My final full day in Malta had arrived. I had planned to do nothing originally on the last day, maybe a walk and some relaxing but as much as I try to ‘chill out and do nothing’ I find it a truly impossible task when I can explore. I would like to point out I did make it to around 9am before deciding to once again go out due to boredom. I had a quick google and look around for something interesting and decided to head down to the south of the island to Marsaxlokk with a stop at another couple of Heritage Malta sites.
Grabbing my camera gear and other essentials I headed out, catching the 13A to Bombi 3 and then the 81. From my excitement to be back out and exploring I made a slight mistake getting off the bus just over a mile from my intended first stop! Though the walk was nice there was little pavement and dodging the locals on the road was an interesting endeavor. However, I soon made it safely to the Għar Dalam Cave and Museum.
The museum was first and though not terribly large it was infact packed full of amazing reconstructed animals using the bones found in the cave. Bones of deer, brown bears, elephants and, most suprisingly to me at least, hippopotamus! The room with the bones in was an assult on the senses with the sheer amount of bones both reconstucted and in cases around every wall. It was extremely impressive!
After getting over the initial amazement and shock of the museum I headed out and walked down the short path to the cave itself. As it was January, I was the only person in the cave system (as was the case with many of the sites I visited) which was a true treat.! Althhough once again, the lights were automatic which did lead to a slightly concerning moment later on when I was again plunged into darkness! The cave is just shy of 145 metres though visitors can only go so far as half way. That being said I was very impressed and glad I had decided to take the extra trip to visit it. The signs around the cave are very informative explaining the stratigraphy of each layer that had been excavated.
I was once again lucky as a member of staff had come down to the cave (they may have been policing my presence as the only visitor being a cap wearing, leather jacket adorned bloke with a large bag holding my camera gear). However, I struck up conversation with them and they were very knowledgable. We discussed the evidence of the different animals that had once called the cave home, then being stranded post ice age, hence the presence of hippos. After about 20 minutes and many questions later we moved back out of the cave and back to the museum.
Għar Dalam Cave and Museum – Heritage Malta
After expressing my gratitide for all the additional conversation and information we parted ways as I left for Borġ in-Nadur Prehistoric Complex another Neolithic site just a short walk away from the caves. Having been to a few of the other sites and my visit coming just off the back of Għar Dalam Cave I was somewhat underwhelmed by the Borġ in-Nadur site. Obviously any prehistorical site is interesting and Borġ in-Nadur is important in the grand scheme of pre-history in Malta, though as a visitor I felt there was not much to see. There were little to no information boards and visible rock remains were less impressive than the other sites I had visited. Maybe I was just too spoilt!
Borġ in-Nadur Prehistoric Complex – Heritage Malta
Happily, I decided that I would head from Borġ in-Nadur to Marsaxlokk, the largest fishing village in Malta and very picturesque. I was lucky as when I set off the 210 bus was coming past and I decided to treat myself to the bus rather than walk as I was supposed to be relaxing after all. Keeping that in mind, on arrival I looked for somewhere to get food and found a harbour front place called Carrubia. Setting up outside I ordered my food, quite possibly some of the best food I have ever had! I ordered the seabass and what came was the fresh banquet of food seen below. I washed it down with a local beer and paid a total of €19! Very full and satisfied I headed off round the harbour looking in the stalls selling local trinkets and other such things.
Marsaxlokk (Malta’s fishing village): Travel guide and tips
After a good wander I resolved to return to Sliema and relax for the rest of the day. I grabbed the bus back to Valetta, got my last little boat across the harbour to Sliema, picked up a few things for gifts and soon found myself back in the hotel. It was now when I decided to have that relaxing walk along the promenade! As I said before, I can’t sit still! I ventured round to St. Julians Bay and to the cat shelter park where I was able to sit still for a little bit and watch the world pass by next to a cat having a nap on a bench, what a treat! Soon the sun was setting on my Malteese adventure and bidding farewell to Malteser (the cat), I arrived back at the hotel and prepared for the next days travel home.
Waking up the next day I made my way to the airport and was treated to fantastic arial views of Malta, Comino and Gozo as I came back home on 17th January 2026. On 21st January 2026, Malta and much of the medditerainian was hit by cyclone Harry, the strongest recorded storm to ever hit Malta. I was devestated to see the damage caused by the storm in Malta. The area infront of my hotel, the Sliema Chalet Hotel, where the Sliema Chalet can be found was stripped of its concrete. In Marsaxlokk, Carrubia, my seabass friends were flooded out. The oldest palm tree in Malta, a tree that stood for 200 years, was snapped. The army was called in to assist as the 100mph plus winds battered the islands. The damage to the islands that had welcomed me and impressed me so much was immensely upsetting. I couldn’t help but think of Malteser in his little shelter, I hope he is ok.
Sadly Cyclone Harry left a path of destruction across the entire Medditeranian from Tunisia to Greece, Spain to Sicily. Reports from Italy’s coastguard stated an estimated 380 migrants drowned trying to reach a better life. I am very privilaged to be able to travel to these fantastic places, meet the brilliant people and experience amazing different cultures. However, as I write this in the second heat wave of 2026 in the UK, with a Super El-niño declared, I feel obliged to say, if we don’t start collectively taking responsibility and holding our leaders accountable for this planet that we call home, there won’t be any safe places. No more travel and luxuries, the death of millions if not billions of people, the death of cultures around the globe. It won’t be like a sinking ship where the men will have the chance to be oh so very virtuous and let the women and childeren go first. It won’t be a disaster on the other side of the planet we can choose to ignore because it doesn’t affect ‘us’. The young will die along side the old, all Flora and Fauna, the rich alongside the poor. We have to change. Adapt or die.
This isn’t how I wanted to finish my Malta trip series, though it is necessary. Thank you for reading and your support.
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