A short trip to Malta – February 2026

Assumptions and base camp

The plan for Malta and Gozo was extremely simple:

• Accommodation in one, well-connected place. Mellieħa became our base. It was a bullseye for people traveling without a car. First, it is located very close to the ferry port in Ċirkewwa, which greatly facilitated our trip to Gozo. Second, we stayed a few stops from the bus terminus, so we always managed to get on the bus without any problems.
• Focusing on public transport. Admittedly, this limited the possibilities of photographing sunrises and sunsets in wild places, but it allowed us to easily move around the islands during the day.
• No rigid schedule – plans were to crystallize on the fly.

Before the flight, I briefly looked at the map in search of interesting viewpoints suitable for afternoon photography, checked local restaurants, and familiarized myself with the ferry logistics to Gozo. I knew that Malta is highly urbanized, so I wasn’t expecting silence, peace, and unpopulated frames. Instead, I counted on the unique atmosphere of old towns and a bit of raw, seaside atmosphere.

Transport and logistical chaos

Before hitting the road, it’s worth getting the right ticket. The public transport card (Tallinja Card) is bought directly at the airport right after arrival. From then on, the problem of buying single tickets, counting cash, or wondering how to pay the driver completely disappears – you just get on, tap the ticket, and ride.

And you have to ride with patience, because on the spot it quickly turned out that the Maltese approach public transport and the location of stops with great freedom. We experienced this firsthand on the very first day: the bus stop right outside our hotel turned out to be closed (and – according to the information – for another year). Instead, buses stopped at a temporary stop, which was not marked in any way. Who would have thought? Fortunately, in the end, it wasn’t that bad.

With each passing day, traveling only got better. We managed to visit the atmospheric Rabat, drive around a large part of the island, capturing less known, non-touristy corners in photos. We also dedicated one full day to exploring Gozo.

Ferries run from Malta to Gozo – very often and cheaply. Interestingly, the fee is paid only for the return journey (at least on the route from Ċirkewwa).

Timeline

Having only three days at my disposal and knowing that the local transport – although well organized – can be slow, I had no illusions that I would be able to see everything. However, the final balance turned out to be quite satisfactory:

• Friday – Mdina and Valletta
• Saturday – Gozo (Marsalforn and Victoria)
• Sunday – Coral Lagoon and Qarraba Bay

Looking at popular lists like “Top 20 Malta attractions”, I feel a slight shame that I didn’t check off all the classics. Oh well, with short trips it’s inevitable. If I had extended my stay by one day, I would certainly have visited the Dingli Cliffs and the megalithic temples. However, my biggest regret is that I only spent one day on Gozo. But more on that later in the text.

Gear

Before we get to the photos, a word about the contents of the backpack.

Due to strict hand luggage limits and the mobile nature of the trip, I limited myself mainly to two basic zooms. However, so it wouldn’t be too boring, I also packed a manual fifty and a pinhole lens made from a regular body cap.

The aforementioned fifty is an old, Soviet, characteristic grease-smelling, and slightly radioactive Industar 61L/Z 50mm f/2.8, which is famous for its unique, star-shaped bokeh. I took a few shots with it – you can find them in the gallery from Coral Lagoon and Qarraba Bay.

However, the real hit of the trip turned out to be playing with the pinhole lens.

Gear summary

• Nikon Z 6 II
• NIKKOR Z 14–30mm f/4 S
• NIKKOR Z 24–120mm f/4 S
• Industar 61L/Z 50mm f/2.8 (with M42 mount via adapter)
• Digital pinhole (recipe at the end!)
• Kase Revolution magnetic filters

Mellieħa Bay and Coral Lagoon

This is the northeastern tip of Malta, located near the aforementioned port in Ċirkewwa. It’s an extremely picturesque area for hiking, although we encountered a surprise on the spot – you can’t walk along the northern shore to reach the town of Marfa directly, from where we planned to catch a return bus. We had to take a slight detour.

The surroundings themselves, however, are beautiful – wild nature and a view of the islands of Comino and Gozo stretching on the horizon.

It was here that I had the opportunity to test the Industar more thoroughly for the first time. It turned out to be a surprisingly sharp and contrasty lens, and its aperture at f/5.6–f/11 values actually creates characteristic stars in the out-of-focus areas.

