Magical Malta

Bridget McGrouther revisits Malta, marvelling at how friendly and familiar it remains

- BRIDGET MCGROUTHER

There is something magical about Malta that instantly puts me at ease. Perhaps it's the familiarity of the remaining British red pillar boxes, telephone kiosks and driving on the left.

I suspect, though, that it's primarily down to the oldfashioned, genuine warmth of the local people who are proud to welcome you to their stunning archipelago of islands - the largest Malta, sleepy Gozo and tiny Comino, still largely untouched except by day cruises to its breath-taking Blue Lagoon.

This was my third visit to these islands and I was sorry it had taken me 20 long years to return. Pretty St Julian's, barely more than a fishing village filled with colourful traditional Luzzu boats when I stayed here last, had grown to become the prime night spot of the island, with glitzy hotels, vibrant bars and noisy clubs, but also now fringed with a sandy strip that I don't recall from before! Malta's few beaches include Mellieha and Golden Bay, but then there are plenty of steps into the sea from natural rocky platforms around the coastline.

Another development are the cool lido clubs like Aqualuna that have sprung up for day guests that don't have facilities at their accommodation.

That certainly wasn't the case at our state-of-the-art apart-hotel at Gzira, the luxurious Grands Suites, where the infinity rooftop pool with Instagram-infatuating views were the buzz of social media.