Winter Drives in Malta

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Flying to Malta? Winter is the best time to plan a road trip. Hiring a 4×4 car gives tourists some of the best views on the island. Find out how.

Flying to Malta this winter?  There’s plenty to celebrate during the “winter season.”  Cooler climates and light rain showers show the archipelago at its prettiest, when dry limestone stretches turn into delicate shades of green. Now is the best time, in fact, to have a road trip.  Hiring a car or exploring the rugged terrain with a 4x4 gives motivated tourists some of the best views of the year.

 

 

Local Driving Conditions

Winter generally lowers rental fees and tourist congestion—excellent reasons to pick up a set of car keys.  Best of all, snow and ice won’t threaten you or your journey.  Malta does have a few quaint characteristics, however, that visiting drivers should know beforehand.  For example, illumination at night can be low, owing to irregular village streetlights and early darkness in January and February.  Take extra caution under these conditions; although Malta’s streets are improving, many side roads transition abruptly from tarmac to gravel.  When in doubt, just follow the polite local custom and honk your horn when navigating through tricky spots.  It won’t be long before you find yourself adapting to local driving habits.

 

Be Your Own Boss

Private transportation enables you to access Malta’s many secluded areas.  Winter’s delicate landscapes and lower tourist turnout gives visitors more reasons to drive.  One recommended place is Madliena.  Quiet and secluded, this northern town features plenty of unspoiled scenery.  Pull over and start your journey with the Victoria Lines — a fortified wall built by the British during the early 1800s. The 12km-long barrier elegantly underscores rumpled patches of valleys and damp clusters of carob and eucalyptus trees.  Take your time; having a rental car spares you from walking into town for the bus.  make sure you don’t skip the coastline, either.  Winter seas are windswept and dramatic in Malta.  Drive along the cliffs or stop whenever a little bay or beach calls to you.  At this time of year, the panoramic vistas are relatively free of tourists.  Take advantage of the low season with a car! 

 

4x4 Tours

If you’re not enthusiastic about driving on your own, fear not—Malta and Gozo’s inner charms remain open.  A 4x4 tour is an eccentric but practical way of traversing the islands.  Each company provides its own touches, of course, but most take these four-wheel-drive vehicles away from tame destinations.  After all, these iconic American vehicles encourage people to shirk convention and take the road less travelled.  Can you think of a better way to explore the Maltese islands?

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