Despite the fact that Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, there is still rural countryside. The west coast takes a beating from wind and surf and is predominately rocky cliffs, while the east side has a more gentle coastline and beaches. The Blue Grotto is famous among scuba divers and visitors who wish to experience its azure waters up close. This tiny country boasts 7 UNESCO world heritage sites including the City of Valletta, the Hypogeum (megalithic burial grounds of 7,000) and the megalithic temples (of which there are 7 distinctly different sites). These are known to be the oldest man-made temples in the world.

We spent a couple days within the city before venturing out to the far reaches of Malta…. all 28 x 8 miles of it…. where it packs a punch with  7,000 years of history. As hard as they are working to repair much of its crumbling structures, the country has a long way to go to learn to care for their environment. Litter is an ever-present annoyance and pollution from cars and noise are noticeably heavy.  Developers chasing tourist dollars fail to honor the architectural beauty that is quintessential Malta.  Still, the improvements in the 2 years since our last visit are great, so we have high hopes for this tiny rock in the middle of the Med.