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Travel and Tourism in Malta
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Malta.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Climate
- The climate is subtropical in the summer, temperate the rest of the year, with occasional fog and rare frosts. Temperatures range from 35°F in winter to 95°F in summer, with brief periods above 100°F in August and early September. The driest months are May and July. Annual rainfall averages 19-22 inches, but fluctuates to less than 10 inches. The rains are heaviest from November to January and ease off slightly in February and March. Summer is hot and humid, with almost cloudless skies. The "scirocco," a warm humid southeast wind, occurs in spring and from mid-September to mid-October. The "gregale," a cold wind from the east and northeast in the winter, occasionally reaches gale forces of 70 miles per hour. Winter is chilly and damp with occasional heavy downpours, but also with many fine sunny days.
- Language(s) Spoken
- The Maltese language has a Semitic structure derived from a early form of Arabic. Both Maltese and English are official languages. The written form of Maltese is a Latin script, and it is used in commerce, education and business. However, English is a second language that is taught in school.
- Ethnic Groups
- Maltese (descendants of ancient Carthaginians and Phoenicians, with strong elements of Italian and other Mediterranean stock)
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 21 September (1964); Republic Day, 13 December (1974)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 35 50 N, 14 35 E
- Location
- Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)
- Airports
- 1
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Gozo Island
Gozo, known in Maltese as Ghawdex, is Malta's quieter, greener, more rural sister island, and for many visitors it becomes the unexpected highlight of a Maltese trip. The ferry crossing from Cirkewwa in northern Malta to Mgarr harbor in Gozo takes approximately twenty-five minutes on the regular Gozo Channel Line service, a short enough journey that it can be done as a day trip but rewarding enough that many travelers choose to stay for several nights. The island moves at a different rhythm from Malta — more agricultural, more traditional, less dominated by the resort infrastructure that lines much of Malta's northern coast.
Victoria, known in Maltese as Rabat (the same name as Mdina's neighbor, reflecting the Arabic word for settlement outside a fortified city), is Gozo's capital and largest town. It sits in the center of the island and is dominated by the Cittadella — the fortified hilltop citadel that rises above the town and provides one of the most remarkable views in the entire Maltese archipelago.
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Medical care is available through public and private hospitals. The quality of medical care in Malta ranges from adequate to good. Medical Specialists are few with many choosing to work in other countries. Private hospitals generally offer a higher standard of service than the public hospitals. One public hospital in Malta has adequate emergency room and trauma facilities, but its capacity is limited.