We’ve lived in Malta for over 8 months and can assure you that you don’t have to be a pro diver or experienced cyclist to go off road and enjoy the island’s best adventures. There’s something for everyone. Here are our picks for the best adventurous things to do in Malta.
Life in Malta is pretty chilled in winter, but once the humid Mediterranean summer kicks in, the islands come to life as the go-to place for a taste of adventure.
Adventures in Malta
Sun-kissed rocky cliffs, hidden coast to coast walks and the best diving condition in Europe make this tiny isle one of the top destinations for outdoors enthusiasts.
Sailing Adventures
Renting a self driven boat or hopping aboard a chartered yacht is as easy as it gets on the island. You will be spoilt for choice.
The sailing scene comes to life in mid May, that’s when Malta is flooded with boats of all shapes and sizes bobbing about in the azure Mediterranean sea.
Sailing the Maltese islands is something that we really enjoyed and highly recommend.
An all day sailing trip will see you exploring the best of the Maltese scenery, swimming and snorkeling in crystal clear waters.
You might even have an opportunity to jump aboard a dinghy for a spooky cave tour.
One of our favorite things to do in Malta was visiting a rather claustrophobic cave with a beach inside. This cave was used as the entrance to reach the prison, in the 2002 film The Count of Monte Cristo.
Zip-lining in Malta
How about zip-lining from coast to coast for an easy thrill?
If you want to experience the fastest zip-line in Malta, try the Migra 150M Zip-line on the outskirts of Rabat.
For a more historic zip-lining adventure, try the one in Valletta, the capital of Malta.
You’ll be dangling high over the grand harbour as you zip away from the mighty walled fortifications.
Trekking in Malta
Trekking is not something you’d instantly think of as one of the top things to do in Malta.
But when planning a trip to Malta, be sure to check out one of the many exciting paths on the island.
From coastal walks to exploring the ancient 2,000 year old Roman Road, you can go on short stroll or an all day walk.
With gorgeous panoramic views stretching over to Gozo, the sister island of Malta, the Victoria Line is a stunning hike.
Victoria Line Hike
Known locally as ‘The Great Wall of Malta’ it’s a great all day trek along the highest rocks on the island.
The fortified defensive wall was built by the British right along the Great Fault line dividing the island in half.
Therefore this particular route gives you a great chance to see the north and the south sides of island from on high.
While pretty rocky, the path is relatively easy to walk, no matter your fitness level.
It took us around 8 hours to complete at a relatively easy going pace, including a couple of short stops and scenic half an hour lunch break.
Other Great Hikes in Malta
There’s a number of other great walks on the mainland of Malta, and its little sister island Gozo, that you can explore at your own pace.
For the best experience the walks are best explored in spring, before the Mediterranean sun is too high up.
Spring is also the time when Malta wears its most glorious natural outfit, fresh from winter rain it’s studded with wild flowers and lush greens.
Visit Malta offers free maps of walks around the island that you can download
Water Sports Adventures
When you land on an island surrounded by some of the clearest waters in Europe, you just have to dive in and enjoy the sea!
From parasailing to jet hover boards, the supply of water sports activities on the island is insane.
Whether you are an experienced skipper or captain newbie, you will easily find a suitable boat company to set sail with.
Some can offer even a tailor made experience to meet your desires with BBQ’s and drinks included.
For water thrill seekers a great jet ski experience is available throughout the island. Make sure the company is taking all the necessary precautions to ensure your safety if you are a novice to this particular activity.
For a more chilled experience, kayaking and paddleboarding are a great choice.
Many beaches in Malta rent kayaks for as little as €5 per hour. Even if you’ve never done it before, it’s the ideal place to have a go.
Especially with the rocky Maltese coast providing a super stunning backdrop to your kayaking trip.
Cliff Jumping
If you are looking for things to do in Malta that get the adrenaline pumping, you should head to St Peter’s Pool on the south side of the island.
Cliff jumping into the salty blue sea here is fun and safe.
The natural pool surrounded by stunning white chalk cliffs is a spot where the locals gather for a swim and an occasional fresh fish BBQ.
The catch of the day can is sold at the local nearby fish market in quaint Marsaxlokk.
Diving in Malta
Divers flock to Malta from all over to experience world-class diving in the crystal clear blue waters surrounding Gozo.
