Three Perfect Days in Valletta

Only got 72 hours in the Malta capital? Here’s how to maximize your stay:

Day One

Check into a boutique hotel in the old town, savor the view and one of the tasting menus at the ION Harbour by Simon Rogan (Malta’s only Michelin two-star restaurant), stroll down Triq San Gwann past the cathedral to the other side of the peninsula, and grab a night cap or dessert in a waterfront bar.

Day Two

Slip into a “Da Vinci Code” vibe by visiting St. John’s Co-Cathedral, a 16^th-century masterpiece erected by the Knights of St. John and renowned for the Caravaggio paintings Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome Writing. Browse the priceless tapestries and silver relics in the cathedral museum.

A block from the cathedral are Valletta’s most impressive public spaces — St. George’s Square and the Courtyard of the Grand Master’s Palace. Tours of the recently restored palace include the Throne Room, the Armory, and the Piano Nobile corridors.

Have a casual lunch in one of the outdoor cafes in the old town and then fast forward into the 20^th century at the Lascaris War Rooms, a labyrinth of underground bunkers, chambers and tunnels that coordinated the defense of Malta and Allied invasion of Sicily during World War Two.

Traditional and new twists on Maltese cuisine is the forte of several restaurants in the old town including Legligin with its seven-course local tasting menu and super-chic Adesso.

Day Three

Get out of town and out on the water on a catamaran cruise to the Blue Lagoon beside little Comino Island, a guided paddling adventure with Kayak Gozo, a private sailboat charter, or a cave and wreck dive in the warm waters that surround Malta.

And by the way: MI Malta can arrange it all.

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