The day after a big night
Easy wins here. The National Aquarium in St Paul's Bay is cool and dark and asks little more than a slow wander past tanks and through an underwater tunnel. Later on, the tuk tuk takes you around at sunset with no driving or decisions required.
If you don't want to book anything, take the ferry from Sliema to Valletta, grab a pastizz and sit facing the harbour. A short boat ride does more for you than another coffee.
History and film, no early start
On your own, Mdina can turn into twenty minutes of photos in alleyways. On the guided tour of Mdina and Rabat you get the stories of nobles and knights behind the doors. Wear comfy shoes: it's all on foot, over old stone.
Popeye Village is the set from the 1980 film with Robin Williams, left standing in Anchor Bay, up north. It's deliberately kitsch and very photogenic, especially with the bay behind it.
Village festas
Each parish celebrates its saint with a festa, mostly in summer: streets hung with banners and statues, brass bands, a procession, stalls selling qubbajt (a kind of nougat) and fireworks. No ticket or invitation needed; just turn up.
The calendar changes from village to village, which is why it pays to ask where it's on that week. A warning if you're sleeping nearby: the firecrackers start in the morning and sound like they're in your room.
Sunset at Dingli
Get there half an hour early with some food and a hoodie, because it's often windy up top. The sun drops into open sea, and in the distance you can make out the islet of Filfla.
The only thing to plan is getting back: there are fewer buses at night, so keep a taxi app handy, or have dinner in Rabat on the way.
Quads: clear heads only
The quad and buggy route follows dirt tracks at sunset with a guide. The quad rental on Gozo is self-guided, with suggested routes on GPS and a valid driving licence required.
Neither works with a hangover or after drinking: you're really driving, and a lapse on a quad costs a lot.
Coastal walks
There's almost no shade and many stretches have no fence, so stay well back from the edge, especially in wind. Bring more water than you think you'll drink.
- Dingli Cliffs: no big climbs, with views the whole way along the southern edge.
- Majjistral: a nature park in the north-west, between Golden Bay and Anchor Bay, with coves and scrubby hillsides.
- Victoria Lines: the wall the British built in the 19th century along a fault line that crosses the island.
