Ten things to do in Malta in Spring

Spring is probably the best time to visit Malta. The weather is still mild and not unbearably hot and most of the stormy weather will be over. In Spring the countryside is at its best as all the wild flowers burst into bloom, painting the landscape in a plethora of pretty hues. It is a great time to be out in the open and most of the activities I will be sharing take place outdoors. So, if anybody is planning a visit to Malta and wondering what to do during the Spring months, here are my recommendations:

1. Experience the Spring equinox at  Mnajdra temples

This annual event is organised (weather permitting) by Heritage Malta  at one of Malta's oldest neolithic temples: Mnajdra (pronounced Imniydra). Nobody knows the exact reason for the orientation of the temples with the sun and other celestial bodies and it has not been determined whether this relationship was intentional. However, the alignment of the temples with the sun on specific days of the year, most notably the spring and autumn equinoxes and the winter and summer solstices, is so precise that it is thought that this is highly probable.

Guided tours start early, at 5.30 am, and this year will take place on the 19th and 20th of March. Only a limited number of tickets are available for each tour.

More information may be find on the website of Heritage Malta.

Although I've lived here all my life, I've still to experience the equinox or solstice at this very magical  and special place but  it's on my bucket list.

You may learn more about the Mnajdra temples in a post I had written some time ago on one of my old blogs:  Neolithic Malta: Mnajdra Temples.

2. Take a walk on the wild side (or as wild as it can ever get in Malta)

I know that visitors may have some qualms about leaving the asphalted roads and taking off on dirt tracks into the unknown but it's hard to get lost in Malta even if you're off the beaten track. I do have a few words of advice though: do not walk at the edges of cliffs, do not hike if the weather is particularly bad because rock slides are common and keep away from the sea if it is particularly rough. Nearly every year, visitors die in our sea, because although it looks very blue and beautiful nearly every day of the year, it is still very temperamental. 

Hiking the garigue is a  wonderful experience in spring because, if you take the time to look close enough, the little pockets of soil are generally bursting with tiny plants and flowers. Here is an article I had written about The  Garigue in Spring.

And here are some recommendations from hikes we have taken ourselves:

Malta off the beaten trail: Il-Karraba

Malta off the beaten trail: From the Congreve Memorial to the arch at tal-Hamrija

Off the beaten trail: Gnejna bay to Lippija tower

3. Attend the Good Friday and  Easter celebrations

Good  Friday and Easter are celebrated with much pomp and circumstance in Malta. I will not go into the merits of the way these celebrations are being conducted in the last 20 years or so. I think we are losing the wood for the trees and the inherent respect that was part and parcel of these commemorations and celebrations has all but disappeared. But, taking all that aside, anybody that would like to experience Holy Week and all it brings with it has come to the right place. Here in Malta, 12 Good Friday processions take place in several pariches, with another 5 taking place in Gozo. The processions are very similar to the ones held in Sicily, southern Italy and Spain - which is from where a lot of our Holy Week traditions are taken.

Good Friday is generally (or used to be) a very sombre day. Flags are flown at half mast and church bells do not ring.

Easter Sunday is a more exuberant and noisy affair and, in some parishes, it is common for a statue of the risen Christ to be carried through the streets at a running pace to commemorate His victory over death. 

Easter Sunday is also the day when figolli are eaten. Figolli consist of two pieces of pastry in the form of a heart, rabbit, chicken or lamb that are filled with almond paste. They are traditionally covered in pastel-coloured icing or, more recently, in chocolate, and decorated with small Easter eggs or sweets.

This year Good Friday will fall on 10th April and Easter on 12th April.

4. Take a swim

Traditionally, the swimming season starts on the first Wednesday after Easter - the feast of St Gregory. The first record of this feast dates back to 1543 when the bishop of the time, Domenico Cubelles, held a procession, to pray for unity within the catholic church, from the cathedral in Mdina to the farthest church in Malta at the time: the church of St Gregory in Zejtun. From here, people proceeded to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. How, and when, the tradition to swim on this feast day came about, is lost in the mists of time. I've never actually taken a swim on this day myself, although a friend of mine has done it for a number of years. Be warned that at his time of year the sea will have a temperature of around 18° to 19° Celsius and will still feel quite cold.

