When to visit Malta for hikes, festivals and (yes) sun

Renowned as one of Europe’s sunniest destinations, the islands that make up Malta are indeed an ideal place for a vacation filled with swims and lying out for hours.

In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea – 96km (60 miles) south of Sicily and 386km (240 miles) east of Tunisia – the diminutive but mighty country has been a tourism mainstay for generations thanks to its 300+ annual days of sun. This reputation, however, brings crowds of holiday makers, digital nomads and English-language students, all of whom naturally drive the prices up in the peak summer months.

And yet there is an appeal to this archipelago in every season.

Visiting in the shoulder seasons of early spring or late fall, as well as in the off season of winter, provides travelers with better temperatures for hiking, rock climbing, cycling and taking in the islands’ natural beauty, as well as more-comfortable temperatures for exploring the astonishing prehistoric temples here.

Bottom line: Malta is much more than a beach destination, and our season-by-season breakdown will help you know what to expect whatever time of year you visit.

Spring is the best time for sightseeing and hiking

Malta and Gozo are home to some of the oldest temples in the world, as well as a wealth of stunning coastal trails to hike. Spring’s sunny but relatively cool days make for the best moments to experience both. The weather is bright and comparatively fresh from March to May, with maximum highs of 18°–24°C (64°–75°F). You won’t need to worry about getting scorched when visiting Malta’s impressive temples, the oldest and best preserved being the limestone wonder Ħagar Qim and its smaller neighbor Mnajdra. Archeologists have dated the monuments to as far back as 3700 BCE, and suggested that the island's prehistoric inhabitants built them to worship the sun and mark the changing seasons.

Hiking the wildly scenic loops and paths along Malta’s coast – in particular, the Dingli Cliffs and Fawwara Trail – is also best done at this time of year, before the summer heat sizzles. Spring also brings Easter ceremonies, which the Maltese take very seriously. Week-long celebrations include parades, markets and local bakers selling figolli, sweet, almond-filled cakes shaped like lambs or bunnies.

Summer is the best time for evening festivals

Maltese summers get hot. Very hot, with highs of 30°–38°C (86°–100°F) and up to 85% humidity. From June until late September is the best time to visit Malta and Gozo’s excellent beaches by day (it’s really too sweaty to consider doing anything else) – then head to a festival of local festa once the sun has set. International music festivals take place all season long. Produced by the music network every year since 2007, Isle of MTV brings huge pop acts to Floriana – with all tickets free. Glitch Festival has been inviting EDM artists to the island since 2016. Film festivals like Kinemastic (short films) and Mediterrane Film Festival (features) also run through the summer.

Festa season truly reflects Maltese culture, with each village, town and city in producing its own event. The settlement’s patron saint is inevitably celebrated every year with a procession, food market and fireworks display, the latter of which get very competitive from town to town. Since there’s a festa happening somewhere pretty much every weekend, look up where if you’re visiting in the summer months. You’re guaranteed a brilliant view.

Fall is the best time for perfect weather

The best weather in Malta arrives in mid-September and lasts until late October, when the days are still long and sun-drenched but the peak summer heat begins to break. This means you can hit the beach and dive into the still-mild Mediterranean – while also managing some sightseeing without melting. Wandering the picturesque lanes of Mdina, visiting the Roman ruins of a villa in Rabat, taking in Neolithic temples like Tarxien and the subterranean Hypogeum, or hopping on a boat to Comino or the Blue Lagoon won’t leave you lobster red (still, don’t forget the SPF 50).

Our favorite swim spots in Malta include St Peter’s Pool (look out for Leli and his diving dog); Sliema’s salt pans; Ghar Lapsi, near Ħaġar Qim; the golden terracotta sands of Ramla Bay; and the natural phenomenon of Gozo’s Inland Sea. Still, on islands as small as Malta and Gozo, you’re never far from a wonderful spot for jumping into the sea, wherever you find yourself.

Winter is the best time for budget travelers

The November-to-February period is the archipelago’s off season, with January and February being the rainiest months. (This also makes them the greenest ones.) The winter months are the most affordable time in Malta, too, with good deals on accommodation. Hostels and Airbnbs whose prices spike in the summer (now considered May to October) become accessible options – sometimes even bargains – in the cooler period.

Winter also is a great time of year for outdoor pursuits like hiking, rock climbing and even scuba diving. You can take the plunge all year long here, with an impressive number of shipwrecks close to land (such as HMS Maori, near Valletta). Visibility is generally very good – unless there’s a storm, of course.