The Shoulder-Season Shuffle: Malta, The Blue Lagoon Challenge, & Valletta’s Ghost

June 25, 2026

In March 2025, we packed up the kids, checked out of London, and caught a quick flight south to the sun-drenched rock of Malta.

When you tell people you are heading to the middle of the Mediterranean in March, they picture high summer beach clubs and swimming shorts. The reality? While the weather was undeniably a massive step up from a freezing Toronto winter, it was still crisp, windy, and cool. You’re trading heavy parkas for light layers and sweaters, but the payoff is absolute luxury: you get a world-class historic destination completely to yourself, and your budget stretches twice as far.

The Base: The Westin Dragonara Resort, St. Julian's

We routed the crew straight to St. Julian's (San Ġiljan) and checked into The Westin Dragonara Resort (get those Marriott points!)

• The Vibe: Perched beautifully on its own private peninsula, the Westin is an absolute "Silent Luxury" stronghold. Because it was March, the massive outdoor pools were quiet, but the sheer space, the ocean views from the terrace, and the indoor heated pool network gave the kids plenty of room to roam.
• The Location: St. Julian's is famous for being the high-energy entertainment capital of the island, but inside the Westin gates, it felt like an oasis of calm.

The Arrival Blueprint: Malta Airport Tricks

Malta International Airport (MLA) is compact and relatively efficient, but the shoulder season comes with its own specific operational traps.

• The E-Gate Lottery: Arriving on a flight from London means facing the post-Brexit non-EU border queues. While EU passport holders glide through, the non-EU lines can bottleneck quickly. The Trick: If you have the kids with you, note that Malta’s automated biometric e-gates are strictly restricted to passengers over 12 years old. If your crew includes younger kids, bypass the automated queues immediately and head straight for the staffed family lane to save yourself a massive headache.
• The White Taxi Gridlock: The second you step outside the sliding baggage doors, you will see a massive line for the official airport "White Taxis." Skip it entirely. Download the Bolt or eCabs app while you're waiting at the luggage carousel. Ride-hailing apps in Malta operate seamlessly, have designated pickup zones just outside the main terminal doors, and will save you up to 40% compared to the flat-rate airport desk terminal rates.

Moving Around the Island: App-Taxis over Everything

When it comes to navigating Malta's tight, steep, winding road networks, your transportation strategy is critical.

• The Public Transit Truth: Malta has an extensive public bus network, but it is notoriously slow and subject to brutal, single-lane traffic delays. In the summer heat, it’s a packed nightmare; in March, it’s better, but it will still drain hours out of your day just trying to travel a few kilometres.
• The Driving Trap: Do not rent a car here unless you have nerves of steel. They drive on the left (the UK legacy), local driving styles are highly aggressive, and parking in historical centres like Valletta or Sliema is physically impossible.
• The Winning Play: Stick to Bolt or eCabs. They arrive within minutes, the pricing is incredibly cheap outside of peak summer, and you let a local veteran navigate the chaotic stone roundabouts while you decompress in the backseat.

The Blue Lagoon Challenge: Only the Brave Go In

You cannot visit Malta without booking a boat trip out to Comino island to see the legendary Blue Lagoon. The water there is a blinding, surreal neon turquoise that looks like it has a built-in ring light. It is stunningly beautiful, but in March, that Mediterranean current is absolute ice.

The rest of the family stood on the boat deck layered up in hoodies, shivering just looking at the water. But Benton? Total legend status. He took one look at that crystal-clear lagoon, invoked his inner Canadian, and dived right into the frigid depths while everyone else watched in pure disbelief. He had the entire lagoon completely to himself—a feat that is physically impossible in July when it turns into a packed human soup. The kids had an absolute blast watching the madness.

The Culinary Spectrum: From Michelin Stars to Irish Pints

Malta's food scene is a massive, high-velocity collision of rustic Italian technique, fresh Mediterranean seafood, and rich Middle Eastern spice. The island has silently evolved into a serious fine-dining powerhouse.

