Valletta may be the smallest capital city in Europe but there’s still room to make mistakes in your visit. To have the best experience possible, there are a few things to do and avoid that you might wish to keep a lookout for.
Here’s a list of DOs and DON’Ts for your next visit:
“Do”s
Admiring the city
- Do wear comfortable shoes
Let’s start from your closet! Choose a sensible pair of shoes to visit. This is a European city after all and you will be navigating uneven terrain some of the time, not to mention the many many staired streets, so typical of the city. Valletta is on a hill, and you might want to venture a bit beyond the beaten track, so comfy walking shoes are your friends.
- Do consider approaching Valletta by sea
Valletta’s near intact bastions are a marvel of military architecture, but more so, a wonder to admire. And what better way to really take in the beauty than by sea? Regular ferries operate from Sliema and the Three Cities, so you can catch one, and experience Valletta like the 19th Century Romantics would have, on their Grand Tour.
- Do look up
Valletta is a Baroque city of wonderful churches and palaces, each more beautiful than the next. Most beautiful facades in Valletta are hidden away in plain sight, since the streets can be rather narrow. So the trick here is to look up and watch out for an amazing milieu of architectural styles.
Food and restaurants
- Do try the local odd eateries
If you wish to take the tasty road into Valletta, then you must try the local delicacies that are sure to complete your experience beautifully – like the yummy ravioli, or the decadent mqaret, the tasty hobza biz-zejt or the crowd-pleasing pastizzi!
- Do make a booking for your restaurants
This should probably be top of the list! You stand absolutely zero chances to get a table in Valletta without having a booking, especially on the busy nights of the week! The best restaurants will close their bookings quite early in the week, as their reservations would have reached capacity already. Valletta is a heaven for great restaurants, and all the foodies know this! So plan ahead – you are warned!
- Do leave a tip
In Malta, tipping is part of the culture. While no rule exists to the exact amount you are expected to tip at a restaurant, between 5 and 10% of the bill is seen as a nice gesture to show your appreciation for some great service! Let’s encourage our catering staff, they’re the ones who bring us our favourite food!
“Don’t”s
Avoiding mishaps
- Avoid walking under balconies
This may sound silly, but take it from a Valletta boy! Never walk under balconies in Valletta, there are hundreds of pigeons living their best lives, on ledges and window sills waiting for you to pass by underneath. And their aim is legendary!
- Don’t forget sunscreen
This may sound a bit redundant, but sunscreen is never really out of fashion in Malta as those UVs can really sneak on you, even on otherwise cloudy days! So your trusty bottle of lotion shouldn’t just be packed into the beach bag – make sure to apply regularly and generously!
Landmarks and things to do
- Avoid seeing only the touristic spots
Take the time to venture away from the beaten track and experience the city like a local. Explore a little, it’s very hard to get lost, and the streets are fairly safe. Go for a coffee from the local haunts, and buy fresh bread from the baker in Diuballi. Start a conversation with a local, if you start by telling them how beautiful Valletta is, they are bound to hit it off with you nicely!
Valletta has a marvellous network of underground tunnels and passageways, which were built at various stages in the history of the city. Happily, some of these chambers are now open to the public and will give you an absolutely different perspective of the capital.
Conversing with the locals
- Don’t say Floriana has a better football team
Football is quite the religion in Valletta, with the beloved Valletta FC winning the top national title many times over in the past. And if there is a heated derby everyone looks forward to, it’s the one between Valletta and their next door neighbouring town Floriana! The football rivalry is very real and it goes back many decades – so ‘Come on Whites’, when in the city! Also, you might want to avoid wearing green when visiting – just in case, you know!
- Avoid getting political
And last but definitely not least, stay away from party politics! Like in the rest of Malta, politics is taken extremely seriously here, and people can get rather sensitive about it. Malta is a relatively young democracy, and the participation rate in local politics is still comparably high, though it has been diminishing steadily of late. In any case, whether it’s red or blue that you dig most, best keep it to yourself – for safest results!
