Author: Paul Terry

I love to travel. I've been fortunate to visit about 75 countries so far. I prefer to travel independently to get off the beaten path a bit. I also try to find good deals to make my travels more affordable.

Croatia-Part 1: Trogir, Salona and Split

Split and Surrounding Area

This is the first article in a three part series on the Dalmatian coast—a spectacular part of Croatia. Croatia was one of the best and “easiest” vacations we have taken—we found it easy to confirm rooms, find food (restaurants were open almost all day), arrange services, and get around. The food is excellent—Italian fare, local meat dishes, and seafood are the most common menu items. Most menus are in four languages (Croatian, English, German and Italian). The gelato is as good (or better) than that found in Italy. The Croatian people are friendly and many are fluent in English.

Croatia-Dalmatian Coast.

We arranged most of our rooms throughout Croatia using hostelbookers.com. Most rooms are “apartments” with a bedroom, bath, and small kitchen. In October, we found rooms for two people ranging from €30 to €60 per night. Since we were visiting a couple islands too, we decided to rent cars for the day as needed. We arrived at the Split airport from Munich, Germany. The Split airport is tiny, and after the plane landed on the only runway, it turned around right on the runway and taxied in to the very small terminal building (there is construction going on at the airport to enlarge the terminal).

View of Trogir from Kamerlengo Castle.

We had prearranged a car rental (EconomyCarRentals.com) at the airport, met the agent at the terminal and picked up our car and drove west to Trogir, just a few kilometers from the airport. Trogir is a historic Venetian town on a small island, right next to the mainland and our room was in the middle of the town. Our host met us at the car park close to the island and walked us over a wooden bridge to our room. Trogir is beautiful, and can be toured on foot in a few hours (or less). Most of the historic town centers we visited in Croatia are closed to autos, making a walking tour much more enjoyable.

Roman city ruins of Salona.

The next day we drove to Salona, close to Split, to see the Roman city ruins. Although there are signs on the roads directing traffic to the ruins, they are still a bit difficult to find. The necropolis just outside the city ruins has many large tombs, and the city ruins are interesting too. Unfortunately, a busy highway and some industrial buildings nearby detract a bit from the site.

Salona Necropolis.

From Salona, we drove into Split, a fairly large city. Our room, the most expensive of the trip, was €60. It was a large apartment with a washing machine, and about 10 minutes’ walk from the old city center. We loved Split. The old city is built in and around Diocletian’s Palace. From the west side of the old city there is a park on a hill that provides a great overlook of the city. It’s well worth the hike.

View of Split, Croatia.

The old city is so densely built that it’s hard to get a perspective on the layout of the buildings. Some Roman buildings (Diocletian’s tomb-now a cathedral, and Temple of Jupiter) remain among the medieval buildings, and in some cases the walls of the Palace and structures are incorporated into the medieval buildings. Below the Peristyle (courtyard) is the basement of the Palace—part of which has been turned into shops. The rest of the Peristyle is open to visitors for a fee, well worth the cost (about $4). Climbing the stairs of the bell tower by the Peristyle provides a great view of the Palace and old city and puts it all into perspective.

Gate into Diocletian’s Palace.

Diocletian’s Palace-Peristyle.

Split is a major port, with ferry lines going to numerous locations (including Italy) and cruise ships passing through.

Croatia-Part 2: Hvar and Korcula

Hvar

From Split we took a ferry to Hvar island, about 45 minutes away. A few words about the main Croatian ferry line, Jadrolinija. It has regularly scheduled service to many island destinations.

Map of Destinations we visited in Croatia.

However, I found their website a bit confusing when trying to plan our schedule, and I don’t think I’m the first person to think it’s confusing. The good news is that even in October, we found regular ferry service, and it is easiest to just ask the local ferry office or tourist information office upon arrival for schedule information. Keep in mind it’s much easier to travel by foot rather than having to take a car ferry. The passenger ferries go right to the main little towns and run more frequently, especially off-season.

View of Hvar, Croatia.

