If you are looking for somewhere different for next summer, Malta deserves to move higher up the list. Small enough to explore by boat in a week, yet packed with dramatic coastlines, historic towns, hidden coves and remarkably clear water, Malta offers an unusually rewarding sailing holiday.
And the biggest advantage? You don’t need to spend your holiday sailing for hours to see it.
Malta, Gozo and Comino sit close together in the middle of the Mediterranean, creating a compact cruising area that is ideal for a week on a catamaran. Days can be spent swimming in secluded bays, exploring caves and snorkelling in crystal-clear water, while evenings can be devoted to restaurants, historic harbours and spectacular sunsets.
Start in Valletta
There can be few more impressive places to begin a sailing holiday than Valletta. The fortified city rises dramatically above the Grand Harbour, with honey-coloured stone buildings, enormous bastions and centuries of maritime history.
After boarding your catamaran, spend your first evening exploring the city before heading out the following morning. From here, the islands open up in almost every direction.
Comino and the Blue Lagoon
No sailing trip around Malta would be complete without seeing the famous Blue Lagoon on Comino. Its extraordinary turquoise water is one of Malta’s defining sights.
Arriving by boat gives you an advantage, however. Rather than simply joining the crowds on shore, you can experience Comino from the water, finding quieter bays nearby for swimming, paddleboarding and lunch.
For a crewed catamaran, this is exactly the sort of day the format was designed for: breakfast on deck, a morning swim, lunch overlooking the water and an afternoon spent exploring the coastline.
Discover Gozo
Gozo provides a completely different atmosphere. Greener, quieter and more rural than Malta, it has traditional villages, dramatic cliffs and beautiful swimming spots.
The coastline is particularly impressive from the sea, with caves, arches and secluded inlets that are difficult to appreciate from land. Ramla Bay makes a spectacular stop, while the area around Dwejra offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the Maltese islands.
And after a day on the water, Gozo’s restaurants provide an opportunity to experience the island’s distinctive cuisine and relaxed pace.
Explore Malta’s Hidden Side
One of the pleasures of sailing Malta is discovering that there is far more to the islands than the famous sights.
The southern coast is rugged and relatively undeveloped, with limestone cliffs, caves and clear anchorages. The Blue Grotto is spectacular in the morning light, while the smaller bays around the coast provide countless opportunities for a swim away from the main tourist areas.
With a local crew, you can also adapt the itinerary according to the weather, finding the best sheltered anchorage each day rather than following a rigid schedule.
Why a Catamaran?
Malta is particularly well suited to a catamaran holiday. The distances are short, the cruising is relatively straightforward and there are plenty of places where you can drop anchor and spend the afternoon in the water.
A modern crewed catamaran also transforms the experience. There is space to spread out, bedrooms for everyone, a large cockpit for long lunches and the freedom to jump straight from the boat into the Mediterranean.
And because the crew handle the sailing, anchoring and much of the day-to-day organisation, the holiday becomes less about navigating from A to B and more about enjoying every stop along the way.
So, if next summer’s holiday needs sunshine, swimming, history, great food and a genuine sense of adventure – without spending your entire week sailing – put Malta on the list. It may be small, but from the deck of a catamaran, Malta, Gozo and Comino make one very big sailing holiday.
