The Mediterranean island of Malta is a great compromise if the idea of blue skies and someone else doing the cooking appeals but you don’t want to ditch the Christmas festivities entirely. Temperatures reach the late teens in December and you’ll likely see some sunshine, yet Valletta — the 16th-century walled capital — goes all-out with traditional celebrations, including markets, lights, carol services and the Valletta Waterfront Christmas Express, featuring parades, seasonal food stalls and a 35ft tree (Nov 30-Jan 4; vallettawaterfront.com).
Seven nights’ room only at the five-star Barcelo Fortina Malta in Sliema costs £767pp, including Ryanair flights departing from Stansted on December 22. Allowance for an underseat bag is included and you can pay an additional £83 return for a 20kg hold suitcase. Breakfasts can be added for £118pp, while half-board is an extra £320pp. Private car transfer between the airport and the hotel costs £49 return, or you can take the half-hourly TD3 bus to Sliema for £3 each way (publictransport.com.mt).
The town is just across the harbour from Valletta and has a restaurant-lined waterfront, upmarket shopping and panoramic views of the Unesco-listed capital. It is a five-minute walk from the hotel to the ferry for the ten-minute journey to Valletta (£4 return).
Barcelo Fortina Malta has a beach club attached to it, with free entry for hotel guests
EDUARDO CONDE
Contemporary, in shades of grey and mauve with classic brass fittings and streamlined furniture, the hotel has a large gym, an adults-only heated indoor pool and a sauna for Christmas Day pampering. The bar has all-day snacks and sea views, while the hotel’s restaurant, Stella’s, hosts a lavish Spanish-themed buffet on Christmas Eve, including roast turkey, mince pies, Christmas pudding and a half-bottle of rioja (£66pp).
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Start the celebrations with a stroll through Fairyland, a Christmas fair with a ferris wheel (£5), ice-skating rink (£13) and market stalls in the central Pjazza Tritoni in Valletta (free entry; fairylandmalta.com). Grab a cup of imbuljuta tal-qastan, a traditional chestnut and cocoa drink, then take in the Christmas lights at Republic Street and Freedom Square. Stop by the ornate 16th-century St John’s Co-Cathedral to peek at its gold walls and two prized Caravaggio paintings (£13; stjohnscocathedral.com), then visit the National Museum of Archaeology to see artefacts dating from the neolithic period (£4; heritagemalta.mt). End the evening of December 23 with a carol service at the Jesuits’ Church Oratory (free; jesuitschurchfoundation.org).
Stock up on last-minute gifts including silver filigree jewellery and handmade lace at the Is-Suq tal-Belt covered market, then head to the harbourfront Upper Barrakka Gardens, where 16th-century cannons are fired at noon and 4pm each day. Climb the steep, fairy-light-illuminated St Lucia’s Street for Italian classics at the rustic, family-run San Paolo Naufrago restaurant (mains from £11; spnvalletta.com), then call in at Trabuxu to sample local wine and cheese in its snug, 400-year-old stone cellar (wine bottles from £19; trabuxu.com.mt).
What you get for your £767pp
• Return Stansted-Malta flights, departing on December 22
• Underseat baggage allowance
• Seven nights’ room only at Barcelo Fortina Malta (thomascook.com)
• Read our full travel guide to Malta
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More money to spend?The £900 holiday
The rooms at Preluna Hotel & Spa are sleek and minimalist
AIR PHOTOGRAPHY
Toast the festive season without worrying about the final bill at the all-inclusive Preluna Hotel & Spa on the waterfront at Sliema. It’s a ten-minute walk to Valletta ferry and there’s a bus stop right outside the hotel for exploring the rest of the island. Its sleek, minimalist rooms have wooden floors, neutral decor and balconies, while the spa has a gym, hot tub and indoor pool. There is regular live entertainment in the lobby, while the top-floor cocktail bar is the place to catch the sunset on Christmas Day. A Christmas Eve buffet includes homemade panettone and a Belgian-chocolate fountain.
Details Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £931pp, including flights and transfers, departing on December 22 (tui.co.uk)
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The £2,000 holiday
Phoenicia Malta is in the heart of the capital
LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLD
Treat yourself to a stay at the five-star Phoenicia Malta, a grande dame hotel next to the main gates in Valletta, for ferry-free sightseeing. A favourite with the British royal family, it has pretty gardens and a spa with an indoor pool, Finnish sauna and Himalayan salt room, plus airy bedrooms with an art deco flair and authentic Maltese tiles. There are two restaurants, a cosy speakeasy bar and the refined Palm Court Lounge, serving afternoon tea. Upper Barrakka Gardens are ten minutes’ walk away.
Details Seven nights’ room only from £2,164pp, including flights, departing on December 22 (ba.com)