Hvar town on Hvar island is nestled around a harbor with a 16^th century fort overlooking the village and harbor. Our apartment was about 10-15 minutes away from the ferry dock and our host was kind enough to pick us up with our luggage and to drive us to their apartment home. We were able to easily walk to a grocery store and into Hvar. Hvar is a small town —very scenic with historic buildings, fortified walls and narrow streets. On our first afternoon we went exploring and found a car rental service near the bus station and made arrangements to rent a car for the following day.

The next morning we drove up to Fort, and enjoyed the expansive view of Hvar, the Pakleni islands, and the island of Vis in the distance.

View from Fort, Hvar Island.

We then drove out to the small towns of Stari Grad, Jelsa and Verboska (which are all close together) taking about an hour via the scenic route. Traffic was sparse and the roads were very good, although narrow. These towns are also historic and attractive, although not quite as picturesque as Hvar itself.

Beach area–near Jelsa, Hvar Island.

Near Jelsa there are some great beaches and secluded parks and trails that would be perfect to visit in swimming season (we were there in late October, and even then there were a few people on the beach).

Hvar island is about 80 km long, and we covered not quite half the distance, and felt we got a good feel for the island. We noticed the island is greener on the eastern side (facing the mainland) then the western side.

Our apartment–just a 10 minute walk from Hvar Town.

There are lots of apartments in Hvar town for rent, especially west of the Harbor. In the off-season, it should be very easy to find places to stay. There is a beautiful walkway along the shore to the west of town also. While there were a few tourists this time of year (a few sailboats in port, and one cruise ship visited for half a day), the island was quiet, and very peaceful, even though it’s only 45 minutes from Split by ferry.

Korcula town.

Korčula

We took a passenger ferry from Hvar to Korčula (Krilo Ferries) that goes right to the town of Korčula on Korčula island. It was about a 90 minute trip. Coming into Korčula at night was stunning. Although it’s a small town, we enjoyed seeing the old fortified towers and bell tower of the Cathedral lit up as we pulled into the harbor.

The town of Korčula is a perfect medieval-feeling town with narrow streets, archways, and towers and gates. There were lots of jewelry stores in the town, many selling coral earrings, bracelets and necklaces. We found a great little shop right inside the main entrance (the “Land Gate”) to the old town.

Our apartment was on the edge of the town, overlooking the water and the mainland. The water was so clear that I wanted to dive in from our 2^nd story room! The streets on the southeastern side of town are curved to break the winds that come in the winter and on the opposite side the streets are straight—interesting to view the difference from the main square. The Cathedral of St. Mark (13^th-15^th centuries) is built on a trapezoidal shape for this reason.

Cathedral of St. Mark, Korcula, Croatia.

From the Land Gate, one can take stairs to the top (for a fee) and have a great view of the whole old town. Marco Polo’s house (really just a tower next to the shell of the old house) is open, and climbing to the top provides a nice view of the town and across to the Pelješac peninsula. We enjoyed just wandering the old streets, visiting a few museums and shops and relaxing on the balcony of our apartment in the bright sunshine. Given that we were only in Korčula for two nights and one day, we did not rent a car to explore more of the island. It was a perfect amount of time to see the old town, relax and enjoy the ambience.

As usual in Croatia, there were great restaurants in the old town and also just outside the Land Gate area.

Croatia-Part 3: Dubrovnik

We took an early morning bus (6:45 am) from the town of Korčula to Dubrovnik. The bus takes the 7 am ferry to Orebić on the mainland (about a 15 minute crossing).

Map of Destinations we visited in Croatia.

The bus then drives along the Pelješac peninsula through the walled town of Ston and on to Dubrovnik’s main bus station. The whole ride, including a break, was about 2.5 hours, and cost about $18 per person.

Minceta Tower–night view of walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

From the bus station we caught a bus (#8) that took us right to our apartment, which was next to the Minčeta Tower, part of old Dubrovnik’s wall fortifications. The apartment was in a perfect location to visit the old city, other than a lot of stairs down to the Pile Gate. What struck us first about Dubrovnik is the size and massiveness of the walls surrounding the old town. The walls are up to 80 feet high in some places. One of the best activities in Dubrovnik is to buy a ticket (about $14) and walk around the entire length of the city walls. The views are excellent, and you meet interesting people along the walk (over a mile in length).

