Malta
A cruise in the tracks of Corto Maltese, in the heart of the Mediterranean, for an original stopover in a catamaran - are you tempted? Welcome to Malta, an island between the East and the West, with British, Arab and Italian influences…
- Area: 320 km2
- Population: 392,000 inhabitants
- Capital: Valetta (92,000 inhabitants)
- People: Arabs, Sicilians, Normans, Spanish
- Languages: Maltese and English
- Religion: catholicism (98%)
- Political regime: parliamentary
democracy
- Climate : Malta’s climate is strongly influenced by the sea and is typically Mediterranean. The islands enjoy a very sunny climate with a daily average of from 5 to 6 hours of sun in the middle of winter to more than 12 hours in summer. The winters are mild, with a few short cooler periods due to the north-north-easterly winds blowing from Central Europe. The summers are hot, dry and very sunny. The daily temperatures in summer are often moderated thanks to a pleasant sea breeze, whilst in spring and autumn, the hot wind from Africa sometimes brings exceptional heat and humidity. Known as the Sirocco, or Xlokk in Maltese, this wind also affects Greece and Italy. On Malta, the air is nevertheless generally dryer, as the stretch of water separating the archipelago from the African coasts is narrower. Annual rainfall is low, and you can often still swim at the end of October…
- Getting there: an international airport links the island of Malta with the main European towns, at very reasonable prices. You can sail there all the year round, but especially from April to October. Note that it can be really very hot in summer…
