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This is a fittingly splendid home for the supreme head of the Knights. The opulent apartments are filled with treasures ranging from paintings and armour to elaborate friezes (see Grand Master’s Palace, Valletta ).

This, one of the world’s finest Baroque churches, still belongs to the Knights of Malta. The Oratory contains Caravaggio’s masterpiece, The Beheading of John the Baptist .

These hauntingly beautiful temples made of creamy limestone are set on a wild and rugged cliff-top overlooking the sea. Ħaġar Qim is fascinatingly complex, while Mnajdra’s South Temple is the best preserved of all Malta’s ancient sites (see Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Temples ).

Mdina, Malta’s ancient capital, is a magical little city girdled by sturdy walls and filled with medieval palaces and fine churches. Next door Rabat boasts some of the most important Christian sites in Malta (see Mdina and Rabat ).

This splendid private palace was utterly transformed by the 6th Marquis of Scicluna in the early years of the 20th century. Its opulent salons and glorious gardens were embellished by the finest craftsman from Malta and Italy (see Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar ).

In this enchanting little fishing village, traditional, brightly painted luzzus bob in the blue bay. Maltese families pour in on Sundays to visit the famous fish market on the quays, and then to linger in one of the excellent seafront restaurants (see Marsaxlokk ).

The tiny walled Citadel sits high on a lofty promontory right in the centre of Gozo; from this vantage point, views unfold across the entire island and beyond to Malta. Within its walls is a clutch of fascinating museums (see The Citadel, Rabat/Victoria, Gozo ).

Gozo’s wild, dramatic western coastline is spectacularly beautiful around Dwejra, where the huge Azure Window frames stunning views of the receding cliffs. It’s perfect hiking territory, and the diving is among the best in the Med (see Dwejra, Gozo ).

The smallest inhabited island in the Maltese archipelago, tiny Comino is an unspoilt wilderness where the air is still spicily scented with the cumin that gives it its name. You can swim in the Blue Lagoon or hike to spectacular cliffs.