Walls of Dubrovnik.

Main Street (Stradun) Dubrovnik.

We really loved Dubrovnik for many reasons—it’s stunning setting along the Adriatic coast, there are many things to do in the old town and there are a variety of tours that can be arranged from the old city to neighboring locations and other countries (Bosnia and Montenegro for example—see our blog on a day trip to Montenegro). Dubrovnik is also a popular cruise ship destination. There were two ships in port during our stay in late October. It was enjoyable walking around in the evening after the cruise passengers have set sail.

We took a tour boat out to Lokrum island, which is just 700 meters from Dubrovnik. The boats operate about every hour. Once on Lokrum we hiked to an old Benedictine abbey and then to a fort (1800’s) at the north end of the island that offered a great view of the old city (below left). There are boats that go to other nearby islands and towns.

View of Dubrovnik from Lokrum Island.

The Franciscan and Dominican monasteries in Dubrovnik are worth visiting, in addition to the Cathedral and Jesuit church. We enjoyed walking through the narrow streets, up many stairs, and taking in the beauty of the old city. The several gate entrances to the city are fascinating in themselves. Wander off the main street and try some of the many restaurants and gelato shops on the inland (east) side of the old town.

Discription of attack on Dubrovnik in 1991.

You might remember that Dubrovnik was heavily shelled in the early 1990’s as Croatia sought its independence from Yugoslavia. The recovery was pretty quick, and it is hard to see any damage, except an occasional shell hole in a wall. The picture below tells one person’s story during that time. In the Rector’s Palace there is an exhibit on the Yugoslavian civil war. It is hard to believe that such a peaceful and beautiful place was being blown to bits less than 20 years ago.

If you can visit just one place in Croatia, make it Dubrovnik.

A Day Trip to Montenegro

As part of our recent trip to Croatia, we took a day trip to Montenegro from Dubrovnik. There are many options for tours out of Dubrovnik, including Montenegro, but given our penchant for independence, we rented a car (about $90) and drove south, first to Kotor and then on to Budva.

Day Trip from Dubrovnik to Montenegro.

The border crossing was simple (we just had to show our passports and rental car paperwork) and there were no lines, given that it was late October. We were warned by our rental car provider to keep to the speed limit, since the Montenegro police watch closely. We did see a few police along the roads, and I made sure we kept to the limit, even though others were driving faster. The roads were in good shape, the signage was clear, and there were plenty of fuel stations.

Kotor Bay from the walls above Kotor town.

It took us about two hours to reach Kotor, via Perast, following the shoreline of Kotor Bay-which feels more like a lake, because of the surrounding steep mountains and calm, deep water.

Kotor, Montenegro.

Kotor is a beautiful old fortified city. We hiked up the old walls behind the city all the way to the fort at the top. In the valley behind the fort, and not visible from Kotor, are the ruins of an old village.

Budva Montenegro.

From Kotor we drove to Budva, another old walled city right on the Adriatic coast.

Dramatic old church buildings on coast at Budva.

Budva is about 45 minutes by car from Kotor. We also went to Sveti Stefan (St Stephen), just south along the coast from Budva. It is a small island village that is now an exclusive hotel. The scenery all along our trip was beautiful. Even in October, the weather was in the 60’s F.

The island hotel of Sveti Stefan.

Montenegro felt like a slightly poorer country than Croatia, but is rapidly developing, as evidenced by all the construction and real estate signs. I would love to go back and explore more of this small, but fascinating country.

Tour of Sicily: Taormina and Syracuse (Siracusa)

Sites visited in Sicily.

Taormina

Our first stop was Taormina, about 45 minutes north of Catania. Taormina is compact town wedged between high cliffs and the sea. It was an easily defensible position anciently and in medieval times.

Greek Theater, Taormina.

