Steep narrow streets with honey-coloured walls is my overriding memory of Valletta. This city is very compact and walkable, and can be compared to Arab-influenced cities in Southern Spain such as Cadiz. As you walk down the main streets running the length of the city, such as Merchant Street, Old Bakery Street and Republic Street, you can turn your head at every junction and look down a narrow, shaded street to a view of the sea like the light at the end of the tunnel. Every few streets, you come across another small church, looking fairly simple from the outside but full of colour and gilding on the inside, in the Catholic tradition. There are two cathedrals in Valletta, but if you are planning to visit them, be aware that they close by around 4pm, and the same for the craft centre near St John’s Co-cathedral. Valletta has three parks: Upper and Lower Barrakka, and Hastings Gardens. All three give good views of the surrounding area. Upper Barrakka is set out like a courtyard, with a fountain in the middle, trees and flowers around it, and a kind of walled walkway around the sides. You can walk downstairs to the Lascaris War Room, or look over the walkway balcony to see a row of battery cannons. Lower Barrakka is a similar layout, with the walkway feeling less far removed from the courtyard area, and with more trees and shade. Hastings Gardens, in contrast, has a flatter feel, with a number of flower beds but no trees.
I arrived in Valletta at around 4.30pm, and I felt that apart from the churches and parks, there was not a lot to do apart from shopping and going to restaurants. Granted, it was a late arrival and there wouldn’t even be shopping to do in the UK after 5.30pm! There is a huge range of UK shops available in Valletta, perhaps with some savings possible, given the pound to euro exchange rate. If you wanted to try something traditional, lots of bars and restaurants were advertising a Maltese platter for two (intriguing, but no details of contents available).
I was glad to have visited Valletta, but felt that it could easily be done as a day trip and I would have struggled to spend a week there. Of course, as Malta is small and the public transport system is so good and cheap, Valletta would be a great base for a week’s exploration of the island.
Practical
Get there: from Malta International Airport there are several buses to Valletta (€1.50 for a daysaver, check numbers and times at www.publictransport.com.mt). The main bus station is right in front of the city gates, and there’s an information booth where you can get information about buses leaving from Valletta. From Sliema you can take ferry across the bay to land near Hastings Garden (every 30 minutes until around 7pm in summer and earlier in winter, €1.50 or €2.80 return).
