Malta Harbours Cruise: Valletta & Three Cities from Sliema

4.62

(143 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the harbour breeze to hit me like that when we left Sliema Ferries. The city noise faded fast—just a few gulls squabbling overhead and that salty smell you only get near old docks. Our boat slipped out past other ferries, everyone craning for photos of Valletta’s golden walls catching the sun. I sat next to a local woman who pointed out Manoel Island and told me about her uncle who worked in the shipyards—her accent was soft, but she laughed when I tried to say “Gżira” right (definitely failed).

The commentary kicked in as we drifted through Marsamxett Harbour, but honestly, I kept getting distracted by tiny fishing boats bobbing along Lazzaretto Creek. There’s this odd hush in some corners—like Pieta Creek—where you hear nothing but water slapping against stone. Passing under those bastions around Floriana and Valletta made me feel small in a good way. You see all these layers of history stacked up: battered forts, cranes from the dockyards, laundry flapping over Senglea’s balconies. It’s not all postcard-perfect—some buildings are crumbling or graffitied—but it feels real.

I caught myself daydreaming as we circled the Grand Harbour. The Three Cities—Cospicua, Vittoriosa, Senglea—looked close enough to touch, their walls almost glowing at this hour. Someone on deck said their grandfather used to swim across here as a kid (I can’t even imagine). We passed Kalkara and Rinella Creeks too—quiet spots where life moves slower; you could smell someone cooking fish somewhere nearby. By the time we turned back toward Sliema Ferries, I felt like I’d seen a side of Malta most people just walk past. Still think about that view between Senglea and Valletta sometimes—you know?