken a few steps back, ran and jumped into the unknown water. Now, we were both worried the other one would get hurt on a rock or cliff in the water.
But once we found our spot, there was no more holding back. Yes, it was cold. And yes, the water was even colder. But it was so much fun.
Jump in. Climb out. Repeat.
Until we had enough, put our clothes back on and left the little piece in paradise.
The trail was leading us to one more hidden bay. The most abandoned one of all the ones we passed today. Old buildings and ruins were lining the shore.
Originally, we wanted to continue along the coast for another hour or so but signs declaring the area as private property prevented us. Despite the trail being marked as a hiking path on Google maps, it was clear the locals didn’t want us there.
So, we cut inland, following a road that brought us to some path leading between farmlands. Now getting tired as we had to climb in altitude, David looked up the nearest bus station on our way back to Medina.
Half an hour we had until the bus was leaving at a destination 20 minutes away from us. Doable. If the views just weren’t so pretty. We tried not to stop too often but at these Roman tombs, we slowed down for a moment.
Some research on the internet helped us identify the place as Necropolis described as Punic/ Roman burial tombs.
“The arrival of the early Phoenicians in the Maltese islands around 700 BC, re-introduced the burying of the dead in rock-cut underground chambers. This type of ritual had been practised constantly throughout the 1,500 years of the prehistoric Temple culture in Malta, but disappeared during the Bronze Age Period. The burying of the dead in underground rock-cut tombs was widely used in the contemporary Middle East cultures. Therefore, the Phoenicians probably brought with them this ritual in the Maltese islands.” — Mellieha
And we made it. To the bus station and then back home to our guesthouse walking the narrow alleyways of Rabat.
That night I was just thinking of walking down the streets, sitting down in the first restaurant we passed but David had different ideas. After some research, he guided us straight to the Basilica.
Right opposite was a restaurant on the second floor. And he didn’t want to sit inside but on the tiny balcony big enough for a table and two chairs. I didn’t even know he had this kind of romance in him. But we watched a beautiful sunset behind the catholic church and ordered a Maltese platter with our drinks.
What a way to finish such an action-packed day.
This was day 4 of our short trip to Malta. Click below to watch the full video of our adventure:
Or read the articles on the previous days:
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