Roads and buildings seemed to be right on top of each other. Our B&B was on the north side of Taormina, right near the tram that takes visitors down to the beach area. We were within a 10 minute walk to the town. The main sight in Taormina is the Greek Amphitheater, rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd century A.D.

The setting of this theater is one of the most spectacular in all of Europe, overlooking the town, sea and Mt. Etna.

Taormina Duomo (Cathedral).

After visiting Taormina we drove up to the village of Castelmola. Set in the cliffs just above Taormina it provides a panoramic view of the whole area. Castelmola is a small village and there is a car park right off the road before entering the village. We hiked up to the castle ruins at the top of the village for a great view.

Taormina (with Castlemola at top of hill).

From Taormina, we drove south to Syracuse (about 2 hours), with a quick stop in Motta Sant’Anastasia (picture below-left), just to the southwest of Catania. The Norman tower (“Tower of Motta”), built around 1070, was not open. The town built on a rock outcropping above the plain is quite a sight.

Motta Sant’Anastasia

Syracuse (Siracusa)

Our B&B in Syracuse was situated in an apartment building about halfway between the old part of the city (the island of Ortygia) and the Archeological Park Neapolis. Parking is limited in Syracuse-we had to find parking on the streets wherever we could. Once we found a spot, we tried not to move the car and walked around town for most of our stay. Ortygia is a small island connected to the mainland by a bridge. It is full of narrow alleyways, stately buildings and a very interesting Duomo (Cathedral-below) that incorporates the columns of a 5^th century B.C. Greek temple and has a beautiful baroque facade. The Piazza del Duomo is quite beautiful as well. There is a good laundromat on Corso Umberto I just a few blocks from the bridge to Ortygia.

Syracuse Cathedral-Ortygia.

The next day we walked to the Archeological Park Neapolis which contains a number of old Greek and Roman ruins. We got there early to beat the tour buses. The street signs are clear and point the way to the Neapolis area. There is one entry fee (about €10) that provides access to the entire historical area. Sights include the ruins of a Roman amphitheater, Greek Theater (which workers were preparing for performances, held every two years), a votive area behind the theatre, the huge Altar of Heron where hundreds of animal sacrifices occurred, and the Quarry area including the cavernous Ear of Dionysius, where stone for the many monuments of Syracuse came from.

Altar of Heron.

Ear of Dionysius.

One of the other things we did that was very worthwhile was visiting the Catacombe di San Giovanni (Catacombs of St. John), which date from at least 300 B.C. There are at least 10,000 burial spots here.

San Giovanni Church.

It is located in the heart of modern Syracuse, close to the Neapolis. The church above ground is in ruins, but the catacombs below are quite well preserved. The only way to visit is with a guided tour. There are several tours each day, and we happened to arrive just as a tour was starting. The cost was about €4. The tour starts in the underground Cripta di San Marciano which is in the form of a Greek cross and includes some frescoes. The tour then proceeds through sections of the massive catacombs.

Catacombs of San Giovanni, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy

Catacombs di San Giovanni.

Tour of Sicily: Noto, Ragusa Ibla and Piazza Armerina

Sites visited in Sicily.

From Syracuse we drove to Noto, only about 45 minutes by car. Noto is a UNESCO Word Heritage site, with several stately streets, churches and palaces.

Cathedral of San Nicolo.

One of the more interesting things we noticed was that as we were driving into town, a convoy of 16 Ferraris passed us. After we found a place to park, we walked into the center of town and noticed all the Ferraris had parked in a row right in front of the town hall (Palazzo Ducezio) apparently for a meeting. A convention of Ferrari owners? Sicily is known as the home of the Mafia, and this was as close as we came to seeing any signs of it.

We climbed the bell tower of San Carlo al Corso church for a good view of the city.

San Carlo al Corso Church, Noto, Sicily, Italy

View from San Carlo al Corso Church Bell Tower.

From Noto we drove to Ragusa, another UNESCO World Heritage site (less than 60 minutes’ drive), and specifically to Ragusa Ibla, the old part of the city set on a hill top.

View of Ragusa Ibla (old city).

