Take the scenic route! Alternative paths to take you away from traffic and into nature
The upside of living in Malta is that everything is so close to you. Even if you’re at one end of the island and want to get to the opposite side, you’re only looking at 35km - a distance that for most living outside our island paradise classifies as their regular daily commute. The downside, though, is that, even though Google Maps claims this trip will take just under an hour, the traffic on the rock is absolutely insane - doubling your time in the flicker of an eyelash.
There are a few scenic routes that you could opt for to beat the traffic: back roads that usually stream through the countryside, down by the beaches or even older roads that haven’t been given their asphalt treatment (yet). Here are some scenic routes that you could opt for when you’re trying to beat the traffic.
The Bahrija Way
If you live in the northern part of the island, in places like Zebbug, Rabat, Mdina, Attard - and you want to get to St Paul’s Bay, Mellieha or Cirkewwa - then your best bet is to go through the rural paradise of Bahrija, where the Mgarr fields and Manikata cliff sides provide the perfect morning, afternoon or evening backdrop to your drive.
Down to Wied iz-Zurrieq
Living in the north provides quite the struggle to get to the south, right? Well, not quite. Cruising down the road past Dingli Cliffs and towards Qrendi is pretty simple and the drive is really not an issue - the scenery is absolutely gorgeous by day and by night. The backroads here are literally on the edge of Malta’s south western cliffs - magic!
Cruising on the Coast Road
We all think that the Coast Road is treacherous, but really it’s not that bad. The drive is blessed with the beautiful seascape that is sometimes occupied by windsurfers catching some waves - the waves alone are quite the sight too. If you’re looking for a shortcut to get onto the Coast Road, take the back streets of Bahar ic-Caghaq: the gorgeous hillsides will brighten your mood for sure!
No thank you, Sliema Promenade
The Sliema Promenade is usually pretty jam-packed - there are so many cars jumping in and out of parking spots, dodging double parked cars and trying their utmost not to hit pedestrians as they idly walk from one side of the road to the other. Why not take the back streets of Sliema? You’ll find some beautiful buildings, old storefronts and other gorgeous quirks.
The tricks and tips of every driver are usually kept rather secret - the same way a fantastic housekeeper’s number is never shared - so secret routes are generally kept quiet, tucked away in the memory of the driver and only shared accidentally when new passengers bum a ride. But we’ll try our luck and ask you to share your favourite scenic routes in the comments section below. Any tips?