Two gay girls check out the country topping the list for LGBTQ+ rights.
LGBTQ+ Malta
Today, LGBTQ+ rights in Malta rank amongst the highest in the world. With Valetta hosting Europride this year — September 7th to the 17th, if you're interested — this small Mediterranean island has made a name for itself within the LGBTQ+ community as one of the most welcoming tourist destinations.
Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Malta since January 1973, and it was the first European country to criminalise conversion therapy in 2016. In 2018, Malta earned first place in the International Lesbian-Gay Association’s Rainbow Europe’s league for LGBT rights by granting 91% of total rights.
There are recorded accounts of homosexuality in Malta going all the way back to the Order of St. John. Though taboo, homosexuality was legal and widespread — an 'open secret.' This changed when Malta became a British colony in 1814 as it subsequently adopted its penal code and criminalised same-sex relations between men. Malta became independent in 1964, and in 1973 the labour government finally changed Malta's laws to match Western Europe and therefore decriminalised homosexuality.
In 2004, Malta gained EU membership, which led to an increase in tourism. Former president Marie Louise Coleiro Preca (2014 to 2019) is largely to thank for Malta's current progressive laws, such as civil union and equal adoption rights.
Despite ranking first out of 49 European countries in terms of their ‘respect of human rights and equality’ for ILGA-Europe, Malta remains a predominantly Catholic country and only allowed divorce in 2011 (!!!!). Abortion, of any kind, is also still considered to be a criminal offence.
So, it was odd to find ourselves in a country so liberal in terms of queer rights but conservative in terms of women’s rights. We didn’t experience any homophobia but got catcalled more than we had anywhere else — finding more discomfort in being women than being openly gay.
Culture & activities
Our favourite museum was the National Museum of Fine Arts, where we discovered the sculptor Antonio Sciortino. Marion was particularly drawn to his gender-bending Rhythm of Life sculpture. We also loved The Letter by Lazzaro Pisani and Victor Pasmore's selection of screen prints with poetry.
There's a long line and high ticket price attached to getting into St. John's Co-Cathedral. We chose to skip it and went for free into the Church of St Francis of Assisi, a baroque, pastel dream full of works by prominent Maltese artists. Despite being in the centre of Valletta on the bustling Republic Street, you'd miss it if you didn't know it was there — definitely a hidden gem.
We also went out to the pre-historic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, an area of standing stones dating from roughly 3600–3200 BC. These limestone structures are enormous and still hold something special. They sit on a remote plain facing the sea and are covered with a kind of white tent that keeps them safe from the elements. Birds have nested in their crevices and filled the roof of the tent with atmospheric chirping.
If you're in Birgu, pop in to the Sicolo Norman House. We discovered this little old house by accident, wandering in through an open door. It's minuscule but contains some wonderful artwork and ancient pots and furniture.
Be warned! The Maltese LOVE fireworks. We missed the fireworks festival by a few days, but you can almost be guaranteed you'll see (or hear) some while you're there. If you're not expecting it, you might wake up in the middle of the night, scared to death, thinking you're being bombed (speaking from personal experience here).
Wine & nightlife
The house white is usually Maltese chardonnay. Very cheap and surprisingly nice!
We also sampled a grenache rosé from Medina vineyards (a rather unusual wine that's dry, aromatic, and heavy on the red fruits — but we liked it enough to get a bottle at the duty free on the way home).
For a nice aperitif, or if a little nightlife's your thing, head to Café Society in Valletta. This LGBTQ+ venue has tables outside for people-watching and admiring the harbour. We sadly missed its Ur A Vision party celebrating the Eurovision semi-finals (but hosted our own party and stole the name when we returned to Brighton).
If we'd had more time, we would have also tried these bars in Valletta: Gugar Hangout & Bar, Maori, and Wild Honey.
Vegan food
We checked out the Birgu farmers' market (Tuesday and Saturday from 7am – 12pm), since it was nearby. It was very small — just a few stalls and only locals shopping. We would have gotten all our produce here if we'd been staying longer, but stuck to a heaping basket of fresh strawberries.
The Convenience Shop (yes, it's literally called this) is your BFF. There aren't that many grocery stores so do plan your food shopping. Be mindful that the opening hours vary and some shops close early, for Sundays, for a little siesta, or for no apparent reason. The Convenience Shop had a reasonable selection of vegan müsli and other bits and bobs. You're more likely to find fresh fruit at a little fruit stand. If you're in Valletta, there’s also an M&S Food Shop, with it's British-level selection of hummus and vegan staples.
Although plenty of guides will tell you to go to Marsaxlokk for the Sunday market, we think it's fine to skip. It's crowded and full of plastic tourist tat, though we reckon the village itself might be quite nice on any other day.
Soul Food: Super central in Valletta, this restaurant serves an odd mishmash of cuisines, most of which are vegetarian or vegan. The wine was great and we can recommend the spirulina pasta!
Don Berto: This waterside restuarant in Birgu had a delicious vegan quinoa salad, complete with nice vegan cheese. The house wine was tasty, the portions were great, and the view from the terrace looked wonderful (we wouldn't know for sure — we recommend booking if you want to sit outside!).
ArtDate Cafe: This cafe at the border has a large outdoor seating area going up the steps into Seneglea. It's got decent coffee, vegan food options, friendly staff, and a resident cat.
