Things to Do in Malta

Though fairly unimpressive from the outside, the interior of St John's reveals itself to be a fantastic example of Baroque architecture, with its ornate decoration a tribute to the wealth and ambition of the Knights Hospitaller. Artistic highlights of the cathedral are too numerous to list, but it's Caravaggio's 1608 The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (the only work known to have been signed by the painter) which dominates the Oratory.

Translating as 'belonging to the giants', the Neolithic complex is the oldest free-standing structure in the world at over 5,500 years old. The two temples sit on the island of Gozo and, according to local legend, were built by giants who used them as watchtowers.

Gozo Island is also home to a world-renowned glass-blowing studio where local craftsmen create amazing works of art inspired by the changing Maltese landscape. The methods used have been handed down from the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and the occupying knights.

Another Gozo hotspot, the alabaster caves are a site of interest for the classically-minded. Homer is thought to have chosen Calypso Cave as the site for Odysseus' seven-year imprisonment by the beautiful nymph of this name.

This underground tomb in Hal-Saflieni was discovered accidentally by construction workers in 1902 and is thought to have served as a necropolis in prehistoric times. The faint-hearted might wish to steer clear; back in the 1940s, a British embassy worker who had been allowed to explore a tiny chamber by a tour guide reportedly saw a number of 'humanoid beings' swarm past her, extinguishing her candle. Upon exiting, the lady was told that the tour guide had never worked there. Spooky.