Name: Walking on Malta
Brand: Cicerone Press
Price: 17.95 GBP
Availability: InStock

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33 walks on the Mediterranean islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino

This guidebook describes 33 walks on Malta and its neighbouring islands of Gozo and Comino. Walks generally range from 3 to 22km, and include Valetta, heritage trails, coastal walks and explorations inland, including the 'Victoria Lines' route between Mgarr and Bahar ic-Caghaq. Malta offers year-round walking.

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Quick facts

Guide name: Walking on Malta: 33 Walks on the Mediterranean Islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino
Location: Malta – islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, Mediterranean Sea
Routes covered: 33 walks (3–22km/2–14 miles) across Malta, Gozo, and Comino
Typical duration: 2–8 hours per walk; range of half and full-day options
Difficulty: Suitable for beginner and experienced walkers; mostly easy, with some longer clifftop stretches and one challenging route along the Victoria Lines
Terrain: Clifftop coastal paths, heritage trails, country lanes, fortified ridges, and historic urban routes
Navigation/mapping: 1:25,000 maps included for every walk; GPX files available to download
Key centres: Valletta, Rabat, and Victoria (Gozo); Malta is compact enough that anywhere on the island makes a good base
Highlights: Valletta Heritage Trail, the Victoria Lines, Mdina and Rabat, the Marfa Ridge, the circuit of Comino, clifftop coastal walks away from the towns
Accommodation & logistics: Detailed information on planning, facilities, and public transport across all three islands
Best time to go: Year-round walking destination; spring is best; high summer can be too hot for strenuous walking; winter is generally fine but can be rainy

Detailed overview

Discover Malta and explore the three main islands of the Maltese archipelago, Malta, Gozo, and Comino, each offering their own rich history and unique character. Wander the UNESCO World Heritage city of Valletta, traverse the dramatic clifftop coastlines of Malta, meander through the quieter lanes and ancient villages of Gozo, and experience the wild circuit of tiny Comino.

Suitable for beginner and experienced walkers alike, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook by prolific author Paddy Dillon describes 33 walks across Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Routes range from 3 to 22km (2–14 miles) and can be enjoyed in 2–8 hours, from easy heritage strolls and coastal walks to a challenging exploration of the Victoria Lines, the historic fortified ridge that runs the full length of Malta.

Choose from 33 walks across Malta, Gozo, and Comino, exploring clifftop coastlines, heritage trails, ancient aqueducts, fortified ridges, and the historic heart of Valletta, with routes easily accessible from anywhere on the islands by public transport.
Discover the highlights of walking on Malta, including the Valletta Heritage Trail, the Victoria Lines fortified ridge between Mgarr and Bahar ic-Caghaq, the Marfa Ridge, the Mdina and Rabat Heritage Trail, and the full circuit of the island of Comino.
Navigate with confidence using 1:25,000 maps included for every walk, alongside downloadable GPX files to support your planning and navigation across all three islands.
Plan your Malta walking holiday with detailed information on planning, facilities, and public transport, with routes easily accessible from the key centres of Valletta, Rabat, and Victoria on Gozo.
Compact, accessible, and walkable year-round, Malta offers a remarkable mix of history, culture, and coastal scenery in a surprisingly small space.
Experience the best of the Maltese Islands with introductory sections covering geology, history, wildlife, religion, and the rich cultural heritage left by the many peoples who have shaped these remarkable Mediterranean islands over the centuries.

Explore the history, coastlines, and hidden paths of Malta, Gozo, and Comino with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. Whether you're combining walking with a city break in Valletta or dedicating a week to exploring all three islands on foot, this is the definitive guide to walking on Malta.

Where and when to go

Seasons

spring is best, high summer perhaps too hot for strenuous walking: winter walking is fine, but it can be rainy and even a little cold

Centres

Malta is about the same size as the Isle of Wight, so anywhere will make a fine base for walking

Difficulty

half and full-day walks, usually easy, but with some longer stretches along the clifftops

Must See

Old Valetta (a World Heritage Site); excellent walking on clifftop coastlines away from the towns; the historic buildings and landmarks of the many peoples who have come to Malta; the circuit of Comino

Introduction

Location and Population

Geology and Landscape

Discovery and History

Weather

Language

Religion

Maltese Wildlife

Protected Areas

Getting to the Maltese Islands

Getting around the Maltese Islands

Money

Accommodation

Maps of the Maltese Islands

Countryside Access

The Plan of this Guide

Emergency Assistance

MALTA

Walk 1: Valletta Heritage Trail

Walk 2: Rinella to Marsaskala

Walk 3: Marsaskala to Birżebbuġa

Walk 4: Birżebbuġa to Gudja

Walk 5: Żurrieq to Siġġiewi

Walk 6: Siġġiewi to Dingli

Walk 7: Dingli to Mġarr

Walk 8: Għajn Tuffieħa Circuit

Walk 9: Mġarr to Għadira

Walk 10: Marfa Ridge Circuit

Walk 11: Mellieħa Bay to Xemxija

Walk 12: Selmun Circuit

Walk 13: Xemxija Heritage Trail

Walk 14: Bajda Ridge Circuit

Walk 15: The Wardija Ridge

Walk 16: Falka Gap to Salina

Walk 17: Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq to St George’s Bay

Walk 18: The Victoria Lines

Walk 19: Rabat to Mosta

Walk 20: Rabat and Dingli

Walk 21: Siġġiewi and Buskett

Walk 22: Siġġiewi to Qormi

Walk 23: The Wignacourt Aqueduct

Walk 24: Mdina and Rabat Heritage Trail

GOZO

Walk 25: Victoria Heritage Trail

Walk 26: Mġarr to Sannat

Walk 27: Sannat to San Lawrenz

Walk 28: San Lawrenz to Marsalforn

Walk 29: Marsalforn to Nadur

Walk 30: Xagħra to Qala

Walk 31: Qala to Mġarr

Walk 32: Għarb to Marsalforn

COMINO

Walk 33: Circuit of Comino

Appendices

Appendix 1: Brief History of Malta

Appendix 2: Topographical Glossary

Appendix 3: Contact Details

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN	9781852848224
Availability	Published
Published	6 April 2026
Reprinted	31 August 2030
Weight	280g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

Updates

Updated 15 November 2023
Walk 10
The Mellieha Bay Hotel is closed and fenced off, so its access road cannot be followed at present. The easiest way to avoid problems getting past the hotel is to follow a dirt road inland and uphill from the little cove at Ta' l-Imgharrqa. This leads to a road where a left turn leads to a roundabout and another left turn leads down to the finish
Updated 3 April 2024
Flights to Malta
Air Malta ceased operations on 31 March 2024. The national airline is now KM Malta Airlines, tel +356 2135 6000, kmmaltairlines.com/en. Direct flights operate to Malta from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and several European airports.
Updated 1 March 2017
Update
The world-famous rock arch of the Azure Window, on the island of Gozo, has collapsed. Nothing remains of it, so cherish the pictures in the guidebook. Paddy had noticed it was getting thinner each time he visited, and it finally succumbed to a storm around 09:40 on Wednesday 8th March 2017.
The Azure Window is mentioned in Walk 27 on page 185, and also in the introduction on page 35.

Meet the author

Paddy Dillon

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Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with over 100 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written for several outdoor magazines and other publications and has appeared on radio and television.

Paddy uses a tablet computer to write as he walks. His descriptions are therefore precise, having been written at the very point at which the reader uses them.

Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain's National Trails and several European trails. He has also walked in Nepal, China, Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US.