The most beautiful natural sites to discover Malta

The Blue Lagoon extends between Comino and an islet named - about - Cominotto. Its turquoise waters refer to the Maldives or the Seychelles. From Malta or Gozo, many small cruises stop there. It's an enchanting place, but in the high season you don't expect to know a solitude from Robinson.

Aside from the tower that the Maltese military may allow you to see more closely, the island's architectural points of interest are minimal.

Avoid coming to lunch because there are many cruise boats and the place becomes crowded soon! There is no sand to spread his towel, you will have to find a small place on the rock or rent a chair. Before 10 p. m. and after 17 p. m., the place is calm and it's not bad.

Near Dwejra Point, it is the "Rock with mushroom" which is called by the Gozitans Il-Gebla Tal-Generalle, the "Rock of the General", because this famous mushroom was discovered by a general of the order of the Knights. A huge block of stone rising from the waters, 182 meters long, 61 meters high, the rock is covered in summer with flowers bearing a parasite, Fungus gaulitanus, endowed with rare healing properties for blood diseases and hemorrhages. This mushroom is practically unique in the world, and is used very sparingly, reserved for a few privileged people. The rock eventually became so famous that it had to be defended day and night against potential smugglers: anyone caught in an attempted robbery incurred a heavy penalty, if not immediately put to death. It is said that a man, in order to save his son, swam the 50 meters to the rock, grabbed hold of it and took a handful of these flowers. Arrested after having succeeded in bringing back his precious booty to his wife, he was sentenced to three years in the galley, which he endured with courage, knowing that his son was saved by his sacrifice. To retrieve the precious mushroom from the steep slope of the rock (whose surface was even polished to make it impossible to climb), the Knights built a funicular from the tower of Qawra, which can still be seen on the coast today. Nowadays, Fungus Rock has become a nature reserve.

The entire surrounding coastline is a favorite with underwater enthusiasts. Often compared to the Red Sea, Inland Sea (Il Qawra) is a stretch of inland sea accessed by boat through a tunnel under the cliff, only on clear days. Always warm and spared from storms, it's a diver's paradise, where you can find fossils of marine animals and shells dating back to prehistoric times. When the weather turns stormy and the high seas are superb and raging, the Inland Sea simply ripples.

A quiet place. The sandy beach is small but pleasant. Between the village and the fort, you can also find little little coves where the rocks are covered with a gentle rock dust. Improvements made swimming easier without too much distortion of the site. The village itself is not really one: a good fish restaurant, some houses, cabana and caravans.

This small, almost island-like protrusion (a bridge spans the narrow sea channel) separates Sliema Creek and Lazaretto Creek. The Maltese call it "Il-gzira" (the island). In 1643, Grand Master Lascaris set up a lazaretto, an asylum for the sick and victims of epidemics, taking advantage of its relative isolation. In 1746, Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena had a fort built there, which was named Fort Manoel in his honor, and which gave its name to the island, the eighth in the Maltese archipelago. The fort, with its impressively thick walls, was built around a huge parade ground. It was surrounded by barracks for 500 men and embellished by the chapel of Saint-Antoine (dedicated to Saint-Antoine de Padoue) and a bronze statue of the great master. Unfortunately, the chapel and other buildings were destroyed by bombing during the last war, and the statue was moved to Floriana. The chapel was rebuilt. Today, the fort no longer has a military role and is partly home to the Royal Malta Yacht Club. Manoel Island has undergone major transformations (work began in 2013), which have enabled the site to play a prestigious role, giving it a power of attraction worthy of its privileged location. At the entrance to the island, after the bridge and opposite the soccer pitch, an amusing "duck village" has been created. Beach, river, bridge, individual or collective dwellings and old boats are reserved for the ducks, geese and other birds that have made their home here.

This "national park" is just a policed green space much appreciated by the Maltese. People come here for jogging, barbecues, cycling and exhibitions. There's also an open-air theater surrounded by a small park. The view over Mdina from the stands is very pleasant. Large parking lots and straight stretches are popular with tuning fans, who on Friday and Saturday evenings take to the skids with their cars complete with fins and stickers.

These two islands close to the shores are traditionally seen as sites of the shipwreck of Saint Paul. A great statue of the apostle was raised in 1845.

You can go there by boat, although the interest is limited. Nevertheless, the clarity of water around the islets would almost be appropriate.

Nature park developed in the 1980s and opened to the public in the early 1990s. Ponds, canals and shelters have been created. As well as birds, the reserve also protects a variety of reptiles (snakes, chameleons). The reserve was listed by the European Union in 2000.

To get there by bus: take lines 41, 42, 221, 222, X1 and stop at the "Roti" and "Simar" stations.

This reserve offers the chance to observe the flora and fauna around the ancient salt pans, the only "marshy" area in the country.

In the ^16th century, Ghadira was Malta's largest salt works. When this industry was moved to the present-day and aptly-named Salina Bay, Ghadira was neglected, then abandoned.

In the 1960s, the Birdlife Malta association - the oldest organization of its kind in Malta (1962), now with 3,300 members - proposed to create a nature reserve here, a sanctuary for migratory birds. The pond was enlarged and islands created. The reserve was inaugurated in 1988 and today covers 6 ha, 100 m from Mellieha beach. It is open to the public, who can take advantage of the observation shelters.

The flora is made up of species that can adapt to water and salty soil (halophytes), and to variations in salinity, such as reeds and rushes of various species. There are also a few trees, such as Aleppo pine, carob and olive.

Birds are plentiful. Two hundred species can be observed here, depending on the season. Grebes, ducks, herons, egrets, rails, coots or kingfishers, as well as numerous passerines such as warblers, buntings..

Mammals include rabbits, weasels, hedgehogs, shrews and bats. Reptiles include the Mediterranean chameleon, a few non-venomous snakes and various species of geckos. Aquatic fauna must also be able to withstand changes in salinity. These include mullets, eels and snails.