Mdina

Thousands of classic guides have already been written about the “Silent City”, so there is no need to duplicate encyclopedic facts here. From a photographer’s perspective, however, Mdina is an absolute revelation. Narrow, labyrinthine streets, sand-colored limestone walls, ancient architecture, and beautiful details together create an incredibly photogenic microcosm.

Valletta

Valletta, as the country’s capital, is an absolute must-see. The fact that the entire city is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List speaks for itself.

In my opinion, Valletta is best explored without a map. It’s worth simply getting lost, turning off the main streets, looking into steep alleys descending to the sea, and escaping the crowded, commercial center. Visually, this city delights at every turn – the stories about its photogenic nature, and especially about the rows of colorful, enclosed balconies and massive brass door knockers, are not exaggerated in the slightest.

Qarraba Bay

This is a spectacular place to watch the sunset. You can just sit on the slope and silently observe the spectacle of light.

The headland formed from blue clay and coralline limestone looks extremely raw and picturesque. The nearby rock formation, which in its shape resembles a fish fin emerging majestically from the sea depths, is also impressive.

Gozo – Marsalforn

One day spent on Gozo is definitely not enough. This smaller island seemed much more interesting, wilder, and more authentic to me than Malta itself. If the opportunity arises, I will certainly return here for a longer stay.

We reached Gozo by a ferry departing from the north of Malta. The cruise itself is short, and you can easily get around the island by buses on the same rules and tickets as on the main island. Bus stops are located right at the exit of the ferry terminal in Mġarr. When we got there, two buses were just standing – one was going to the capital (Victoria), and the other to Marsalforn. “WTF is Marsalforn?” – I thought.

It turned out to be a charming, small town on the northern edge of the island. The driver was waiting with the doors wide open, so it was a pity not to get on. After several dozen minutes of a ride full of turns, local detours, and minor road squabbles, we arrived. Marsalforn welcomed us with a brilliant, jagged coastline and beautiful, traditional salt pans.

Gozo – Victoria

Victoria is the bustling capital of Gozo. Being a bit tired of yet another old town shimmering in the sun with the yellow of limestone walls, I decided to experiment. I took off the classic lens, put on the previously prepared body cap with a hole, and started shooting with a digital pinhole.

Today’s full-frame sensors handle noise at high sensitivities so incredibly well that shooting handheld with a lens with a brightness of around f/120 was not a problem. I could freely shoot at ISO 1600–12800, keeping exposure times within 1/25–1/50 of a second. You will find the results of these attempts below. I even managed to record some video footage – the plasticity of this image has something truly mesmerizing about it. Although, to be honest, a digital pinhole is just a substitute for the magic flowing from traditional pinhole photography on a 6×6 medium format or even playing with a matchbox.

Recipe for a digital pinhole lens (beer can style)

Ingredients:

• 1 pc. plastic body cap for the camera body (matching your mount)
• 1 pc. can of your favorite beer or beverage (you will need a small, flat piece of metal)
• 1 pc. thin sewing needle
• A piece of fine sandpaper
• Black electrical tape (for finishing and eliminating reflections)
• A sharp knife (e.g., utility knife or scalpel)
• Good, strong glue (e.g., superglue or two-component glue)

Preparation method:

1. Preparing the cap: In the very center of the plastic cap, cut a hole with a diameter of about 1–1.5 cm using a sharp knife. Sand the edges to get rid of sharp burrs.
2. The metal plate: Cut a small, square piece of metal from the can (approx. 2×2 cm).
3. Slimming treatments: Before any puncturing, thoroughly sand the cut piece of metal with sandpaper on both sides. We want the aluminum to be as thin as possible. The thinner the material, the sharper (for a pinhole) image we will get.
4. The hole: Place the thinned metal plate on a flat, hard surface. Very gently press the tip of the needle into the very center of the plate, creating a small indentation (a bump on the other side) – be careful not to pierce the aluminum all the way through!
5. Sanding the bump: Turn the plate over and gently sand the resulting bump with sandpaper. Do this slowly and with feeling, until at the very top you rub through a microscopic, perfectly round clearance with a fraction of a millimeter in diameter.
6. Combining the ingredients: Glue the prepared plate with the hole to the inside of the cap, so that our micro-hole is exactly in the axis of the circle cut in the plastic.
7. Finish: Carefully cover the inside of the cap and the edges of the plate with black electrical tape. This will prevent unwanted light reflections from the silver aluminum and shiny plastic directly inside the camera chamber.

Voilà!