Din l-Art Ħelwa

Maltese poet Dun Karm penned the national anthem “Lil Din l-Art Ħelwa”, which translates to ‘a song to this sweet land’ and here’s why.

When you look up things to do in Malta, or places to visit, most websites give you the same “Top 10 Places to See” which involve churches, shopping, food and obviously spending a day by the beach but there are so many hidden gems, away from locations fueling consumerism habits, that they will not tell you about.

The capital city, Valletta, is a must-see on every visit. It is full of history, good food and a little bit shopping but walking round the outskirts of the city you can enjoy different views of different parts of the island. Particularly, there is one location down some old stairs embedded into the rocks leading to the foot of St Lazarus’ Bastions. The way down may not look so inviting, but once you are down those stairs, you will be able to see the view of The Three Cities on the other side. The bright green door under the name ‘Boom Defence’, was part of the entrance to the Grand Harbour during World War 2. The boom defence system was composed of a large winch that lifted and lowered a metal net suspended underwater in order to secure the harbour from any surface or underwater attack [1].

Walking along the rocky shoreline in the direction of the Great Siege Bell, the largest bell in Malta, unveiled by Queen Elizabeth in1992. This bells location was pusposeful as it was placed at the furthermorst point of the city to instil a sense of quiet reverance and contemplation away from the hustle and bustle of the city [2]. From this point you can hear the sound of the sea, watch a beautiful sun setting right between the Valletta Waterfront anf the Marsamxett Dockyard on the opposite side.

If you like sunsets, any beach in the north of the island will offer up a good balance of sea, sky and a palette of colours. However, right before taking the stairs leading down to Għajn Tuffieħa beach, there is an almost secret pathway which a lot of peope think is just for dogwalkers. Walking throught the tall wheat grass, you will already find yourself above the beach and away from the Instagramming millenials. If you are not the adventurous type, the view from here is pretty great, but, the best view? Keep right from underneath the rocky arch formation onto the cliffs, the pathway is narrow but it is till there, go through a little cave, one or two small hops over some gaps and simply have a seat and enjoy the spectecle of warm tones ahead, without any people, buildings and noise. You can appreciate nature as it should and enjoy the sound of the sea right below you.

While on the subject of beaches, Malta’s sister island, Gozo has some great ones as well as some hidden locations of its own which allow for breathtaking views, one of which will not trigger anyone’s acrophobia to get there.

Tal- Mixta Cave started becoming a little more popular over the last year as another cave, literally opposite, Calypso’s Cave, started to collapse and is now closed to the public. There are two ways to get there; firstly is up from Ramla l-Ħamra bay, which is best done during the winter months while there are flowers blossoming all around [3], however a safer way is driving through the famer owned land and fields from behind, parking by an old abandoned residence and walking the rest of the way. There are some rocky stairs leading into the cave from where you can see a beautiful panorama of green land, blue sea and red sand below.

So take your car and drive away from the overdeveloped, noisy areas of Malta, park somewhere and walk. Enjoy nature that has not yet been discovered by development companies and cherish it as, sadly, they might soon be gone.

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[1] (2008, July 31). One World — Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of Valletta (31). Times of Malta. Retrieved from https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/one-world-protecting-the-most-significant-buildings-monuments-and-features-of-valletta-31.218872

[2] Bishop A. Monuments Explained: Siege Bell Memorial, Valletta. GuidemeMalta. Retrieved from https://www.guidememalta.com/en/monuments-explained-siege-bell-memorial-valletta

[3] Ebner N. (2018, February 14). 1 less known Gozo cave that is way better than Calypso cave. Retrieved from https://www.tinystories.io/travel/1-less-known-gozo-cave-that-is-way-better-than-calypso-cave