5. Visit the Medieval Mdina festival

This festival has now become an annual event in Malta's calendar. It used to take place in the very picturesque streets and piazzas of Malta's old capital city Mdina, but last year, the event was moved to the dry moat outside the walls to minimise the inconvenience to residents and because, over the years, the narrow streets of the town could not accommodate the ever-growing number of visitors. In my opinion, this somewhat detracts from the original charm of the festival. But needs must, I suppose. Local medieval re-enactment groups take place in this festival together with groups of sbandieratori (flag-throwers) from Italy.

The dates for this year's edition of the Medieval Mdina Festival still need to be confirmed.

I had written about the Medieval Mdina festival here.

6. Watch the skies light up in colour during Malta's International Fireworks Festival

This festival is in its 19th edition this year. Firework clubs from all over Malta and even from countries like Italy, the US and Australia participate in this festival. This year's Fireworks Festival will take place between the 18th and 30th of April. A number of shows usually take place in Grand Harbour but full details of the venues and events still needs to be published. The highlight of the festival is usually the pyro-musical competition in which fireworks are designed to follow the rhythm of a musical number. Last year's gold medal went to Rozzi Fireworks from the US.

More information can be found on the official website of the Malta  Fireworks Festival.

7. Participate in the Tour ta' Malta

The Tour ta' Malta is open to all cycling enthusiasts. It is not about professional racing or winning money but simply focuses on the love for cycling and aims to connect cyclists from all over the world.

This year's Tour ta' Malta will take place between 02-05 April 2020.

To register for this event visit the Tour ta' Malta website.

8. Enjoy Malta's delicious strawberries at the Strawberry Festival (Festa Frawli)

The Strawberry Festival, or Festa Frawli in Maltese, takes place in Imgarr. Imgarr has grown from a small village to a town but it is still surrounded by plenty of fields which have the reputation of growing Malta's sweetest strawberries. As you may imagine, the Strawberry Festival is about all things strawberry, from the actual fruit itself to jams, tarts, pies and other delectable goods.

The dates for this year's Strawberry Festival still need to be announced.

9. Take a look at Malta's 100-ton gun

The famous 100-ton gun is located in Fort Rinella on the outskirts of the town of Kalkara. Fort Rinella was built in 1878 by the British and is one of two coastal batteries that housed an Armstrong 100-ton gun to defend the island against enemy attacks. The gun located at Fort Rinella is the only one that survives to this day. Fort Finella falls under the auspices of the voluntary organistaion Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna. The 100-ton gun had arrived in Malta's dockyard in 1882 and had to be  man-handled all the way to Fort Rinella by an escort of 100 men from the 1st Brigade Scottish R.A Division - an operation that took 3 months.  Due to its massive proportions a hydraulic system was built to traverse and load it. Unfortunately, after  20 years in position, the gun was considered obsolete due to advances in military technology, most notably, submarines. It was never fired once in defence of the island. Fort Rinella and its famous gun are open to the public. The fort houses The Soldiers of the Queen Museum that focuses on the British Army during the reign of Queen Victoria. Of particular interest is the section dedicated to the British Army in Malta and to the Maltese Regiments forming part of it

For tickets or more information visit the Fort Rinella official website.

10. Celebrate alternative music at Earth Garden

Earth Garden will take place this year between the 4th and 7th of June. It is held at the National Park in Ta' Qali and delivers a unique fusion of musical styles including: alternative rock, blues, hip hop trance, and others, with acts spread over 6 stages that include a jamming area. The festival has a campsite with shower facilities, options for hiring pre-pitched tents, an international food court and ethnic market. I would describe it as Malta's 21st century answer to Woodstock - without the mud.

You may visit Earthgarden's official website for more information.

For a full list of events, including exhibitions and concerts, taking place in Malta between mid-March and mid-June you may go here to the VisitMalta website.

I hope that prospective visitors to Malta will find this list of things to do in Malta in Spring useful and that my regular readers will enjoy learning a bit more about this island. If you have any questions, you can send me an email at stories(dot)scribbles(at)gmail(dot)com and I will be very happy to answer you.

Anybody that has any suggestions to improve this list can include them in the comments section.

And if anybody will be in Malta during the silly season, here are  ten Things To Do in Malta in Summer.

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