Malta

Just a three-hour flight from the UK, the island of Malta sees little but sunshine from April to October and offers gin-clear water, fabulous seafood, luxurious hotels and a fascinating history that belies its meagre size.

There is much more to Malta than meets the eye. Its capital, Valletta – described by UNESCO as ‘one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world’ – is a hub of buzzing bars and design hotels. Its array of restaurants (several with Michelin stars) champion seasonal produce and the freshest of seafood.

Across the harbour from Valletta, the famous Three Cities are so beautifully preserved they feel like stepping into a 17th-century time capsule. Inland, the walled medieval capital of Mdina sits atop a crag, its picturesque streets lined with bougainvillea and romantic old palazzi. Far older still are the megalithic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, which rank among the oldest structures in the world, built more than 1,000 years before Giza’s Great Pyramid.

Then, of course, you’ve Malta’s many snorkelling and dive sites, including caves, reefs, wartime wrecks and world-renowned spots like the Blue Hole on Gozo and Comino’s Blue Lagoon, a sheltered cove with a white-sand seabed and implausibly clear water.