Barcelona, Spain to Malta from €36

🌍 About Malta

Malta runs on rabbit. The thing to order is stuffat tal-fenek — rabbit slow-stewed in red wine, garlic and bay — traditionally eaten as a *fenkata*, a long communal feast; the village of Mġarr does it most authentically, often spaghetti in the rabbit sauce first, then the stew. Valletta, the capital, was built from nothing by the Knights of St John after the 1565 siege and is wall-to-wall 16th-century stone in a space you can cross on foot in 20 minutes. For contrast go to Mdina, the old walled capital, where cars are mostly banned and it's genuinely silent. English is an official language, so nothing here gets lost in translation. Come April–June or September–October for swimming weather without July–August's heat, crowds and prices; winter is mild but the sea's cold.