Sunbathing in Malta and Sardinia

To get a good tan before the start of autumn, I have decided to fly to Sardinia (Cagliari) and Malta (Sliema) from October 5th to October 12th, 2025.

Sardinia

Day 1

To get to the hotel from the airport, I took the train, which took 7 minutes and cost 1.30€. Then, I walked for about 6 minutes to get to the Sa Domu Cheta hotel. Check-in is done without staff because there is no one at the reception desk after 3 p.m.

Day 2

For this day, I have booked an excursion to the hamlet of Chia. During this excursion, there were 6 of us, including the guide, an Indian woman who had settled in the US, a Slovenian, and a couple (a German and an Italian). We needed to meet at 9:20 in front of a bus stop where our guide, Emilio, came to pick us up in a 4x4.

We drove for a few minutes before Emilio stopped for a moment so we could take a photo of some flamingos. We then drove for about an hour before taking winding roads in the mountains that shook us in every direction.

Emilio made a few minute stops so we could admire the beauty of the landscapes like at Capo Malfatano or Piscinnì beach.

We then arrived at Su Giudeu beach, which is a 10-minute walk from Cala Cipolla beach, where we stayed for 4 hours before heading back to Cagliari.

In the evening, I went to dinner at Panefratteria, a restaurant that serves pane frattau, a typical Sardinian dish made with carasau bread soaked in broth, tomato sauce, pecorino, and poached egg for the traditional version. The variations can be topped with additional ingredients (I chose the version with beef meatballs).

Day 3

On this third day, I went on a 3-hour excursion to go diving. One can say that it was my diving baptism because I had never done it before.

At 9:20, a shuttle came to pick me up (there was already a family of 6 Germans inside) to take me to the Port of Cagliari to meet the skipper who would accompany us throughout the morning.

We made 4 stops, each lasting about 20 to 30 minutes, to explore the underwater life. We stopped at Cala Bernat, Cala Mosca, Cala Fighera, and Sella del Diavolo.

We had scuba masks and snorkels available.

As it was my first time diving, I was a bit anxious because I'm not a very good swimmer and I was afraid of drowning. However, it went well and I was able to film some pretty fish underwater with my Go Pro. The skipper, Francesca, told me that I swim very well.

I really enjoyed these wonderful moments spent underwater.

During the last stop, Francesca offered us a glass of Spritz (it was included in the package).

The shuttle came back to pick us up at 1:00 PM to drop us off at the starting point. Normally, it was a one-way shuttle, not a return trip, but the driver was kind enough to come back and pick us up. I would have had to walk about 40 minutes to get back to the hotel if that hadn't happened.

After taking a shower at the hotel to get rid of the sea water, I went out to visit the city center of Cagliari.

I stopped at Peter Pan, an ice cream shop, to get a strawberry and coconut ice cream.

In the evening, I went to dinner at Josto, a Michelin Guide restaurant.

Malta

Day 4

Last day in Cagliari for me, I had breakfast, relaxed a bit in my room, and then headed to the train station to take the train to Cagliari-Elmas Airport.

The hotel I stayed at was great, it was very well located, the staff was super friendly, and the breakfast was good. The tourist tax is to be paid at the end of the stay and in cash.

The rest of my vacation continues in Malta in the town of Tas-Sliema. I took two flights to get to Malta, the first one with Aeroitalia with a layover in Rome, and then the second one with ITA Airways. It was possible to take a direct flight, but it was only offered by Ryanair, and I didn't want to travel with that airline.

I arrived in Malta early in the evening. I had ordered a taxi through Booking, which dropped me off at my hotel, Sliema Marina Hotel, in about twenty minutes.

After I put my things away in my room, I went for a walk on the Sliema Promenade.

Day 5

This morning, I had breakfast on the hotel's terrace, which offered a great view of the harbor.

After breakfast, I went to the meeting point for my day trip to Gozo Island. I got on the wrong bus, but fortunately it was going to the same place and the guide in charge was able to communicate with my guide so I knew where to meet my group once I arrived at Cirkewwa Port.

Once my group was found, we took a boat to Gozo Island, where our guide for the day, Florence, was waiting for us to board a jeep that would serve as our vehicle for the day. Our group consisted of 4 French people (including Florence and me) and 2 Australians.

We first stopped at Ramla L-Hamra Bay.

We passed in front of the Risen Christ of Gozo.

We stopped at Salt Pans, the salt pans of Gozo.

Then, we stopped to admire the Ta' Pinu Basilica of Gharb.

For 5€, we had the opportunity to take a boat ride in Dwejra Bay, which was a wonderful experience.

We made a 15-minute stop for the beautiful Victoria Citadella.

At 2 p.m., we took a lunch break in Ix Xewkija, where we ate Maltese dishes (the meal was included in the tour).

We finished the day with a walk in Il-Munxar before returning to the port to take the boat and then the minivan.

In the evening, I went to dinner at Ta' Kolina, where I was able to try bragioli, a typical Maltese dish made with beef.

Day 6

Today, my guided tour consisted of discovering the main attractions of Malta. Unlike my other guided tours, we were many. We first took a first bus that dropped us off at a meeting place where we took another bus with our guide Olivia who led the tour in both French and Italian.

The first place we visited was the San Anton Gardens.

We made a short stop at the Dingli Cliffs.

Then, we visited Mdina which is called the Silent City because there are only 300 inhabitants. It is a completely pedestrian city that limits car traffic.

We then headed to Il-Rabat where we visited the catacombs of St Cataldus and then had lunch (the meal was included in the tour).

We took a tour of the Ta' Qali Craft Village, where we were able to see glass blowers at work.

Finally, we ended the day with the magnificent Mosta Church.

In the evening, I had dinner at Ta' Kris, a Maltese restaurant where I had a octopus stew.

Day 7

For my last day in Malta, I chose an excursion that allowed me to visit the Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua) and take a boat tour around Grand Harbour aboard a frejgatina, a traditional boat. It was a half-day excursion with yesterday's guide Olivia.

After the excursion, I took the ferry to the capital, Valletta. The journey takes 5 minutes and the round trip costs 4.50€. I visited the city center as well as the beautiful Upper Barrakka Gardens.

In the evening, I went to dinner at Lina's by Cuccagna, it was really excellent, the staff was very kind. I had a Gozo Spritz (pomegrenate, orange juice, and prosecco), fish wontons as an appetizer, and tagliolini with Maltese sausages as the main course.