⭐️ The Elite Fine-Dining Circuit

If you want to step away from the family track for a night of world-class gastronomy, Valletta holds some of the most impressive Michelin real estate in Europe:

• ION Harbour by Simon Rogan (Valletta): Perched magnificently on the fourth floor of the Iniala Harbour House, this spectacular spot holds two Michelin stars. Led by farm-to-table icon Simon Rogan, the menu is an ever-changing, hyper-seasonal tribute to local Maltese produce and zero-waste sustainability. Eating a multi-course tasting menu while looking out across the historic sweep of the Grand Harbour is an absolute core memory.
• Under Grain (Valletta): Tucked away inside the historic cellars of a 17th-century palazzo (the Rosselli Hotel), this intimate, moody, one-Michelin-star destination specializes in contemporary, refined European classics reimagined with incredible precision.
• Noni (Valletta): Chef Jonathan Brincat runs this stunningly atmospheric one-Michelin-star kitchen inside a historic bakery on Republic Street. He takes traditional Maltese comfort food and elevates it with high-end French execution.

The Local Sanctuary: The Dubliner Irish Pub

On the complete flip side of the luxury coin, when you just need a rowdy, comforting, down-to-earth refuge after a long day of touring, you head right into Spinola Bay to find The Dubliner.

• Located just a stone’s throw from our base at the Westin, this legendary, split-level Irish pub is a haven for expats and travellers alike. It is widely celebrated across the island for pouring the absolute best, most pristine pint of Guinness in town. The vibe is incredibly welcoming, the live sports are always running on the screens, and their signature "Irish Pride", a slow-cooked beef and Guinness stew served over mountain piles of creamy mash, is the ultimate soul food antidote to a crisp March evening.

Valletta & The Spirit of Oliver Reed

We spent hours exploring the capital city of Valletta. It’s a massive, fortified peninsula built by the Knights St. John, packed with steep, grid-like streets that drop straight into the deep blue harbours.

Being a production crew, we had to make a very specific pilgrimage deep into the ancient streets to find a legendary piece of cinema history: The Pub on Archbishop Street.

• The History: This tiny, atmospheric, British-style watering hole is famous for being the exact spot where legendary actor Oliver Reed passed away in 1999. He was in Malta filming Ridley Scott’s original Gladiator movie, took a break from the set, rolled into this bar, challenged a crew of British sailors to an epic drinking match, and tragically collapsed right on one of the bench seats.
• The Vibe: The bar has basically embraced its history as a living shrine to Ollie, packed to the rafters with old movie posters, naval caps, and newspaper clippings. Sitting in that tight, wood-panelled room drinking a cold pint felt like stepping straight onto a classic film set.

Under the Surface: Elite Scuba Diving

While the surface water was cold, Malta is consistently rated the number one scuba diving destination in Europe. The underwater visibility here is unparalleled often stretching past 30 meters. Because the island is pure limestone, the underwater landscape is a dramatic matrix of deep caves, blue holes, and vertical drop-offs. Even better for history buffs: the waters are a literal graveyard of WWII shipwrecks, bombers, and ancient anchors sitting right on the seafloor. If you are certified, hitting a dive here in the clear spring waters is an absolute must-do track.

Survival 101: The Spring Malta Edition

• The Wind Guard: March in Malta means dealing with the Majjistral, a strong, cool northwest wind that sweeps across the cliffs. Pack windbreakers and versatile layers for the kids; you’ll be stripping down to a t-shirt in a sheltered sunny square, and putting on a fleece ten minutes later on the harbour ferry.
• The Restroom Ritual: Valletta’s ancient stone steps and steep alleys are gorgeous, but public facilities are few and far between. Pop into a historic café for a quick espresso or a pastry to utilize their facilities and as always, keep those tissues locked in your day bag. The "Life on the Road" rules are strictly operational here.

The Takeaway

Malta in March proved that you don't need scorching heat to make a legendary family trip. From the high-velocity tapas-style pub grub at the Dubliner to the sweeping harbour views of Simon Rogan's kitchen, the island satisfies every single gear of the tour. Master the app-taxis, dodge the airport e-gate traps, and embrace the shoulder-season cruise.

Talk soon (and probably loudly),

Jen