Coogi’s in Mdina: This lovely courtyard restaurant in Malta's 'silent city' had sooo many vegan options, all clearly marked on the menu. We both had delicious pizza, Aperol Spritz, and sampled some some traditional Maltese schnapps. A comfy, welcoming spot where we could have stayed all evening!
La Giara: This traditional restaurant is far from the crowds of central Valletta. It was quiet and perfect for a break from wandering the hilly streets. We sat outside with the house wine and a simple spaghetti.
Alka: If you're near the Blue Grotto or Ħaġar Qim archeological site, don't pass up a trip to Alka for lunch. Their menu changes frequently, so if it doesn't look like there's anything vegan, just ask and they'll whip something up — perhaps a pomodoro pasta. The pasta was lovely, as was complementary focaccia! The view is divine, so definitely ask for a seat on the roof terrace.
The sweet stuff
Some traditional Maltese sweet treats are vegan! Imqaret, like little date rolls, are often vegan (but check for eggs or egg whites in the dough). They're often enjoyed warm with a cup of coffee. Definitely a love it or hate it dessert, Qagħaq tal-Għasel or black honey rings are often vegan — despite what the name suggests, the 'black honey' isn't honey at all but more like molasses or treacle. We also sampled a traditional crunchy chocolate chip cookies.
Amorino in Valletta also serves clearly marked vegan gelato in fun flavours. Beware, there's always a line!
Walks, swims, and where to wander
We stayed in Birgu and highly recommend getting to know that side of the harbour. Birgu is one of the 'Three Cities' which face Valletta's southern side. Birgu was quaint and Mediterranean, while neighbouring Senglea's tall, pastel buildings in varying states of decay gave the city a more romantic atmosphere. The hilly topography of both cities mean that you can find beautiful views around every corner. Birgu and Senglea face each other across a small harbour filled with yachts and sailboats, as well as some university buildings, which add to the casual, local-feeling nightlife.
Make sure you get to Mdina, the Silent City, which is a quick bus or taxi ride from Valletta. This fortified city was the country's capital from antiquity until the medieval period. It's full of beautiful cobbled streets, pretty doors (with unique door knockers), and ornate palazzos.
It sounds obvious, but walk around Valletta, particularly around both Barrakka Gardens. The walled city is tiny and it wouldn't take that long to find you've wandered nearly every street. But there are some hidden gems — at the bottom of Old Mint Street, there's a nondescript building that houses the Valletta Design Cluster. Go on in and take the lift up to the free rooftop garden, which is the perfect place to sit and enjoy a picnic and the view.
Swims
If it's warm, take the winding stairs down to the near-hidden Wuestenwinds beach, a stone beach nestled among the fishermen's huts. It's mostly populated by locals and cats, and feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city above.
Across the water, we also swam off the side of Fort St. Angelo in Birgu. The spot is a bit tricky to find, but it's marked as 'Fort St Angelo Rocky Beach' on Google Maps. Follow Xatt Il-Form all the way to the end, where you'll find a parking lot. An unmarked set of stairs leads to a path and through a run-down gate (if it looks a bit like the start of a horror film, you're going the right way!). Keep going until you round the corner to the right and you'll get down to the 'beach' — some smooth stones where you can easily walk into the sea.
If you make it over to Sliema, or are staying there, make sure you go for a swim at Tigné Point, which has glorious views of Valletta and neat ladders going into the water.
On the island's west side, you can have a lovely swim in the Blue Grotto Canal. We didn't bring our swimming gear and regretted it, so go in our honour! In the far south, we visited St. Peter's Pool with the intention of having a nice beach day. We're sorry to say it was crowded with rowdy dudes playing loud music and very sadly full of litter. The rowdy dudes we could handle but the litter was awful. We followed the path to the right, around the corner, to the salt pans part of the coast. The salt pans and rock formations in the area are truly remarkable and worth seeing — if you can, find a nice quiet spot out this way.
Recommended reading
Check out the indie publisher Praspar Press, which works with contemporary Maltese literature written in or translated into English. They're very young — founded in 2020, they've published just two novels and two anthologies of Maltese writing thus far. The perfect taster.
Marion started Elif Shafak's The Island of Missing Trees while we were there and Hannah read Deborah Levy's Things I Don't Want to Know.
Getting there and getting around
If you're going from London or the south of England, there are direct flights from Gatwick. We'd have loved to approach from the sea, and there are regular cheap ferries going back and forth from Sicily.
Malta has an extensive bus system and you can buy cheap passes for several days of rides. However, in the summer the busses are hot, stuffy, and highly oversubscribed — there's standing room only. They might just pass you by if they're too full. We used a combination of busses and Uber to get around — usually leaving the Uber trip for the end of the day when we just wanted to get home. It won't break the bank — an Uber ride from one side of the island to the other cost us between €10 and €18.
We also loved taking the water taxi every day from Birgu over to Valletta. These traditional wooden boats go back and forth across the harbour all day every day, except in bad weather, and comes with a beautiful view. It cost €2 per journey (have cash on hand!). The water taxi stops just under the Barfakka Lift in Valletta, which will save you the long and arduous climb from the waterfront up to the city gates.
For such a tiny island, it's amazing how much more there was that we didn't get to see. (Keep an eye out for a mini-guide to Malta's northern island, Gozo!). Have any thoughts, comments, or think we missed something special? Get in touch with us at gaygirlstravelguide@gmail.com.