Winter is Malta’s best-kept secret. The islands are at their greenest, the queues have gone, hotel prices drop and most days are mild enough for a long walk along the cliffs followed by lunch outside in a sheltered square. It is not beach weather, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. But if you are wondering what to do in Malta in December, January or February, the honest answer is: more than you would think.
What the weather is really like
Winter days usually sit in the mid-teens Celsius, and the sun still shows up more often than not. The catch is the wind and the rain. December and January are the wettest months, and when the north-westerly blows, the sea gets rough and the ferries and boat trips feel it. Pack layers, a proper rain jacket and shoes that can handle wet limestone, then plan flexible days: indoor sights when it pours, coast when it clears.
The sea drops to around 15 to 17 degrees. Locals swim all year, but most visitors will want a wetsuit or a brave five minutes.
December: Christmas in Valletta
Valletta takes Christmas seriously. Republic Street and Merchant Street are lit from late November, there is a Christmas market and a giant crib on the main square, and churches across the islands display presepji, the elaborate nativity scenes Maltese families build every year. Look for the mechanical cribs in villages like Għajnsielem on Gozo, which builds a full Bethlehem village on a hillside.
The Manoel Theatre runs its annual pantomime, midnight mass on Christmas Eve is a genuine tradition, and New Year’s Eve fills Valletta’s squares with a free concert and fireworks over the Grand Harbour.
January: walking season
January is when the countryside turns properly green and the walking is at its best. The Dingli Cliffs path, the coast from Għar Lapsi to the temples, and Gozo’s cliff walks at Ta’ Ċenċ and from Xlendi to Dwejra are all better in winter than in the heat of summer. Comino is almost empty, and with the tour boats gone you can walk the whole island and have the Blue Lagoon to yourself, at least from the shore.
Shops run their winter sales in January, and restaurants that were impossible to book in August have tables. If you have wanted to see the Hypogeum, winter is when tickets are actually available.
February: Carnival
Carnival lands in February most years, in the days before Lent. Valletta hosts the official version with floats, costumed dance troupes and a lot of brass bands. Nadur on Gozo does the opposite: a darker, stranger, unofficial carnival where the whole village dresses up and nobody explains the rules. Both are worth planning a trip around.
February is also almond-blossom month in the countryside, and the first warm days start to appear towards the end.
Indoor days that are worth it
- St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, with the Caravaggios, is better in winter without the cruise-ship crowds.
- The Hypogeum and the National Museum of Archaeology explain the temple builders far better than the sites alone.
- Mdina in the rain is atmospheric rather than miserable. Duck into the cathedral, then into Fontanella for cake.
- The Malta Experience and the war museums cover the siege history quickly if you are short on time.
- Ta’ Qali Crafts Village for glass, silver and a dry hour.
Food for the season
Winter is when Maltese cooking makes the most sense. Order rabbit stew, timpana, bragioli and minestra. Look for imqaret, the deep-fried date pastries, from street vendors, and qagħaq tal-għasel, the treacle rings, in every bakery over Christmas. Gozo’s wineries are quiet and happy to pour.
Gozo in winter
This is when Gozo is at its most beautiful. The fields are green, the salt pans are full of winter sea, and the villages get on with their own lives. The Ċirkewwa ferry keeps running year round, although rough seas occasionally cancel the fast ferry from Valletta. Base yourself in a farmhouse with a fireplace, walk in the mornings and eat long lunches. Our things to do in Gozo guide covers the rest.
What closes
Most beach kiosks, some seasonal boat operators and a few resort hotels in places like Mellieħa and Marsalforn close from November to March. Village festas do not happen in winter. Almost everything else, including all the main sights, museums, restaurants in towns and the ferries, runs as normal.
Planning a winter trip
Three days is enough for Valletta, Mdina and a good walk, and the 3-day Malta itinerary works in winter with the beach afternoon swapped for a museum. For the full list of sights, see our 25 things to do in Malta.
