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Walking on Malta

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

By Paddy Dillon

ISBN

9781852848224

Availability

Published

11 Feb 2016

Reprinted

5 Sept 2019

Edition

Third

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

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This guidebook describes 33 walks on Malta and its neighbouring islands of Gozo and Comino. Walks generally range from 3 to 17km, and include Valetta, heritage trails, coastal walks and explorations inland, including the 30km 'Victoria Lines' route between Mgarr and Bahar ic-Caghaq. Malta offers year-round walking.

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

ISBN

9781852848224

Availability

Published

11 Feb 2016

Reprinted

5 Sept 2019

Edition

Third

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

Overview

This guidebook describes 33 half- and full day walks on the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino. The routes range from 2.5-30km, beginning with a short heritage trail around the city of Valletta. Then follows a series of walks around the coastline of Malta, with a final few moving inland to explore the island's interior, before a description of the Heritage Trail around Mdina and Rabat.

Walks on Gozo start with a heritage trail around Victoria, followed by a clockwise exploration of spectacular coastal walking that allows a complete circuit of the island. The final walk on Gozo wanders over a series of little hills further inland, while the last walk in the book might be the best of them all: a circuit around the lovely little island of Comino. The guidebook also gives details of accommodation, transport and tourist information.

Malta may be known as a tourist destination, but it also offers plenty of historic walks, stunningly beautiful and dramatic architecture and excellent scenery, especially around the cliffs and coastlines.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

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

Using this guide

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 Fiddien 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 Ramla Bay

Walk 30 Ramla Bay to Qala

Walk 31 Qala to Mġarr

Walk 32 Għarb to Marsalforn

Comino

Walk 33 Circuit of Comino

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Useful contacts

Appendix C Brief history of Malta

Appendix D Topographical glossary

Maps

Maps of the Maltese islands

The most detailed maps of the Maltese islands are published by the Planning Authority. One large map covers Malta and a smaller map covers Gozo, both at a scale of 1:25,000 with contours at 10m (33ft) intervals. These are similar in style and content to a previous imperial edition used for the map extracts throughout this guidebook, with route overlays. To obtain the maps it is best to go in person, Monday to Friday (except holidays), to Mapping Shop, Planning Authority, St Francis Ravelin, Floriana (tel 2290 0000, www.pa.org.mt). This is only a short walk from the City Gate bus terminus at Valletta.

Maps of Malta can be ordered in advance from specialist suppliers such as Stanfords, 12–14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9BR, tel 0207 836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk; The Map Shop, 15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn WR8 0HJ, tel 01684 593146, www.themapshop.co.uk; or Cordee www.cordee.co.uk. Free street plans for most of the interesting towns on the islands can be obtained from tourist information centres. Anyone wishing to have comprehensive street plans for the whole of the Maltese islands should obtain a copy of The mAZe Street Atlas. GPS-compatible digital maps are available online, and can be used on mobile devices.

Updates

November 2023

Walk 10

The Mellieħa 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-Imgħarrqa. This leads to a road where a left turn leads to a roundabout and another left turn leads down to the finish

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.

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Walking on Malta - GPX File

Paddy Dillon

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, Tibet, Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US. Paddy is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and President of the Backpackers Club.

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