Sports & leisure
Malta may not have snow, but these water sports are big on the islands in winter
Just because water doesn't become ice doesn't mean you can't use it for winter sports!

Melanie Drury
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In Malta, winter sports come with a difference. What you'd traditionally associate with snow - skiing, snowboarding, etc - in winter in Malta, you do straight on the water: water-skiing, surfing, and more!

With such a glorious sea surrounding the Maltese Islands, why would you want to spend the winter away from it? Plus, without any swimmers and boats in the way, it is all yours to enjoy. Some water sports also require certain conditions that are best during the winter season. So here's to Malta's own unique take on 'winter sports'!

1. Surfing

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This may come as a surprise but winter is THE season for surfing in Malta. With the Mediterranean being a sea protected from ocean waves, surfers depend on the wind to generate the waves for surfing. Wind surfers too depend on the same. And wind is prevalent in autumn and winter. Poor surfers don't get much excitement in summer, so surfing is actually a winter sports in Malta. Surfboard and wetsuit at the ready!

2. Diving

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Diving is an all-year-round activity in Malta, yet most local divers will tell you that their preferred season for diving is winter. Reasons for this include relatively warm waters with a visibility stretching up to 40 metres, bigger fish sightings and deserted dive sites compared to the busier tourist season. Being an island, sheltered dive spots are accessible any day.  

3. Kayaking

Sea kayaking keeps you relatively dry and safe from any remote risk of hypothermia, in case anyone is worried. Doing it in winter also keeps you safe from sunstroke. If you want to go on a day-long adventure exploring the myriad wonderful features the Maltese coast has to offer, milder sunshine is welcome compared to the hot sun beating down in summer. Local kayakers also prefer winter for their sport for this main reason. 

Who said we were missing out?

6th February 2021


Melanie Drury
Written by
Melanie Drury
Melanie was born and raised in Malta and has spent a large chunk of her life travelling solo around the world. Back on the island with a new outlook, she realised just how much wealth her little island home possesses.

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