The drive itself is scenic, over the deep valleys on high modern bridges climbing the hilly countryside of this part of Sicily. There was a large car park just below Ragusa Ibla, which is separated from the newer part of the city by 340 steps. It is worth the climb up these stairs for a good view of Ragusa Ibla. We then went into Ibla, walking to the Duomo (San Giorgio), and then down to the town square, and out to Giardino Ibleo (gardens) overlooking the valley. Ragusa Ibla is a classic baroque town of the 1700’s.

San Giorgio Cathedral

From Ragusa, we drove to Pozzallo and caught the night ferry to Malta (see Malta blog post).

Upon our return to Pozzallo from Malta, we drove up to Piazza Armerina (about a 2.5 hour drive), to visit the world famous mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale, which is just a few kilometers outside the town.

Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily, Italy

Villa Romana del Casale, near Piazza Armerina

I was surprised that the entry fee was only €3, and discovered the reason was due to the closure of part of the site due to restoration. Most of the site is covered by a glass structure, like a greenhouse. The Villa is large, with many rooms. The floor mosaics are in excellent condition due to their being covered by mud since the 12^th century. The original owner must have been very wealthy to decorate the Villa so lavishly.

Piazza Armerina.

The town of Piazza Armerina is bypassed by most tour buses and tourists, and gave us a feel for a “real” Sicilian town. We wandered up and down a few streets and to the Duomo (Cathedral) for a good view of the surrounding countryside.

The next morning we drove northwest about 30 minutes to visit the ruins of Morgantina, originally inhabited around 1000 B.C. There are great views of the countryside and Mt. Etna in the distance. We found very few tourists at this site, making it a pleasant stop without crowds.

Ruins in Morgantina

Tour of Sicily: Agrigento, Selinunte, and Segesta

Sites visited in Sicily.

These three locations are the main Greek Temple sites in Sicily. From Piazza Armerina we drove through Barrafranca and Pietraperzia on our way to Agrigento. The springtime clear air and verdant green hills made this 2.5 hour drive very enjoyable.

Temple of Castor and Pollux, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy

Temple of Castor and Pollux (city of Agrigento in background).

We had heard that the scenic aspects of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento was somewhat spoiled by the city being so close to the site. We were pleasantly surprised that the view is still quite beautiful, and the Temples sit on a wooded ridge between Agrigento and the sea. The site is large, so plan on a good walk to see the various temples. We visited in the afternoon and the light was perfect since the sun was setting over the Mediterranean.

Temple of Concord

Our B&B was in the center of the old part of Agrigento high up on the hill, and had a fantastic view of the Valley of the Temples. Several of the streets were just wide enough for a small car to pass with about 1-2 inches to spare on each side. Most tour buses go directly to the temples and do not go into Agrigento. We would recommend a visit to the old part of the city. We found a good restaurant and enjoyed climbing stairs between the levels of the old streets. We stopped at the Convento di Santo Spirito and just peeked in since it was getting ready to close. The nuns saw us and invited us in for a look and in Italian did their best to explain to us the various features of the historic abbey-very friendly people.

Temple E, Selinunte.

The next morning we drove to Selinunte (northwest along the southern coast), with a short detour through the hill top town of Caltabellotta. Of the three temple sites, Selinunte was probably the least interesting, although it has a great setting on the coastline. The site is very spread out—it is about a 15-20 minute walk between the two main temple areas (the Acropolis and the Eastern hill). If one is rushed for time, be sure to visit Temple E (490 BC) on the Eastern hill, which is closest to the main parking. The main thing I enjoyed was hiking around the ruins of Temple G (Eastern hill) with the tumbled columns and being struck by the size of the blocks for the columns. How did they erect and assemble such huge stones for these temples? Amazing.

Segesta Temple.

Segesta. Don’t miss Segesta. It is about 40 miles north of Selinunte, not too far off the road on the way to Palermo. This temple is in the countryside, and in a very peaceful setting. The temple was never finished. The car park is close to the temple. On the hill just to the east of the temple there is a 3^rd century BC Greek Theater and the ruins of the ancient town of Segesta.

