Malta Ports

Am I correct in thinking that Valletta is a more important port than Xlendi and that Xlendi is mainly a stop-over while waiting to dock at Valletta (I think I read this somewhere). Checking out the Ports guide on CC in my research for these ports, it seems there is much more info on Valletta.

Xlendi is the capital of Gozo. Gozo is a lovely quiet island also in the country of Malta. I recommend using the local buses or hiring a car.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You are in for a treat ab21au Gozo is a little island with loads of character. It is populated by many Maltese Aussies. Kangaroos painted on the front of houses, houses named Altona and flags flying.

Quaint little fishing villages and dry arid patches. We picked up a taxi at our drop off point in Xlendi. The driver Gregory from Altona gave us a splendid half day tour for a small fee. We were also taken to his friends house for coffee.

Valletta is one of the most beautiful ports of the world. As you sail in you feel you have stepped back in time. Past invaders cultures mix to make Malta a fascinating visit. Enjoy.

Seabourn has offered a half day in Gozo for a while. Leaving in the afternoon means that you sail into the Grand Harbour of Valletta as the sun is setting. Given that the sail in to Valletta is one of the most magnificent in the world in any case, it is only enhanced by the settign sun lighting the golden stone of the fortifications.

But don't dismiss Gozo. As others have said, it is a lovely little island. Taxis are easy to find. The capital Victoria is a pleasant walk up to the fortifications. But don't miss Ggantija - it is probably the oldest stone building in the world, a great Neolithic monument. There are several other (slightly later) such monuments on Malta, but you will probably want to spend the day in Valletta or Mdina.

On our cruise, SB did not dock in Xlendi as advertised, but in a different port. I don't know why or how common that is, but it could be a problem if you make arrangements for a private tour. We did take the ship's tour to Victoria and Ggantija and enjoyed it very much. The sail in to Valletta is spectacular. For that matter, so is the sail out.

Thanks for all the comments, they have confirmed my thoughts. We had thought of going to the Blue Lagoon to swim there, but will probably change this as we don't want to miss Gozo. That sort of history is something unique to us in Aus. The Blue Lagoon looks so inviting but then we have loads of nice beaches and lagoons here in Queensland.

Not sure this had been made completely clear, but Gozo and Malta are two totally different islands. We happen to like both islands. Gozo (which many Maltese call the "green island") lives up to its name by being somewhat rural with lots of green countryside and some very scenic areas along the coastline. Malta is the more cosmopolitan island and Valletta is a large city with many old areas mixed with the new. It also has lots of shopping, restaurants, etc. And outside of Valletta you have Mdina (an old walled town). There is a lot more to Malta then just Valletta and Mdina (we have rented a car and driven most of the island) so one does need to focus on what they want to do during their visit.

Hank

Thanks Hank, it seem just short of 2 days is not long enough to do Malta justice and we may need to return.

Thanks Hank, it seem just short of 2 days is not long enough to do Malta justice and we may need to return.

We stayed a week in Malta, did a day tour of Gozo and saw just about everything (except Popeye -land....) during that week using the public busses. It was a great trip.

Sounds like we may be doing the same itinerary as as you ab21au. We're being a bit more ambitious for our 2 days in Malta. What we are planning is to spend the first morning/early afternoon in Gozo and then taking a ferry on our own down to the main island. We'll spend the afternoon travelling the west side of island to Rabat and finally end up Mdina where we have dinner reservations. After that it's off to Valletta to meet up with the ship. Day 2 we'll tour around Valletta and the south but won't make it all the way to the Blue Grotto.

I checked with Seabourn to see if it was okay and they said it will be fine and to make sure we check in at Seabourn Square to let them know of our plans. I know we'll miss the sail in at sunset but with so little time in Malta I couldn't get over losing half a day on the sail over to Valletta.

Sounds like we may be doing the same itinerary as as you ab21au. ....... I know we'll miss the sail in at sunset but with so little time in Malta I couldn't get over losing half a day on the sail over to Valletta.

We resigned ourselves that we cannot cover everything, but that also applies to some other ports. I guess that means coming back, and that is a nice prospect. Many others have mentioned the sail in so I hope we are not disappointed.