Safety in Malta

Overall: Malta is one of the calmer countries in Europe and walking at night is genuinely fine. Violent crime is rare and locals are warm towards visitors. That said, keep an eye on pockets and bags in crowded spots like the main bus terminus.

Sun: The real hazard here is the ultraviolet, especially from June to September. Twenty minutes on the bastions will burn you even under cloud. Use factor fifty, wear a hat and carry more drinking water than you think you need.

Driving: If you rent, remember the left-hand traffic and the very expressive local driving style. Many roads are too narrow for two cars, so somebody has to reverse. Never park on yellow lines; the fine and the tow truck are guaranteed.

Sea: Swimming off rocky shores calls for caution because of currents and jellyfish. Check the flags at official beaches and take lifeguard warnings seriously. In some coves the only way in is down slippery stone steps, and getting back out is the harder half.

Health: Medical care is excellent and the main hospital, Mater Dei, is thoroughly modern. Make sure your travel policy covers diving if you plan to dive, otherwise the bills get eye-watering. Tap water is desalinated and safe but tastes poor, so most people buy bottled. It is also worth checking your own government's travel advisory before you fly.

Festas: Summer village feasts come with enormous fireworks launched from within residential streets. It is spectacular and also very loud and dusty. Keep a sensible distance from the launch sites and protect your hearing, because the Maltese love a deafening bang.

Malta is a safe island with low street crime and English as an official language. There are few schemes.

Airport taxis. A system of fixed zonal fares operates: a desk in the terminal takes payment in advance and issues a voucher. White taxis must run meters; black ones work on agreed prices. Private drivers outside charge more.

Car hire. The main financial trap. The roads are narrow, parking is tight, and minor damage is found on return almost every time. Film the car.

Boats to Comino. The Blue Lagoon is overcrowded in summer, and operators sell the transfer and the return separately, mentioning it only once you are there. Confirm whether the return is included and when the last boat leaves.

Restaurants in Valletta and Sliema. A premium for the view and the occasional addition.

ATMs. Decline the machine's currency conversion.

Driving on the left. A legacy of the British period. The roads are narrow, markings are notional in places, and the Maltese driving style is energetic. This is the main risk of a trip.

Drink-driving. The limit is 0.8 per mille, above the European average, but enforcement exists and penalties are strict.

Hunting season. A Maltese feature few people know: in spring and autumn migratory birds are hunted actively in the countryside. Hunting grounds are fenced, but rural paths run alongside and stray shot has happened. In season, keep to marked routes and stay out of fenced areas.

Drones. Civil aviation permission is required, and flights over Valletta and the ports are prohibited.

Swimming. Cliff jumping in Sliema and on Gozo is popular and regularly ends in injury: the depth is deceptive and currents by the Blue Hole are strong.

Smoking. Prohibited indoors.

Drugs. Cannabis for personal use has been decriminalised since 2021, but selling remains a crime and other substances are strictly prohibited.

Vaccinations. None.

Water. Maltese tap water is desalinated, meets standards and is safe, but tastes unpleasant and is hard. Almost everyone, locals included, drinks bottled.

Heat. July and August pass 35°C at high humidity with almost no shade: the island is rocky and trees are few. Dehydration arrives quickly.

Sun. UV is high from May to September, and the sea breeze deceives.

The sea. The Mediterranean coast is generally calm, but currents occur at the Blue Lagoon and on the north shore. Sea urchins are numerous — swim shoes are needed. Jellyfish appear sporadically.

Healthcare. The public Mater Dei hospital is good, doctors trained in Britain, and English is native. For non-EU citizens treatment is chargeable. Insurance is needed.

Pharmacies. Duty pharmacies work on a rota, with the list published in local papers and online.

Emergency number is 112, all in English.

Malta sits mid-table in Europe on corruption, but it barely affects tourists.

The number is 112 for every service. English is official, so there is no language barrier at all — which noticeably eases any situation.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued, in English and without difficulty.

Traffic police. Few speed traps, but cameras exist at town entrances. Parking in Valletta and Sliema is a constant source of fines.

Street crime. Low. The main complaints are petty theft on beaches and from hire cars in popular bays.

Nightlife. Paceville in St Julian's is the club district and is loud and drunken at weekends. Fights occur, but serious crime does not.

What actually matters. On Malta the danger comes from the road and the heat, not from people.