If you’re planning your next family vacation and are looking to go somewhere tropical, might sure to add Malta to your list of possibilities. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean that offers a warm climate, beautiful scenery, crystal clear waters, and numerous recreational activities all year long.
Peak tourist season is July and August, but these are also some of the hottest months in Malta! To avoid crowds and extremely hot weather, head to Malta between mid-May to mid-June before the heat sets in or mid-September to mid-October before the rainy season sets in. You’ll still have to take precautions to protect yourself from the sun in offseason.
If you’re ready to learn what you can do in this tropical paradise with your family, keep reading.
Visit a family-friendly beach
If you’re heading to Malta, you’re going to want to check out at least one of their many beaches. One of the best beaches to visit as a family is Mellieha Bay. This beach offers a sandy coastline and safe waters. The waters are warm, shallow, and calm. Rocks divide the bay into three separate sections. If you’re looking to relax, stick to one of the outer sections. But if you’re looking for water sports, head to the middle section. There you can snorkel, dive, windsurf, and more. All three sections have lifeguards on duty.
Within walking distance is the town of Mellieha. Many families can spend their entire trip to Malta exploring everything Mellieha has to offer. Click here for The Essential Mellieha Travel Guide – 9 Essential Tips for holidays in Malta.
Take a trip to the aquarium
If your kids aren’t a fan of the beach, you can explore the underwater waters of Malta without getting wet by visiting the Malta National Aquarium. The aquarium offers five different water exhibit areas and a reptiles and amphibians area. Throughout their water exhibits, you’ll see Mediterranean species swimming around a submarine and a shipwreck, tropical species swimming over coral, and freshwater fish that are more commonly found in South America. In the reptiles and amphibians area, you can see animals from around the world.
Kids especially enjoy visiting the Baby Station, where they’ll be able to see embryos that are still developing within eggs and newly hatched sea creatures.
Play at the Playmobil FunPark
One of Playmobil’s production factories is located in Malta, which is why this location was selected was chosen for a Playmobil FunPark. The park offers larger than life castle, pirate, and police-themed play areas that are replicas of smaller Playmobil sets. Kids can play on the structures, stop at assembly stations to build smaller sets, participate in a craft workshop, or visit the Playmobile Store. There are only four Playmobil FunParks in the world, with the other three locations being in Germany, Greece, and France.
Visit the Megalithic Temples of Malta
Don’t miss out on visiting some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world. The Megalithic Temples are older than the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge! There are eleven different temple sites throughout Malta and the neighboring island of Gonzo. Six of these sites are UNESCO World Heritage sites. The temples are popular tourist attractions, especially for those interested in prehistory, ancient religion, and archaeology. If you’re planning on visiting the temples, make sure to plan ahead. Tickets for most of the sites have to be purchased in advance and the temples are closed to the public on certain days of the week.
If you’re going as a family, it might be easier to invest in a tour than planning your own trip to the temples. A tour will provide transportation to several of the temples (typically the Hagar Qim Temples and the Mnajdra Temples), plus you’ll also get a knowledgeable tour guide.
Visit a filming location
Several movies and television shows have been filmed in Malta. Game of Thrones fans will enjoy visiting the Azure Window, a natural arch in the sea cliffs which served as the filming location for the wedding of Drogo and Daenerys (the arch has since collapsed). There are several other GoT filming locations throughout Malta. Younger children might enjoy visiting Popeye Village, where the film Popeye was filmed. They probably won’t get the cultural reference, but they’ll still enjoy the water attractions, comic museum, and mini-golf course.
Malta is a wonderful location for any family that is considering a tropical holiday. Not only can you enjoy beaches and warm water, but you can also visit a number of other attractions and historical locations. Everyone in the family is sure to find something they enjoy. As with anytime you’re traveling with children, make sure to start planning your trip in advance to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.