Traditional activities
Bocci (Maltese petanque). The bocci is practiced in all the villages and you will quickly learn to recognize these playgrounds next to the terraces. You will easily be able to watch games. The balls are replaced by small balls and coloured wooden cylinders, green or red. The jack is a very small ball, which you first try to approach with the balls, then you point or shoot with the cylinders. So the principle is about the same as for our petanque.
Regatta, a typical Maltese boat race. Since the 16th century and the beginning of the festivities commemorating the end of the Great Siege, these nautical jousts have been held on 8 September. Different clubs compete against each other and rowers embark on board traditional boats. The different categories of boats start from the bottom of the natural harbour and sail up to the finish line at the Lascaris bastion. On this day, no merchant or passenger ship crosses the Grand Harbour, which is then entirely dedicated to regattas. Spectators are numerous in the gardens of Upper Baracca, but the real fans are on the docks of Valletta or Senglea.
Discovering the islands
Hiking. Walking in Malta and Gozo is an increasingly popular activity. Of course, we're not talking about treks or adventures here. The distances are short and, if the relief is sometimes tormented, it does not present any real difficulties. Treks can therefore be done alone or with the family. No specialized equipment is necessary, a good pair of shoes is enough. They allow you to combine the pleasure of walking with the discovery of sometimes wild landscapes, less frequented villages and isolated bathing places. In summer, the heat can be a problem, so many people prefer to walk in the other seasons, when the vegetation grows back, the hills are coloured by flowers and the meadows are green. Gozo, even more so than Malta, is an island on a walker's scale. Nature and colours are better preserved, the valleys and villages more flowery. Here you can walk at random in complete freedom, along the coasts or in the interior of the island. If the beacons are rare, finding your way around is not difficult. You will find it difficult to get lost, especially in Gozo. The slightest relief offers an overview, the villages and their bell towers are rarely far away and easily identifiable. The Malta Tourism Authority publishes excellent booklets on different walking routes (one per path): Malta Countryside Walks or Gozo Countryside Walks. They are available in bookshops and at the tourist office, really very well done, but only in English. The maps are precise, the itinerary (paths, roads) is well described, and you are also provided with precious information on the monuments encountered, the flora, the fauna, anecdotes, etc. If you don't speak English, the maps are precise enough and the photos are well enough chosen so that you have no difficulty in following the right route. And, most of the time, the departure and arrival points are served by buses.
Horseback riding. Many clubs and hotels offer horseback riding, more or less long, to discover the archipelago
Climbing. Malta, Gozo and Comino have hundreds of climbing routes and there is always a spot to climb quietly. And the weather allows you to do it all year round!
Golf. There is only one golf course on the island of Malta, for lack of space of course. But what a golf! The Royal Malta Golf Club has a very good reputation and has been delighting golfers since 1888.
On and under water, great possibilities
Fishing.
Even though there are few professionals, fishing is very popular all around the coast. As along the Brittany coast, it is often while chatting in the port, on the side of Mellieha Bay, Saint Paul's Bay or Saint Julian's Bay, that you can interfere in a local fishing party, a very picturesque experience.Sailing.
You can choose to rent a boat and cruise around Malta, to discover its known treasures or its secluded beaches. There are about 30 anchorage areas along the 200 km of coastline of Malta, Gozo and Comino. The main season runs from April to November. For those who own a boat, the Msida Marina is by far the most popular. There are also many possibilities to rent boats and yachts. There are about thirty rental companies and the tourist office can provide you with the list.Water sports. Windsurfing boards can be rented on almost all beaches and in all seaside hotels. Water skiing, wakeboarding, jet-skiing and canoeing are also practised. Finally, many seaside hotels rent or lend kayaks and paddles.
Scuba diving.
The Maltese archipelago, with its cliffs and its never cold transparent water, is the ideal place for scuba diving. The water temperature never drops below 13°C and reaches an average of 23°C in summer. You can therefore dive all year round, including in winter, as there are fewer tourists, and you can find a greater variety of fish that come close to the shores looking for warm, shallow water. You will find in Malta in winter the sunshine and climate of a northern European summer.If Malta is considered by many to be a "diving" destination, it is because there are many wrecks to explore. Recently, six wrecks have been sunk near the island of Gozo, to the delight of divers, both experienced and novice. On the island of Gozo, at Dewjra, the Blue Hole has been voted "Best Dive Site in the Mediterranean" several times.
In Malta, there are practically no tides and underwater currents are frequent in winter, but rare in summer. As some of the points are difficult to access, the schools offer to take divers by boat to all the interesting sites. Divers will be able to admire underwater: caves, valleys, holes, caves, walls, crevices and tunnels.
The visibility is about 30 m and night diving is offered in all schools.
