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This is the second of four posts about my recent trip to Malta. You can read the other instalments here: Valletta city guide ; four days in Gozo ; and  how to spend nine days in Malta . Malta is small — the main island is just 17 miles long by 9 miles wide — and because it's easy to get around by public transport, I decided to base myself in Valletta and take day trips to visit some of the other locations. It's even easier to get around by car, of course, but I prefer not to rent cars unless I have to — I find the flexibility it affords usually isn't worth the cost (economic and environmental) and the hassle. And you can get from Valletta to almost anywhere else on the main island by bus in under an hour for a €2 fare. It just takes a little planning, as most buses run only once or sometimes twice per hour. I took three amazing day trips from Valletta by public transport; read on for turquoise waters, ancient fortified cities, stunning geological features and perfect sandy...

After I got back from Edinburgh , I had a day in London to unpack and repack before heading out to Heathrow. I spent nine days in Malta, my first trip out of the UK since Seattle in February 2020. I originally booked a shorter city break to Valletta, Malta's capital, for March 2020, but for obvious reasons, that didn't happen. Luckily, I was able to reschedule my hotel booking and extend the trip to include a stay on the Maltese island of Gozo when I was eventually able to travel again.  This is the first in a series of four posts about the trip and will cover the four(-ish) days I spent in Valletta. You can also read my write-ups of the day trips I took from Valletta , my experiences on Gozo and an overview of the whole trip , including an itinerary and practical information to help you plan your own visit to Malta. THINGS TO DO Valletta's UNESCO World Heritage-listed city centre is extremely compact, spanning just 0.61 square kilometres. The historic centre is character...