Malta in winter, contrary to what many people think, is a real paradise, the climate is mild and rainfall is very low. In recent years this island has been my second home and I admit that apart from a bit of initial bewilderment, I don’t mind at all now. The thing that friends and girlfriends ask me most often is precisely this fateful question: “But exactly what can you do in Malta in winter?
The answer is actually simple, Malta in the middle of winter is definitely beautiful and very lively, perhaps even more so than in summer.
Yes, to paraphrase Benigni in his famous Johnny Stecchino, the problem in Malta is traffic!
There is also a lot of tourism, but without the excessive numbers of summer. Places and tourist attractions can be visited without having to queue up and the traffic… well, traffic is always omnipresent!
It has to be admitted that in the winter months, however, billions of cars are missing in the warmer season.
Another great reason to go to Malta in winter are the prices. It is not difficult to find many opportunities both for the plane (they leave from the major Italian airports especially with Ryanair) and for accommodation.
You can easily find hundreds of really good offers on Booking, Momondo or Trivago. Personally I managed to sleep in a 4 star hotel with sea view room for just over 40 euros per night per person, breakfast included. Of course you can also easily find much cheaper accommodation, there are many hotels and private facilities on Airbnb.
A little advice: if you decide to go in the “colder” season, take accommodation in a central area and not in those peripheral areas that tend to be more uninhabited, obviously this suggestion should be ignored if you are looking for peace and quiet.
The island of Malta is very crowded in winter both by Italian pensioners and by many young foreigners because it is much cheaper.
As stated in a tourist brochure found on the site: “Here are some good reasons to come to Malta: 300 days of sunshine a year, 25 degrees average, good food”.
Malta in October
The first time I went to Malta was in the middle of October and since I was there on business I didn’t have much time to inform myself. I only had to stay for 3 days and make several meetings so I looked for little and nothing, convinced that I couldn’t do much. I expected to find a semi deserted island with rolling bushes and little else. Well I was wrong, October is perhaps the best time to visit Malta! Yes, I will surprise you perhaps, but it is the ideal month. There is still life, it is not deserted at all, the hotels are cheap, the flights are abundant (even from Pisa airport from which I usually depart) but above all the climate is fantastic. My partner Paolo and I even took a bath and the water temperature was definitely acceptable even for us “non-Nordicans”. The average temperatures are 24° during the day and 17° at night, and it is often necessary to keep the windows open at night because it is too hot. Rainfall is 90mm per (divided in about 10 days) and if you want a dispassionate advice, bring shorts and an anorak because during the day you can find up to 30 degrees but often a particularly boring wind rises. The hours of sunshine are 7 hours and the water temperature is about 23 degrees tending to rise in some cases.
Malta in November
The month of November in Malta is still very mild, not like the previous month but still very good. If you’re Nordic you can even take a bath, I personally didn’t dare although I admit that when I put my feet in the water it was still warm enough and didn’t take my breath away, but I wasn’t brave enough to take a bath, something that two young girls clearly Teutonic were doing with joy.
The average temperatures are 20° during the day and 14° at night, while the rainfall is 80mm (divided into about 11 days) and if you stay a week you are not unlikely to find a day or two of bad weather. Real rain is very difficult if not for an hour at most, but in any case not unlikely. The wind that often comes in the evening tends to carry away the biggest storms. There are 6 hours of sunshine and the water temperature is around 21 degrees, during the hottest hours of the day if the sun hits hard or if the sirocco from the Sahara comes in, it can increase and even make the experience pleasant.
Malta in December
December in Malta has a truly unique effect. Imagine that you see in front of you Santas, decorated trees and nativity scenes… while you are wearing shorts, if you were smart enough to bring a pair of shorts or buy it locally. Yes, because even in December this island gives us a really enjoyable climate.
The average temperatures are 17° during the day and 11° at night, while rainfall is 110mm and it is highly recommended to bring a sweatshirt or for the colder ones a spring jacket, especially in the evening. The wind gets a little more insistent and cold but it is always very hot, especially during the day. You can bully your friends who are at home or in the office dying from the cold. The last time I went to Malta in December I left Bologna where it was -5° and we arrived on the island where it was 24°, I’ll let you imagine! :D
The hours of sunshine are only 5 hours and the sea temperature is around 18 degrees, certainly not ideal for swimming, but I can guarantee you that I have always seen foreigners bathing in December!
Malta in January and February
These two months are absolutely the coldest to visit the Maltese archipelago. However, being the European state closest to the equator, it has a few more hours of sunshine than Italy. It is also the month in which tourism is less and obviously the offers are very good! So if you want to take a tour of the island and spend very little, these are the best months.
at some point these famous 65 days of rain will have to be done! :)
The average temperatures are 16° during the day and 9° at night and it is highly recommended to bring a jacket, especially in the evening. The cold is never excessive but the wind, yes, that’s a real pain in the ass. So bring an excellent windbreaker and don’t forget to wear an onion-shaped jacket because it’s the month with the greatest temperature range both real and perceived because of the wind. But don’t forget to wear short sleeves because they are often useful here during the day.
In Malta in January and February you will find perhaps the rainiest month with about 14 days of rain and average rainfall of 90mm.
There are only 5 hours of sunshine and the sea temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius, certainly not ideal for swimming, but even here, as absurd as it is, I’ve seen someone swimming, crazy people, of course, and Vikings! O__O
What should I bring in my suitcase for a trip to Malta in winter?
As we have already said, the best thing is to dress in onions, i.e. with clothes that can be taken off and worn very quickly and can be layered. Perfect from my point of view sweatshirts with front opening and maybe a hood that can be pulled up when the wind starts blowing.
A K-way or an anorak is another item that should not be missing in your luggage together with a small umbrella or a mackintosh of the foldable kind.
I recommend comfortable shoes because many of the places on the island are walking routes and a sneaker is always the best choice.
A pashima (or a scarf) is another extremely useful item to put in your luggage to avoid catching cold at the throat, because as I said at the end, the wind is an ugly beast on this island and comes when you least expect it.
One last thing I suggest you put in your backpack is a great desire for adventure, Malta is full of mysteries and very strong dualisms. Have a good trip!
by Roimax ltd
