Far far away, in a remote corner on the north-western coast of the island of Malta, is a place almost forgotten. And if you happen to go there, the rest of the world will be forgotten.
1. Get off the beaten track
Mtahleb may only be 4 kilometres from the nearest village of Bahrija, and that too may only be 3 kilometres from the city of Rabat, but the entire journey leads you through meandaring country lanes flanked by rubble walls and vast expanses of nature. That's really remote by Maltese standards. Lying on the coast at the furthest edge of of Bahrija, Mtahleb is truly a place to get away from it all.
2. Enjoy the silence
The first thing that strikes you is the sound of silence. No cars. No horns. No people. No city sounds. Just the wind rustling through the grass, the crash of waves on cliffs below and the sound of your own breath. There are few places in Malta where you can feel so solitary, in communion with yourself and with nature as one.
3. Contemplate life’s poetry in a dreamy chapel
The only sign of human life is a chapel perched upon a hill. And a juvenile prison, but that's not as romantic so let's just forget about it. With a characteristic archway leading to it, the chapel stands solitary facing the elements, with barely a soul to appease out here in the wilderness. The mere sight of it sure offers some mystical inspiration nonetheless.
4. Be in awe of dramatic cliffs
The steep curvy hill leading down to the cliffs is surprisingly well tarmacked until you learn that it is a popular hill-climb racing site; these are only very occasional events usually held on a Sunday, but if you stumble upon one, forget the solitary silence! Chances are you won't, then you'll have the sight of these awesome cliffs all to yourself.
5. Get down by the sea
Despite being several metres high and popular with the odd cliff fisherman, a convenient crack to the right of the parking area offers an easy passage all the way down to the sea! The scramble is an easy one and definitely worth the effort to sit in the sun sandwiched between cliffs and just the sea for company.
6. Take an amazing cliff walk
Another way to enjoy the cliffs is to take the walking trail left of the parking area, heading south. This path offers a surprisingly lengthy walk (about 10-15 minutes) along the cliff edge to a cove that provides an awesome view of the amazing cliff faces surrounding it.
7. Dream to a wonderful sunset
Any spot along this path is ideal to sit and watch the sunset. The west-facing cliffs give front seat views of the sun setting somewhere in the middle of the horizon. This daily event never ceases to be awesome and if you linger on a cloud scattered day, the colours in the sky afterwards are even more so.
8. Oh starry night
Far from feeling eerie in the darkness, this is when the magic begins. Once the sun is gone, the stars come out. And, oh boy, are there many of them to be seen here! One of the places in Malta with the least light pollution, the Milky Way is well visible from Mtahleb.
Have you been to Mtahleb lately? There is much possibility to enjoy one of the most pristine areas of Malta.