I tried the Sightseeing Malta bus tour on the red route this week. The good thing with the red bus route is you get to see all the sides of Malta. From the city (Valetta) to the industrial port, to the sleepy olive tree countryside, to the coast
First of all, make sure you don’t get the wrong tour bus, as there are two companies who offer the tours and they have both cleverly chosen extremely similar names. The one I chose being Sightseeing Malta and the other Malta Sightseeing. The actual bus stop by the big Valletta roundabout is in the middle section of the road opposite the hotel …. Note that in total the bus tour takes about 2 hours without stops.
I started my tour in Valletta and the first place they take you is the waterfront where you get a glimpse of the industrial port. The surroundings are nice as you have all the city walls and bastions around you, which make you feel like you are travelling in medieval times.
Then after that there is a 30 minute ride to the next stop where historical museums are, but I didn’t get off there to be able to make the most of the outdoor weather…..
The next stop is Marsaxlokk which is definitely worth getting off at. You come into a cute fishing village with hundreds of boats floating in the bay and there is a local souvenir market too. On Sundays you can even catch the freshly caught fish market. Here I was approached by a local who suggested to take me to Peter’s Pool. He said it was a beautiful and natural place in the rocks and assured me I would enjoy it. And he was right. It’s about a 10 min drive away and a 45 min hike, and you come to a deserted rocky cove. Well, deserted until all the students arrive, so try to go early (before 12). Arriving by boat is another option. This place has breath-taking surroundings with beautiful turquoise water and there are plenty of places you can launch yourself into the water from. I jumped from 7 meters and it felt like my heart was about to stop, but definitely worth it for those of you who are adventurous.
Once you have had enough of Peter’s Pool (or the students) you can walk back up the rocky path and find an ice cream van, which is necessary, because you are so hot at this point!
The next stop on the bus is Blue Grotto where there are some caves you can visit on a tiny boat that seat 6. The village has many little local restaurants but to be honest the food is a bit over priced and the quality isn’t particularly up tostandard. But do take in the stunning views of the sea.
I then got on the bus back to Valletta again which is nice and relaxing as you start to feel the exhaustion of your day.
Oh and beware of the occasional tree branches if you sit on the top deck!
