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The islands of Malta and Gozo make for the ideal sailing holiday destination. You will find that most Maltese speak fluent English and at least one other language, usually Italian or French. In addition the islands are easily accessible via a number of regular flights from various airlines. Apart from a lively, inexpensive nightlife scene with something for all ages, the islands are bursting at the seams with history and legends – and by sailing around the coast, you’ll definitely be able to take in a little bit of everything.
The Maltese archipelago boasts clear, clean waters. Its numerous picturesque bays and historic harbours dotting the coast mean that a safe haven is always at hand no matter which part of the islands you are visiting. In addition, due to the islands’ geographical situation, it is generally safe to sail on the side opposite to the prevailing wind – for those of you who have never sailed before, we mean that there will always be somewhere to sail to, no matter what the wind direction is! The climate is ideal for sailing with a NW prevailing wind which is easily manageable during Spring, Summer and early Autumn.
Grand Harbour (Valletta) and the Three Cities opposite are unique in their historic richness. Marsamxett harbour, on the other side of the Valletta peninsula hosts Manoel Island and Msida Marina. There are a number of easily accessible marinas that are attractively priced for overnight stays. On the NW side of the Island are the bays of St Julian’s, St George’s, Qwara, St Paul’s Bay and Mellieha. All are easily accessible for anchoring and going ashore for provisions, a well deserved meal or a local beer.
Between the Islands of Malta and Gozo is the delightful Comino with its famous crystal waters of the Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon. Paradise Bay is another bay that deserves a visit whilst on the north side of the Island.
Southern Sicily, an easy day’s sail away which opens up a completely different cruising area. The fishing ports of Pozzallo, Marzamemi, Syracuse, Riposto and Taormina deserve a visit to enrich the gastronomic flavours of the South.
There are very few countries of Malta’s size which are so rich in history, spreading from the prehistoric era right up to the present day. It is this history of a succession of civilizations and cultures, of struggle and war, of achievement in the face of adversity, of continuous improvement which makes Malta the proud and prosperous nation it is today and subsequently, popular holiday destionation
Malta owes most of this fame to her strategic location right at the centre of the Mediterranean.
The first settlers arrived in Malta and Gozo around 5000 BC from Sicily. The megalithic temple building phase started around 4000 BC. The earliest temples, such as the one at Ggantija in Gozo, were built by piling up to 50 tons of megaliths on top of each other, which even nowadays, with modern tools and machines would be a difficult task. The earliest civilization flourished in the 3rd millennium BC, erecting and carving astonishing temples but then mysteriously disappeared around 2000 BC and the Bronze Age moved in. The Phoenicians, who used Malta’s harbour as a centre for their trading activities, arrived in the 8th century BC. The entry of the Carthaginians increased the island’s strategic importance and attracted the attention of Rome. In 218 BC, following an invasion led by the Roman Consul Titus Sempronius, Malta fell under Roman rule that lasted more than 700 years.
St. Paul, the Apostle, was an important visitor for the Maltese people. He was shipwrecked on Malta in 60 AD on his way to Rome and he introduced Christianity to the natives of the islands, making the Maltese one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. To commemorate this event a small island in the North bears the name St.Paul’s Island.
Once again, ownership of Malta changed hands in 535 AD, with the Byzantine Empire taking over. In turn, the Greeks capitulated to the Arabs in 870 AD and Malta remained under Muslim rule until the end of the 11th century when in 1090 the Norman master of Sicily, Count Roger, came to Malta with a small group of people accompanying him and defeated the Arabs. The Roman Catholic Church was reestablished. For the next 400 years Malta’s history was closely linked to Sicily’s, and its rulers were a succession of Normans, Angevins (French), Aragonese and Castilians (Spanish).
In 1530 Charles V of Aragon handed over the Maltese islands to the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem who had been expelled from Rhodes by the Ottoman Turks. For the next 250 years Malta was a bulwark against Turkish ambitions in Europe. The best-known event in Maltese history, The Great Siege of Malta, occurred in 1565 when the Knights together with the Maltese heroically defended Malta from a major Ottoman invasion.
The mastery of the Knights ended in 1798, when Napoleon came to Malta. The French took over for two years but the Maltese were not happy with their occupation. With the help of the British the Maltese organized a successful revolution against the French. British rule lasted 180 years till 1964 when the Maltese islands gained their independence within the Commonwealth. Malta’s political status under the British reign underwent a series of changes in which many laws and principals were successfully granted and revoked accordingly. The Maltese economy became a business for Malta’s military facilities, and that is how the Dockyard developed into the economic stronghold of the islands.
During World War I, Malta provided shelter to many naval seamen and served as a military hospital. In 1921, Malta became self-governing although this power was shared with Britain. In 1936, Malta became once again a colonial regime. During World War II, Malta was exposed to severe aerial attacks from Italian and German bombers. In 1942, George the VI awarded the George Cross to the islands; this was the first time in history that a medal was awarded to any part of the Commonwealth. Since then the Maltese flag has carried the George Cross on it.
Malta became independent on September 21, 1964 and later on became a Republic in 1974. In 2003 the Maltese voted to join the European Union as from May 1, 2004.
Both Maltese and English are the official languages. The native language of Malta called ‘Malti’ is the Maltese word for ‘Maltese’. Maltese is of Semitic origin. It is the only Semitic language written in the Latin script. The language is a mixture of Arabic grammar and construction, combined with Sicilian, Italian, Spanish, French and English loan words. Italian is also widely spoken in Malta.
