Southern Malta Information

Your comprehensive guide to Everything Malta

Most of the South of Malta is out of the standard tourist trail. This is the working-class poorer region of the island and no major hotels are to be found here. However, dismiss the region at your own peril. The villages here are the soul of Malta and a well timed visit to coincide with a lively village ‘festa’ can be the cherry on your vacation. Each village has its own parish church and adjacent square where the locals meet up to exchange gossip or simply waste away the days watching the world go by. Zejtun, Zurrieq, Mqabba, Qrendi, Ghaxaq, Siggiewi, Gudja…these are all Maltese villages with their own unique character and where the traditional Mediterranean (less Europeanised) way of life is still alive.


Village Square		Village ‘Festa’

The South also has its own set of must-see tourist attractions.

The 5,000 to 6,000 year old megalithic temples of Hagar Qim, Tarxien and Mnajdra are all impressive and, to put things into perspective, they are five centuries older than the pyramids of Egypt. The Tarxien temples are the most complex and developed of the sites with various intricate carvings. The better preserved Mnajdra temples are perhaps the most suggestive because of their location on an isolated stretch of coast situated on a cliff overlooking the little isle of Filfla. At the Hagar Qim temples one cannot but stop to wonder how our ancestors used to conjure up ways to transport megaliths up to seven meters high and weighing around 20 tons!

The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is a similar set of structures with the difference that it is all built underground. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for preservation purposes only 80 visitors are allowed per day. The Hypogeum is an enormous maze of halls, chambers and passageways sculpted out of limestone going over 10 metres underground and covering an area of around 500 square metres.


Equinox at Mnajdra		Hagar Qim temples

Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village with its Sunday fish market that gives a candid look into the lives of local fishermen and this inherently ingrained industry in Malta. The picturesque harbour is filled with colourful ‘luzzu’ - the traditional Maltese fishing boat with the mytical Eye of Horus infallibly painted on their prows. Strolling around appreciating the work of wrinkled fishermen still applying their trade in the traditional way is an experience in itself. The fish does not get fresher than this and so it is no surprise that you can find a number of good seafood restaurants in the area.

Head out to Wied iz-Zurrieq to catch a boat for a short trip to the Blue Grotto and neighbouring caves. The effervescent colour of the sea within this system of caverns is spellbinding. It can get very busy in high season and so the best time to visit is early morning when the crowds are still away, the water is at its calmest and, as the Blue Grotto faces the rising sun, the sea colour is at its most magnificent.