Best places to run in Malta

Historic botanic gardens on Floriana's bastions with Mediterranean plants and harbour views.

A verdant, peaceful inland valley with countryside paths winding through one of Malta's greenest pockets.

Sea caves and arches below clifftop paths on the south coast, with views toward Filfla.

A turquoise shallow lagoon between Comino and Cominotto, the highlight of the island's circular walk.

Malta's only substantial woodland, with shaded trails beneath pines, olives and citrus below Verdala Palace.

A clifftop cave viewpoint overlooking Ramla Bay, reached by a short uphill walk above the beach.

A tiny near-uninhabited island circled by a roughly 2.5-3 hour coastal loop taking in the Blue Lagoon and watchtower.

Malta's highest point at around 250m, with a clifftop path running for kilometres above the sea and views toward Filfla islet.

A striking coastal site of cliffs, fossil beds, the Inland Sea and Fungus Rock, with panoramic walking along the rocks.

A remote, unspoilt bay backed by clay cliffs, reached on a steep rough path and a western anchor of the Victoria Lines hike.

A red-sand bay reached down a long stair, linked by clifftop loops to Golden Bay and Ġnejna over rugged terrain.

A small rocky inlet and natural lido below the southern cliffs, a relaxed coastal walk and swim spot.

A sheltered golden cove below clay slopes, a quiet end to the coastal walk from Għajn Tuffieħa.

A wide sandy bay at the edge of Majjistral Park, a popular start point for northwest coastal hikes.

Large public gardens just outside Mdina's gate, a shaded green link between Mdina and Rabat.

A distinctive flat-topped hill near Victoria offering a short steep climb and wide views over central Gozo.

An ecologically protected cliffside valley with a tiny chapel perched on the rim, offering wild coastal-edge walking.

Centuries-old chequerboard salt pans carved into the rocky shore, walked along the coast toward Wied il-Għasri.

A traditional fishing village with a colourful harbour of luzzu boats, a flat scenic waterfront walk.

The fortified medieval Silent City on a hilltop, with bastion walks giving sweeping views across the island.

A narrow wooded valley running down to a tiny secluded creek, a quiet walk along Gozo's south coast.

Gozo's iconic reddish-gold sandy beach below countryside slopes, linked by trails to Calypso's Cave viewpoint.

A small red-sand cove reached by a very steep path through terraced fields, a tough but rewarding descent.

Sheer golden cliffs with an easy clifftop trail and one of Gozo's best sunset viewpoints.

A baroque hilltop palace overlooking the sea, the starting point of a circular ridge hike above Mellieħa.

A natural limestone swimming pool on the Delimara peninsula, reached by a coastal stroll from Marsaxlokk.

Towering vertical sea cliffs on Gozo's south coast offering dramatic clifftop walking and superb sunset views.

A grand basilica standing alone in open countryside, a landmark on cross-country walks toward Dwejra.

A fortified hilltop citadel above Gozo's capital, with bastion walks giving the most complete panorama of the island.

A harbourside point with Fort Tigné and panoramic views straight across to Valletta's fortifications.

A 19th-century coastal tower at the wild northwest tip, a fine turnaround on the Majjistral Park cliff trail.

A restored 18th-century quayside promenade beneath the Grand Harbour bastions, an easy flat seafront walk.

A 19th-century British fortification wall crossing Malta coast to coast, making a long, rugged ridge-top hike with valley and sea views.

A picturesque rocky valley descending to a sea pool at the foot of cliffs, a short but rewarding scramble near Wied iż-Żurrieq.

A deep narrow gorge carved by torrential rains that opens to a hidden sea inlet, reached on foot along the coast from Marsalforn.

A natural rock arch over the sea at the end of a valley walk on Gozo's quiet northwest coast.

A sheltered fjord-like inlet between cliffs, the start or end of Gozo's classic southern coastal walk.