This Island With Turquoise Seas Is One Of The Warmest Places To Visit In Europe This Fall

Should you’re pondering of heading to Europe this fall, and you have been questioning whether or not it is already too late for an low season dip within the Mediterranean, or sipping crimson wine alfresco with breathtaking vistas, we’re right here to inform you not all hope is misplaced.

Whereas it is true that in most locations leaves have turned amber, and pumpkin spice latte has made its yearly comeback to Previous City cafes, there’s one European island nonetheless reminiscing of summer time.

With common fall temperatures of 76 °F, the tiny Mediterranean nation of Malta is likely one of the warmest spots you’ll be able to go to throughout the pond proper now—and belief us after we say, you have by no means seen water this clear earlier than.

The Warmest European Island This Season

An archipelagic nation positioned south of Sicily, Malta is the proper low season seashore getaway should you’re not prepared for the seasonal change.

For starters, the autumnal interval right here is a lot milder than in different components of the continent, resulting from Malta’s southerly location: if you consider it, it is nearly midway between Europe itself, and the coast of Africa, so it is sometimes hit full-on by any Saharan warmth waves coming from the south.

Then, there’s the truth that Malta is a really arid, nearly desert-like landmass: there are not any rivers, vegetation protection is minimal, and final 12 months, it registered solely 69 days of rain—after we break it right down to heavy precipitation with, say, over 20 mm of rain, that is an excellent decrease 10–20 days.

On common, fall temperatures in Malta attain as excessive as 76 °F, whereas the common low, sometimes noticed within the evenings, is a pleasing 63 °F.

A Postcard-Prepared Capital Metropolis With A Small City Really feel

The summer-like temps and minimal rain usually are not Malta’s solely perk this season: in case you are unfamiliar with the nation, it is full of historical sights, Baroque cities frozen in time, and paradisaical seashores that appear to be a reside postcard.

Naturally, there is not any Malta with out Valletta, its compact harbor-side capital. The smallest capital within the European Union, at a mere 0.24 sq. miles, it’s a hilly maze of slim streets lined with colourful coated balconies.

Positioned on a pedestrianized Republic Road, St. John’s Co-Cathedral is lavishly-decorated with gilded ceilings and complex carvings, and it homes Caravaggio’s masterpiece The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

Should you’re obsessed with Historical past, you’ll be able to’t miss the sixteenth century Grand Grasp’s Palace, the historic seat of the Knights of St. John, who based Valletta. It now homes the Workplace of the President of Malta, however vacationers are nonetheless welcome to go to the museum.

Alongside the sides of the walled metropolis, the Higher Barakka Gardens provide unimaginable views of Malta’s heavily-fortified Grand Harbor, and the ‘Three Cities’ within the distance. It additionally options grandiose memorials, shaded walkways, and ornate fountains.

Medieval Cities Galore

Talking of the ‘Three Cities’, they are a trio of historic municipalities that now kind a single conurbation, mendacity throughout the Grand Harbor from Valletta.

The oldest of them, Vittoriosa was the unique seat of the Knights earlier than Valletta was constructed. Senglea is scenic and extra laid-back, with Gardjola Gardens being a particularly-great lookout over the capital. Lastly, there’s Cospicua, a double-fortified city with imposing coastal partitions.

It does not finish there: Malta is littered with well-preserved medieval ‘cities’—they’re technically all small cities, however let’s play alongside right here.

Mdina, generally known as the ‘Silent Metropolis’, is totally surrounded by partitions and a moat, and reduce via with cobblestone alleys that result in hidden patios. Simply exterior Mdina, Rabat has Roman-era catacombs, conventional Maltese homes, and native cafes.

Everybody’s heard of the ‘Three Cities’, however very vacationers are conscious of Malta’s ‘Three Villages’: Lija, Balzan, and Attard, all elegant previous cities dominated by Baroque cupolas, and characterised by a virtually-unchanged medieval streetscape.

Seaside-Hopping In October? Why Not?

October (and early November) are good for beach-hopping round Malta because the summer time crowds have absolutely dissipated, water temps are nonetheless nice sufficient to swim in, and you will get many of the seashores all to your self.

This contains Golden Bay, maybe Malta’s hottest sandy seashore, resulting from its crystal-clear water, Mellieħa Bay, a rivalling sandy strip with family-friendly shallow seas, and naturally, Malta’s iconic ‘Blue Lagoon’:

One thing it’s best to know, nonetheless, is that Malta is not a single-island nation.

It consists of three fundamental landmasses: Malta itself, the biggest island and fundamental administrative heart, Gozo, the second-largest island, and Comino, an islet that is not completely inhabited, positioned between the opposite two.

The Blue Lagoon is in Comino, and you will must e-book a ship tour to get there. Fortunately, they run year-round, as vacationers come from everywhere in the globe, no matter season, to marvel on the impossibly-turquoise waters of this pure pool.

Uncover Malta’s Smaller Lesser-Recognized Sister

On the subject of Gozo, it is a destination in its own right, with loads of pristine bays and swimming coves to discover, and plenty of extra historical settlements to be found.

Ferries to Gozo depart from the Northern Maltese port of Ċirkewwa, and the crossing to Mġarr port takes about 25 minutes. From Mġarr, there are common buses working to Victoria, the capital of Gozo, and a fortified citadel with a Baroque cathedral at its heart.

Different must-see websites across the island embody Xaghra, the placement of a prehistoric archaeological web site, Nadur, an inland city with family-owned Maltese trattorie and ocher-colored buildings, and Ramla Bay, well-known for its red-sand seashore and azure, heat waters.

Fall temperatures within the island of Gozo are much like these in neighboring Malta, solely barely cooler. Common excessive is 73 °F, common low is 63 °F, and only some wet days, principally mild showers all through the season.

Nonstop Flights From The U.S. To Malta Launching In 2026

Beginning next year, Individuals will be capable of fly nonstop to Malta for the primary time in over twenty years. You learn that proper: no extra layovers in mainland Europe.

Delta Air Traces introduced they are going to be servicing Malta Worldwide Airport (MLA), the nation’s solely entry level, from their JFK base starting June 7, 2026.

Flights will function thrice every week, and they’re going to run via October of that very same 12 months, on a wide-body Boeing 767-300ER.

This can make Malta much more accessible, and inside simple attain of U.S. vacationers in search of a sun-drenched cultural getaway.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Journey Off Path, has over 60+ international locations below his belt (and at present weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that may have you ever packing your baggage.