← La Valette Marathon·4 nights

Malta and Gozo: Four Nights Across Two Islands

Two nights around Valletta, two on Gozo, with a morning ferry back to Valletta before the flight home.

Duration4 nights
TransitGozo Highspeed ferry, about 45 minutes from Valletta to Mġarr
DepartsValletta

After the La Valette Marathon: Malta and Gozo

The Route: Valletta → Cospicua and Birgu → Valletta → Mġarr → Victoria → Xagħra → Mġarr → Valletta → Malta International Airport Logistics: Two nights on the main island, a fast ferry to Gozo, two nights on Gozo and a morning ferry back to Valletta for the flight. Marathon Month: March Duration: 4 nights

Valletta (nights 1 and 2) ──(about 45 mins Gozo Highspeed)──> Mġarr ──> Victoria (nights 3 and 4)
                                                                                     │
Malta International Airport (MLA) ◄──(TD4)── Valletta ◄──(ferry)── Mġarr ◄── Xagħra ◄┘

The La Valette Marathon finishes at Fort St Angelo in Birgu on a Sunday in March. Four nights allow a slow trip across both islands, with the legs kept to short outings in the first days. The Gozo ferry is the one fixed connection, so the return on Thursday leaves a margin of several hours before any flight.

March across the islands is cool. The sea sits near 16°C, so there is no beach plan here, and the sights carry the trip. Wind can disrupt sea crossings, which is why the return leaves a margin.

Nights one and two: Valletta and Floriana

Race night and the following night are best kept in one place. The Grand Hotel Excelsior in Floriana, on Great Siege Road, is where race packs are collected. It has a restaurant, Admiral's Landing, serving dinner from 18:00 to 22:30 daily.

On the first full day, St John's Co-Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 16:45, with last admission at 16:00, and adult tickets cost €15. Upper Barrakka Gardens works as a short harbour-view stop. The Three Cities are a ferry crossing to Cospicua, at €3 single or €5 return for adults in the daytime, then a walk to Birgu, where Fort St Angelo charges €10 for adults. The fort's upper levels need steps. Check the ferry and fort hours for the day you go.

Nights three and four: Gozo

On Tuesday, take the Gozo Highspeed ferry from Valletta to Mġarr, a crossing of about 45 minutes advertised as running all year. Check the timetable and fares at gozohighspeed.com, and book a seat. Base yourself in Victoria, below the Cittadella, which Visit Gozo lists under sightseeing and history and culture; opening times and prices are on visitgozo.com/places/cittadella. The Cittadella stands above the town, so the walk up is uphill.

On Wednesday, visit the Ġgantija temples in Xagħra, on Triq John Otto Bayer. Heritage Malta sells a combined ticket with the Ta' Kola Windmill at €10 for adults, and lists the site as fully accessible. Check seasonal opening hours first. Keep the second Gozo day light. A morning at Ġgantija and an afternoon in Victoria is a full day after a marathon week.

Getting home

Leave Gozo on Thursday morning by an early sailing, and do not book a flight that leaves within a few hours of the ferry's arrival. Ferries can be cancelled in wind, so a flight in the evening is safer than one at midday. From Valletta, the Airport Direct TD4 runs to Malta International Airport (MLA) every 30 minutes at €3.