Segesta Theater.

The view of the valley and temple of Segesta is incredible from the Theater. There are buses every 30 minutes that take visitors up to the Theater, or it can be walked. I wish we had walked down to the car park rather than taken the bus given the picturesque views of the temple.

Tour of Sicily: Erice and Monreale

Sites visited in Sicily.

Street Scene-Erice

Erice is a well-preserved medieval town dramatically set on a high peak southwest of Palermo, and a good overnight stop between Segesta and Palermo. The views of the coast and the surrounding valleys are well worth the steep drive up the hill.

Our B&B-Il Carmine, former monastery

Our B&B in Erice was an old monastery right inside the walls of the town. It was a great location, but the beds were hard! Our stay gave us an appreciation for the austerity the monks must have endured.

Norman Castle, Erice

Walking around the perimeter of Erice, wandering through the town square and visiting the castles make Erice a great stop.

Monreale Cathedral Interior

From Erice we drove to Monreale. The interior of the Monreale Cathedral (dating from 1172) has some of the finest gold mosaic biblical scenes in all of Europe, and I marveled at the effort and expense required to create these mosaics. Monreale is just a few miles from Palermo, so don’t miss it.

Monreale Cathedral Apse Exterior

There is a convenient bus and car park just below the Cathedral. Like many churches and other sites in Sicily, Monreale cathedral closes in the middle of the day for a couple hours, so get there in the morning or the later afternoon.

Tour of Sicily: Cefalù and Caccamo

Sites visited in Sicily.

Cefalu, Sicily

Cefalù is on the northern coast of Sicily, about 40 miles east of Palermo. We made a stop here on a day trip from Palermo. It’s fast road between the two cities, and we paid a couple small tolls as we got closer to Cefalù. The old town and Duomo are set below the rock cliffs (La Rocca) and the sea.

Cefalu Cathedral and Square.

La Rocca can be hiked, leading to some prehistoric ruins (Tempio di Diana) and 12^th century castle ruins. If we had allowed more time, I would have loved to hike up La Rocca. The Duomo of Cefalù is one of the great Norman Cathedrals of Sicily, and dates from 1131. There is a pleasant piazza right in front of the Duomo that is good for a relaxing meal. There is also a beach near the town, but it was cloudy and the sea was rough on the day we were there.

Caccomo, Sicily

While in Cefalù, I saw a picture of the small town of Caccamo, and decided to take a side trip to this town on our way back to Palermo, and I’m glad we did. It was just about 6 miles off the Palermo-Cefalù highway. Caccamo is a quiet little town set on a hillside overlooking a valley. We went through the Norman castle at the west end of town (not too much to see, it is undergoing renovation), and then wandered the streets down to Chiesa Madre di Caccamo. Drive to the eastern side of the town for a great view of the town and valley.

Chiesa Madre di Caccamo.

Excursion to Malta

Islands of Malta.

We visited Malta as part of our trip to Sicily in April. It was a good time of year to visit weather-wise. The temperatures were warm and sunny but not hot. Malta is only about 90 kilometers from Sicily, and we spent two nights and one day in Malta. We took a ferry (Virtuferries.com) from Pozzallo, Sicily to Valletta, Malta.

Sicily-Malta Ferry (Virtu Ferries).

The trip was about 90 minutes each way. At the time, it cost about $110 per person roundtrip. It is also possible to fly from Catania on Air Malta, but it costs more and would likely take more time. Since the ferry is Maltese, the schedule is less convenient if one is traveling from Sicily to Malta than vice-versa. A lot of Maltese take day trips to Sicily to visit the mountains and escape the heat of Malta in the summer. So, we left Sicily late in the evening and returned early in the morning two days later.

Malta is very dry, rocky and the most densely populated country in Europe. The main island of Malta is small with a lot of traffic in a tightly congested area around Valletta, although outside the city the roads are a lot less busy.

