Things to see and do West Coast

The vertical block forming part of the entrance to the Skorba megalithic structure had been known since 1914. An exploratory excavation in 1937 revealed that the site deserved a thorough investigation, but as funds were not available at the time, this was postponed and finally carried out by David H. Trump between 1960 and 1963. The results of these excavations have proved very important for understanding the Neolithic of the Maltese islands. In addition to two megalithic structures, remains of domestic huts dating from different phases of the Neolithic were discovered. The earliest remains - an eleven-metre-long wall - date back to the Għar Dalam phase, circa 5,200 B.C. In addition, remains of domestic huts dating back to all Neolithic phases have been discovered, as well as remains dating back to the Early Bronze Age. Thus, the prehistoric sequence of the Maltese islands could be put on a solid footing. The remains associated with the Neolithic phases included sheep, goat and pig bones, as well as remains of wheat, lentils and barley. All of this provided a very interesting insight into the life of Neolithic communities.
Of the two megalithic structures, the one on the left is the older and consists of three semicircular rooms surrounding a central courtyard. The passageway to the courtyard is pierced by five holes cut into the rock. The purpose of these holes is unknown. On the step leading to the room on the right, you'll see a megalithic boulder with pitted decoration, similar to others found on other sites. The centerpiece of this structure was reused in the early Bronze Age, as materials from that period have been found here. The megalithic structure on the right was built later, and excavations revealed that a domestic hut had been removed to make room for this building.
At first glance, the prehistoric site of Skorba may appear small and unimpressive. However, the information this site has provided on the builders of the megalithic structures and their daily lives is ultimately very important. So much so that this site was inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage List in 1992, along with Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Ta' Ħaġrat and Tarxien. Several objects from this site are on display at Valletta's National Museum of Archaeology.

This funny village of reconstituted village - Sweethaven, a fisherman's hamlet from the famous cartoon - was built for the filming of the Robert Altman film. This unmistakable curiosity, even from the outside, is still intact and is one of the island's attractions, a kind of Disneyland grandeur in nature where one expects to meet Robin Williams or Shelley Duvall who played so convincingly. In 1980, Robert Altman stopped his choice on this cove already predisposed to camp the virtual frame of the spinach eater.

The houses of grace are real, and this surreal village has the charm of a child's dream. The village is constructed with logs imported from the Netherlands and Canada; construction took 7 months and required a team of 165 technicians, 9 000 litres of paint and 8 tons of nails.

The characters of the film, which populate the village, make the construction even more compelling.

Besides, a children's playground overlooks the bay: swings, slides, rodeo, trains, pedal cars, car-tamponneuses, rides, safaris, motorcycles and an open sky bar.

Here you discover the garrigue, this typically Maltese and Mediterranean ecosystem, so fragrant (wild fennel, thyme, caper...). A very rich environment. The fauna and flora are very particular: a multitude of herbaceous plants grow there, adapting to the influences of the wind, the dry rock, the sea. And these discreet plants still allow the Maltese not to suffocate in their car exhaust fumes. But this environment is extremely fragile, and we would like everything to be done to preserve these few remaining natural areas.

In ancient globigérine, the main monument of the city, imposing and unavoidable, acts as a magnetic pole on the traveller, which in every way when it wins the beaches of the west cannot avoid discovering its silvery nipple drawn towards the sky. The facade of the building is decorated with two clocks. The right is wrong, simple dial on the right of the facade, while that on the left is true.

The interior of the church deserves a few moments of contemplation, if only for the freshness provided during hot summer hours. In addition, you will be surprised to discover that this dome, which appears as a rotondité of the most regular, is actually based on a remarkable ellipse, which allows you to enter the outline by placing you underneath. You can marvel at its regularity and symmetry, leaving it to the surveyors to calculate the large axis, the small axis and the volume of half-ellipsoid.

Curious coincidence, this building is called the church of eggs, because it was built thanks to the villagers'donations, not in cash, but in kind, and especially in eggs. Poultry farmers brought them conscientiously for months until the product of sale was sufficient to initiate construction. Despite the funds raised, it took 34 years to complete it (1912-1946), the construction dependent on donations and thus the quality of the crops.

The whole church is seduced by its sobriety, not devoid of charm. Few furniture, a pleasant light, a discreet strength.

The Roman baths were not discovered until 1929 and, more than thirty years after their discovery and meticulous excavation, the site was developed on the initiative of Unesco. While few traces remain of the villa to which they were attached, the baths are relatively well preserved. Archaeology students will find the classic structure of the baths, with three basins: hot water(caldarium), warm water(tepidarium) and cold water(frigidarium). These facilities were certainly the best available at the time in terms of comfort. One can only imagine that the owner was a wealthy and cultured person. Admire the mosaics and enjoy the calm and greenery surrounding the site.

This is one of Malta's largest underground shelters. It was dug by man to a depth of 12 m and has a total length of 225 m. Artefacts testify to what life was like here during the terrible bombing raids that ravaged the island during the Second World War. Part of the village's population took refuge here.

The tour (always guided) begins with a documentary on Malta during the Second World War, after which visitors are escorted into the shelter.

Located in the rural village of Mġarr in the north of the island, the megalithic site of Ta' Ħaġrat was discovered in 1916 and was referred to at the time as a "stone mound". The Ta'Hagrat site was excavated between 1923 and 1926, under the direction of Sir Temi Zammit, director of museums at the time. He enlisted the help of the village chaplain and also employed several villagers to help with the task. Situated close to the Skorba site, only about a kilometer away, the Ta'Hagrat megalithic site consists of two structures placed side by side. The larger structures date from the Ġgantija phase (3600 to 3200 BC). The megalithic site is topped by a concave facade with a monumental gate opening onto a central courtyard. Three steps lead up to this gate, and this is what makes it so unique. The courtyard is rectangular and located one level below the semicircular rooms on each of its three sides. In the room on the left, you can see how each row of stone blocks projects slightly inwards, shortening the span of the room and facilitating roofing. The room on the right was modified in the Neolithic period to provide access to the second, smaller structure built later. Although smaller in size than the island's other Neolithic sites, several interesting discoveries were made here. Pottery, stone tools, animal bones and a small limestone building model were found. This model represents a covered building, supporting the theory that these structures were originally covered. The model also represents two construction techniques used at the time: corbelling to facilitate roofing and the use of alternating vertical and horizontal megaliths in wall construction. The model is on display at Valletta's National Museum of Archaeology. Over the years, this site has become an important landmark for the Mgarr community. Its members have participated in the excavation of the site, assisted in the restoration of the main portal and, today, contribute to the management of the site. The site is so important to the community that it has chosen its monumental gate as one of the symbols of its council emblem.