Malta is a great choice if you are a beginner.
The island has a number of licensed schools to take you on a diving journey, from the very first steps to gaining a full PADI certificate.
More experienced divers will enjoy a trip to Lantern Point on the southeastern side of Camino for a thrilling dive in an underwater 40 meter tunnel.
Snorkeling in Malta
If diving is off limits for you then snorkeling in Malta is a great alternative. You can snorkel independently or take an organised snorkeling trip.
Some of the best snorkeling spots include Qawra Point, its shallow waters are ideal for first timers.
The Crystal Lagoon in Cirkewwa is well known for its reef rich in marine life and the Santa Maria Caves are a good choice if you fancy seeing rather large schools of bream.
Off-Road Activities
The unique terrain and landscape of Malta can offer visitors a perfect off road experience.
In the spring months, before it gets scorching hot, land activities such as off road biking are readily available to test your stamina.
Whether you are a pro cyclist or simply love cycling, you can choose different tours to suit your fitness level.
Independent cycling enthusiasts will be glad to hear that more than 1,000km of new cycling routes have been developed in Malta and Gozo (and Sicily) thanks to the project SIBIT, funded by the EU.
Jeep Safaris
Especially popular on Gozo, Jeep rides can be a great adventure for anyone. You can either rent a 4X4 and explore the island’s rocky landscape independently or join a group Jeep Safari tour.
There’s no shortage of companies offering Jeep Safaris on both islands, Malta and Gozo. A tour will typically include a full day of visiting some of the most popular sights of the country with regular stops enroute.
We recommend tours in Gozo as it can offer you some pretty unique sites to visit along the way, such as the glistening salt pans found near Marsalforn.
These 350 year old saltpans are still mostly in use and you can even buy a bag of pure Gozitan salt by the side of the road.
And these are all the amazing adventurous things to do in Malata. Have you been? Got something to add? Leave it in the comments below.
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Love this post about Malta! I recently moved here and am still trying to explain to people how many activities there are to do here, let alone the gorgeous landscape and delicious food 🙂 Glad to hear you guys liked Malta as much as I do.
I really enjoyed reading about the adventurous side of Malta. We’ve just been on a short break to the island but know we’ve only scratched the surface. We will definitely plan some of these activities for our next visit
Hi Charlie & Kristina,
We stayed on the smaller island of Gozo. We did not really visit Malta, but it might happen in the future. Gozo was easily accessible from Malta and we were never bored there in the 2 weeks that we were on vacation there. Next time it might be Malta. Thanks for the post!
Regards
Loved the pictures .. Looks like there’s tons to do in Malta as well. You had me at occasional fresh fish BBQ.
Woah, amazing photos and your article is influential. I never knew there were huge numbers of things to do in small Malta. Totally in love with crazy adventures trip and even by action-packed day trip. Plenty of options to choose yet……..
Thanks for the post dear.
Thanks so much everyone for your lovely comments! Even though tiny, Malta certainly has a lot to offer and the rocky coastline is stunning! 🙂
The pictures are very Beautiful, it’s a good article for the travel destination. Thaks
Malta looks absolutely stunning – that crystal clear blue sea reminds me of the gorgeous colour of the water in the Bahamas…but its in Europe! Who would have thought that something so close to home would have such incredible natural beauty.
Thanks Anand, Kristina loves to go off exploring with her camera. It’s just tricky to find a quiet spot on such a tiny island! 🙂
Woah, I didn’t know there were so many things you can do there! I am still sad I never got to see the Azure window before it disappeared 🙁 but glad to know that Malta also offers so many other things!!
Seems like a good place to retire with stashes of money in the bank… oh i wish 🙂
This is on my list of places I want to visit this year – and your photos and info above only make me want to go more! It’s so good to see articles on less travelled destinations!
wow there’s certainly a lot to get your teeth into in Malta! The zip lining looks so fun aha… I’ve also always wanted to hire a Jet Skit but its just so expensive… Maybe one day 😉
Very nice article.
The HD images of nature present on your website are awesome. They really bring us close to nature.
I frequently visit your site & go through nature pictures like animals, flowers, etc.
Keep up the good work.
so beautiful. I also want to introduce my beach in Vietnam, it’s called Vung Tau.
The photos are so beautiful ,it makes me want to go to these places.