← La Valette Marathon·2 nights

Valletta, the Three Cities and Marsaxlokk: Two Nights

Two nights in one Valletta base, with St John's Co-Cathedral on the first full day, the Three Cities by ferry and Marsaxlokk by bus.

Duration2 nights
TransitValletta Ferry Services to Cospicua; bus 81 or 85 from Valletta to Marsaxlokk
DepartsValletta

After the La Valette Marathon: Valletta, the Three Cities and Marsaxlokk

The Route: Valletta → Cospicua and Birgu → Valletta → Marsaxlokk → Valletta → Malta International Airport Logistics: One hotel base in or near Valletta. Harbour ferry to the Three Cities, public bus to Marsaxlokk. No luggage moves. Marathon Month: March Duration: 2 nights

Valletta ──(harbour ferry)──> Cospicua ──(walk)──> Birgu ──(walk and ferry)──> Valletta
Valletta ──(bus 81 or 85)──> Marsaxlokk ──(bus)──> Valletta ──(Airport Direct TD4)──> MLA

The La Valette Marathon finishes at Fort St Angelo in Birgu, one of the Three Cities, so a runner who stays on in Valletta will have seen only the edge of the place on race morning. This itinerary keeps one base for two nights after the race: Sunday night and Monday night, with a Tuesday departure.

March in Malta is cool and changeable, with the sea near 16°C. The outdoor swimming and beach clubs of summer are not part of the plan. Ferries run to a winter timetable, and wind can interrupt harbour services, so each outing below has a road or bus alternative.

Nights one and two: Valletta and Floriana

The Grand Hotel Excelsior on Great Siege Road in Floriana is the hotel where race packs are collected. It has a restaurant, Admiral's Landing, which serves dinner from 18:00 to 22:30 daily. Floriana sits next to Valletta, and many Valletta buildings sit above street level, so ask any property you book about lifts and steps.

Monday, Valletta. St John's Co-Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 16:45, with last admission at 16:00. Adult tickets cost €15, seniors and students €12, and children under 12 enter free with an adult. Expect a long period standing, and treat the belfry as optional. Upper Barrakka Gardens is a short harbour-view stop in Valletta; check its hours before relying on them, and look for a lift or step-free route rather than the stairs. For a seat and a coffee, Caffè Cordina at 244 Republic Street is open from 07:30 to 23:00, Monday to Saturday.

The Three Cities by ferry. Valletta Ferry Services runs a harbour crossing to Cospicua. The daytime adult fare is €3 single or €5 return. The Sunday winter timetable starts the Three Cities service at 09:00; weekday departures start earlier, so check the operator's timetable for Monday. Walk from the Cospicua landing to Birgu. Fort St Angelo charges €10 for adults, €6 for concessions and youth and €4 for children aged 6 to 11. The upper levels need steps, and March opening hours should be checked on the Heritage Malta site before going. The streets of Birgu are historic and uneven.

Tuesday: Marsaxlokk

Malta Public Transport lists buses 81 and 85 from Valletta to Marsaxlokk, and route TD10 on Sundays. The fishing village is known for its Sunday fish market, and Tuesday is not a market day, so go for the waterfront and not for the stalls. Leave time to return to Valletta before the airport transfer, and check the bus timetable the evening before.

Getting to the airport

From Valletta, the Airport Direct TD4 runs to Malta International Airport (MLA) every 30 minutes at a fare of €3. If the flight is early on Tuesday, drop Marsaxlokk and use the morning for the bus alone.