Maltese Bus (all are the same retro style)

We rented a car (driving is on the left side), so we could have the freedom to see what we wanted—however we would suggest a good map-via a PDA/phone or GPS system, given the somewhat confusing road system and signage outside of Valletta. The local bus system would be a good alternative to driving. Visitmalta.com is a great website for learning about this country, and they have podcasts on a variety of topics, including information all about the movies filmed in Malta.

Given the recent history as a colony of the UK, English and Maltese are the official languages, and Italian is widely spoken. Malta’s long history means that there is a lot to see and do. It is full of prehistoric sights and more recent historic events—in particular the influence is evident of the Knights of Malta in the 1500’s, giving Valletta and the surrounding harbor its massive fortifications.

City Gate, Mdina.

We used our Hilton Honors points and stayed in the Hilton in St. Julians, a very good location, about 15 minutes from Valletta. Many of the hotels on the island are located in this area. In one day we were able to visit the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum, the old capital or “silent city” of Mdina, the ancient temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, and the city of Valletta, all without feeling rushed. We had considered hiring a tour guide for the day, given the shortness of our visit, however the guides we checked out wanted €150-200 for the day, plus a car rental, and we decided we could do our own tour easily enough.

Mdina Carriage Rides.

The Hypogeum, an underground prehistoric temple, was discovered by accident in 1902. It is underneath a building on a modern street. Without the sign on the building, there would be no way of knowing what lies underneath. A guided tour is the only way to see it and the number of visitors allowed each day is limited to 80. In our opinion it was worth it, even if a bit overpriced (about $28 per person). We could not take pictures inside the temple. We bought our tickets ahead of time (online) to avoid the chance of tickets being sold out due to tour groups and cruise ships. Ticket Information can be found on visitmalta.com.

Co-Cathedral of St. Paul, Mdina.

Mdina Street Scene.

The city of Mdina, the old capital of Malta, is quite beautiful. It is called the silent city due to a lack of traffic in the old part of the city. The city sits on a slight hill, giving it a good defensive position and providing a good view of this part of the island.

There is plenty to do here in wandering the streets, visiting the co-Catherdral of St. Paul, taking a carriage ride, visiting the dungeons, and other exhibitions.

Hagar Qim Temple

We then drove out to the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra (they are within walking distance of each other).

Mnajdra Temple.

These temples are on the other side of the island from Valletta, and the rural roads on that side of the island can be potholed and bumpy! These are some of the oldest man-made structures in the world (perhaps 3,500 BC). The temples are near the coast, above ground, and covered with a tent-like material (similar to the Denver airport main terminal roof) to protect them from the weather. It is possible to wander around and through the structures.

Valletta Harbor.

Our final stop for the day was Valletta. We found a parking garage close to the town and walked up to the main entrance to the old town. Our biggest mistake was getting something to eat before visiting the co-Cathedral of St. John. To our dismay, we found out that it closes at 4:30 pm, and we missed seeing Caravaggio’s “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (completed in 1608). This was a huge disappointment, in addition to missing the Cathedral itself. Be sure to get there before 4:30 pm! We loved the architecture of Valletta. Our favorite spot was the Upper Barraka Gardens, where we had a beautiful view of the harbor—pictures cannot do it justice, it is a beautiful setting. While we were there, we saw a cruise ship leaving and the Maltese cannon salute!

Valletta Harbor.

Another View-Valletta Harbor.

We would love to go back to Malta. We did not get to the beaches given our short stay. It would be a great vacation spot for at least a week with all the historical sites and beaches (including Gozo and Comino islands).

The Independent Tourist

Travel Locations and Tips for Independent Travelers

Author: Paul Terry

Croatia-Part 1: Trogir, Salona and Split

Croatia-Part 2: Hvar and Korcula

Croatia-Part 3: Dubrovnik

A Day Trip to Montenegro

Tour of Sicily: Taormina and Syracuse (Siracusa)

Tour of Sicily: Noto, Ragusa Ibla and Piazza Armerina

Tour of Sicily: Agrigento, Selinunte, and Segesta

Tour of Sicily: Erice and Monreale

Tour of Sicily: Cefalù and Caccamo

Excursion to Malta

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