Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceCentral Malta Villages & Gardens
Make a short, slow circuit through Naxxar, San Anton, Żebbuġ, Buskett, Dingli, Siġġiewi and Mdina.
- Allow
- 1–2 days
- Route
- 52 km
- Drive time
- 1 hr 1 min
- Stops
- 8
Central Malta rewards the traveler who stops treating the island as a beach transfer. Naxxar and San Anton bring palazzo and garden shade, Żebbuġ and Siġġiewi reveal lived-in village cores, and Buskett offers a rare patch of woodland before the road climbs toward Dingli.
The distances are tiny; the navigation is not. School traffic, deliveries, festas and one-way lanes require patience. Use arterial roads between towns, park on the edge and finish in Mdina without attempting to drive into its protected core.
The road, in one glance
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Drawing the route…
The route earns
its distance
Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceFloriana
Begin outside Valletta after checking traffic and any village-event diversions.
Floriana (Maltese: Il-Furjana or Il-Floriana), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the Port Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana is the birthplace of many famous Maltese, amongst which the composer of the national anthem, 'L-Innu Malti', Robert Samut; former Bishop of Malta Dun Mauro Caruana, the poets Oliver Friggieri and Maria Grech Ganado, the writer and politician Herbert Ganado and Swedish Idol winner Kevin Borg.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceNaxxar
A handsome square and Palazzo Parisio introduce central Malta’s urban texture.
Naxxar (Maltese: In-Naxxar) is a town and local council in the Northern Region of Malta. The population in March 2014 was 14,891. The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceSan Anton Gardens
Formal gardens and mature shade create a welcome pause in Attard.
San Anton Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz Sant'Anton) is a palace in Attard, Malta, that currently serves as the official residence of the president of Malta. It was originally built in the early 17th century as a country villa for Antoine de Paule, a knight of the Order of St. John.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceŻebbuġ
A large parish square and traditional facades anchor a working Maltese town.
Żebbuġ (Maltese: Ħaż-Żebbuġ ), also known by its title Città Rohan, is a city in the Western Region of Malta. It is one of the oldest towns in the country. The population of Żebbuġ was 14,798 in July 2024, including 7,772 men and 7,026 women (of which 12,708 were Maltese nationals and 2,090 foreign nationals).
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceBuskett Gardens
Wooded paths below Verdala Palace provide a rare green interlude.
The Buskett Gardens (Maltese: Il-Buskett; Italian: Boschetto), forming one of the few woodland areas in Malta, are located in the fertile valley of Wied il-Luq in Rabat, Malta. The 30 ha site lies to the west of Siġġiewi (Città Ferdinand) and just east of Dingli. The Verdala Palace, an official residence of the President of Malta, stands on the edge of the Gardens.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceDingli
A high village sits behind the island’s western cliffs and open agricultural edge.
Dingli (Maltese: Ħad-Dingli) is a village in the Western Region of Malta. It is 13 kilometres (8 miles) from the capital Valletta and two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the nearest town, Rabat. The village lies on a plateau some 230 metres above sea level, near the highest point of Malta.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceSiġġiewi
A broad church square and limestone streets preserve a strong village scale.
Siġġiewi (Maltese: Is-Siġġiewi ), also called by its title Città Ferdinand, is a city and a local council in the Western Region of Malta. It is the third largest council in Malta by surface area, after Rabat and Mellieħa. Siġġiewi is situated on a plateau approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from Mdina (the ancient capital city of Malta) and 10 kilometres (6 miles) away from Valletta, the contemporary capital.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceMdina
The walled old capital gives the small circuit a grand final walk.
Mdina (Maltese: L-Imdina ), also known by its Italian epithets Città Vecchia ("Old City") and Città Notabile ("Notable City"), is a fortified city in the Western Region of Malta which was the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city has not spread beyond its ancient walls, and had a population of 242 as of July 2024.
Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.
Keep to main public roads between villages, expect one-way streets and never assume an open-looking lane is a through route. Park outside every old core.
Checked against
the people who run it
Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.