Malta Attracts Hundreds of Thousands of Tourists Each Year
The Maltese Islands are made up of 2 densely inhabited islands, Malta and Gozo, a small island called Comino, which hosts a large exotic tourist resort, a smaller uninhabited island called Cominetto, and a large rock called Filfla.
Right in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, the Maltese Islands are a paradise for sea lovers. Kilometres of sandy and rocky beaches are easily accessible, making it the perfect venue for those who are looking for a beach holiday, where they can relax in the sun, swim in crystal-clear safe blue seas, walk along promenades and enjoy good food and accommodation at reasonable prices.
An island is always dependent on the sea, and Malta is lucky to have so many advantages in this regard. With beautiful warm climate during most of the year, tourists come to Malta to enjoy the sea even in winter, when days can sometimes turn out to be warmer than it could ever get in Northern England or Italy during summer.
Among the hundreds of thousands of tourists who flock each year to this Mediterranean Island Paradise are many yachting enthusiasts. Malta boasts of many Yacht Marinas that are fully equipped to cater for all types of vessels, from small yachts to luxury yachts and super yachts.
Many are those who chose to stop in Malta to enjoy the island while their yachts are being maintained and refurbished. The Maltese yachting companies are proud of their workmanship that dates back to the years of the British rule, when the Malta Dockyards were one of the pedestals of the British Navy in southern Europe.
The Maltese towns and cities blend into each other, so you hardly know when you have left one village an entered another, were it not for the “Welcome to our Village” signs put up by local councils to show their boundaries.
The Maltese islands are very densely populated. Presently the Maltese population amounts to around 400 thousand. By international standards Malta is so small it’s just like a very small city.
There are 67 villages that have a local council; 53 in Malta and 14 in Gozo.
Although closely knit together, some villages have very distinct and pleasant features. The older villages have a baroque church built in the centre. Many Parish Churches occupy a central and dominant position in the structure of old villages such as Mosta, Zabbar, Zejtun, Ghaxaq, Tarxien, Gudja, Dingli, Cospicua, Senglea, and too many to name.
This is clear evidence of the great devotion that the Maltese people have always had for the Roman Catholic Religion and the important place religion is still given in the Maltese people’s everyday life.
Many historic buildings boast a baroque style of architecture, which was predominant after the Renaissance in Malta. Some of the most magnificent palaces and auberges built by the Knights of St John are today used by the elite, such as the Presidential Palace, the Parliamentary Palace, the Prime Minister’s Palace, Foreign Ministries, etc.
In the towns and villages, the old parish churches’ baroque architecture deeply contrasts with the flat and plain roof tops of the other buildings. The village architecture is reminiscent of buildings in countries such as North African, where the climate and weather is similar.