"Well-researched practical detail and a good read, to boot." --BBC Holiday Magazine "Written with humor and authority, as well as obvious real affection for this offbeat destination." --Los Angeles Times (US) "Replete with history, maps, transportation schedules and information on accommodations and restaurants to fit any taste or budget." --Europe Magazine (US)

In this most comprehensive guide, author Simon Gaul tours the islands and imparts their secrets with an insider's knowledge--detailing local festivals and spicing history with anecdote. The guide tracks down hidden bays, secluded anchorages, and quiet walks, and seeks out the best local lace-makers, taxi drivers, and boatmen. It explores the monumental remains of prehistoric sites older than the Pyramids and takes a cliffside walk along Malta's striking rocky coast. A frank assessment of every place to eat and stay is provided, along with the lowdown on the Italian-influenced cuisine and even the recipe for a traditional dish of rabbit stew. Cadogan takes travelers to the hottest beaches and most sparkling watering holes, and snoops into hundreds of churches. In addition to the mainland of Malta itself, the guide provides information on lush, green Gozo, and tiny Comino, with its wonderful snorkeling and diving. The guide is full of ideas on how to get the most from this "last splutter of Europe before Africa", a shimmering rock in the Mediterranean Sea. Readers will uncover: *Intelligent, entertaining insights into legends, history, and island life *Information on day trips to the Ionian coast of Sicily: how to get there, what to see, and where to stay and eat *The best places for diving, swimming, and other water sports in Malta's clear warm waters

Malta and her sister islands, Gozo and Comino, bridge the gulf between Europe and North Africa, their rocky cliffs rising dramatically out of the clear, dark waters of the Mediterranean. From saints to grand masters, knights and corsairs to modern tourists, their lure has proved irresistible to visitors of all descriptions for many centuries. Steeped in history, Malta can provide a wealth of museums, prehistoric monuments, churches, palaces, forts, bastions and other architectural and archaeological jewels to whet the appetite of the hungriest culture vulture. Yet she can also entice those of a more hedonistic bent to her beaches, bars, nightclubs and wild village festas. Simon Gaul brings the essence of these islands vividly to life with his entertaining and quirky take on all things Malti.
Inside you will find: practical travel advice; over 100 hand-picked places to stay; over 220 restaurants, cafes and bars; 33 maps and site plans; color touring-map section; stunning color photography; the best beaches, diving, and historical sites.

Simon Gaul spent his childhood sailing the shores of Malta, Sicily, and the central Mediterranean. He resides in London is a partner in the city's world-renowned Travel Bookshop.

'You are lucky if you travel to Malta by boat. That's how the Phoenician traders, in their small rounded vessels, first encountered the archipelago nearly three thousand years ago. Today, the stirring bastions of the fortress capital Valletta skim welcomingly into view out of the hazy Mediterranean light, but time has barely altered the landfall'