Sizable pockets of this tiny country have succumbed to high-rise resort madness and more areas are embracing the concept, with rampant development and construction going unchecked. Still, for now, the islands retain much of their unspoilt charm.
MALTA
● When To Go
The best time to visit Malta is during the lull from April to June, between
the rainy season (such as it is) and the hot Mediterranean summer. This is
also when room rates drop by as much as 40%. For fine weather, September and
October are also good months to visit, but the pleasant weather can
sometimes be interrupted by a hot and humid xlokk (sirocco) wind.
Beware the uncomfortably hot temperatures of July and August.
The Christmas and New Year period is a mini-high season in the middle of
winter, when many Maltese emigrants return home to visit friends and family,
and European tourists come looking for a spot of winter sunshine. Otherwise,
you can find some very cheap flight and accommodation deals between November
and March.
The main season for festas (feast days) is June to September, but if
you want to catch a festa out of season, there's the Feast of St
Paul's Shipwreck in Valletta on 10 February, and the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception in Cospicua on 8 December. Two of the liveliest and most popular
events, marked by public holidays, are the Carnival Week in early March and
the L'Imnarja festival on 28 and 29 June.
