February 13-21
Hello everyone!
The Maltese archipelago is situated roughly 100km south of
Italy. It advertises itself as having over 300 days of sunshine every year and
possesses many natural beaches with different colours of sand and sea. It is
little wonder, therefore, that Malta is a popular tourist destination.
According to the steps in the airport, over 4 million people
pass through Malta’s only airport every year. The population of the country was
approximately 423,000 in 2013. Simply put, that is a massive influx. Most will
visit in summer, when the temperature soars well above the 15°C (apparently
this is the mildest winter Malta has experienced in decades) which this week
has averaged.
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| Image from the Times of Malta showing Comino in the summer |
We were staying out of season, which resulted in having
copious space on the most popular beaches and being able to eat at restaurants
without making reservations. We were able to visit Malta’s most spectacular
scenery, such as the Azure Window in western Gozo, in relative peace.
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| The Azure Window, Gozo |
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| Ramla Bay, Gozo |
That’s not to say that we were the only tourists here. Our
flight from Frankfurt was full and we met many British families enjoying their
half-term break in the southern sunshine. It made me wonder, however, what the
tourist hotspots such as St. Julian’s and the main beaches must be like in
June, July and August. The thought, and volume of people, sent shivers down my
spine. Sardines on a small island.
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| Image from the Times of Malta showing a Maltese beach during the summer |
Malta has built its economy on tourism. It’s understandable
why they chose this path; there are monstrous profits to be made from the
industry. As a visitor, it makes life much easier, which I know and accept.
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| Mellieha has a great reputation |
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| In the days before the internet, this was how many tourists and expats kept up with news at home |
Yet it also spoils the landscape and forces many into an
industry they would rather avoid. Hotels looming large and casting shadows over
beaches. Narrow roads clogged with numerous sightseeing buses which are far too
big. Prices rising to the point that we didn’t visit the ancient temples on
Gozo. I also can’t shake the images of ‘lads on tour’ holidays when pondering a
Maltese summer.
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| The Radisson Blu hotel hanging over the Golden Bay beach, Malta |
This problem is certainly not restricted to Malta. I would also
be a hypocrite to criticise as it makes it much easier for me to visit these
places. What I don’t like is when it starts to affect the very things – and
people – which people are visiting for.
The other thing we noticed as we drove around Malta is how
seasonal the tourists must be. Some restaurants, which would undoubtedly be
heaving in the summer months, were permanently closed during our time here.
Some areas resembled ghost towns at times, with very little happening and very
few people walking around.
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| A popular restaurant which was available to let in Mellieha |
The main anomaly to all of this was the capital, Valletta.
This did not strike me as being geared towards tourists. In fact, Valletta gave
off the impression of a working capital city. It was busy but the noise was
coming from locals doing their business rather than invaders snapping selfies.
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| The main street passing through Valletta |
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| A car park in Valletta with Fort St. Elmo in the background |
I don’t know if I would want to visit Malta in the summer.
It would be a completely different experience and one which summons negative
images in my mind: cramped beach space, no parking, and fewer places to escape
to relative quiet. I’m very happy that we visited out of season, allowing us
the freedom to move around and explore this lovely country.
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| Ships in the Cottonera in February - imagine this in July... |
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| Beautiful Gozo |
Love you all
Matt
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