We would like to go to Malta. Can you advise the best time of year to go and which area of Malta would you recommend staying in?
— Clare and Paul Gore, Carshalton
The island at the heart of the Mediterranean is a personal favourite.
Malta exquisitely combines millennia of history and layers of culture with the best of 21st-century indulgence — represented by fine food, good beaches and harboursides, and excellent hotels.
The arrival of low-cost airlines to Malta’s Luqa airport means the cost of reaching getting there has fallen.
As a result, a wider audience can appreciate the character, friendliness and sheer value for money that Malta offers. Even when the cruise ship hordes descend on the capital, Valletta, it never feels crowded.
I have visited Malta in every season. I wouldn’t rush back in December nor January for fear of encountering another wild winter storm. Nor would I visit again in July or August: the heat is intense.
Malta is at its most rewarding right now: May bestows bright skies and warm days. But if you plan to do much swimming, September or early October will be better: the water has had all summer to warm up.
And the best location? The fading grandeur and honey-coloured mansions of Valletta make it an appealing place to stay. The Castille Hotel is well worth the nightly rate of €110 for a double.
For more exciting nightlife, head up the coast to St Julian’s, wrapped around a harbour. Having stayed at hotels here across the cheap/mid-range/upmarket spectrum, I can vouch for high quality at every level.
Email your travel queries to simon.calder@standard.co.uk
