Malta

Malta Gay Hotels – The Nomadic Boys

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Malta Gay Hotels - The Nomadic Boys

Magnificent, marvellous, mind-blowing Malta!

For such a small country, Malta sure packs a big punch in terms of charm, gay friendliness and having a rich cultural history. This teeny, tiny, unassuming and super Catholic nation has undergone such a huge transition over the past decade that it’s now famously recognised as being one of the most gay friendly countries in the world.

And we are living for it. We loved travelling around Malta. It’s one of the few places in the world where we felt comfortable with PDAs. In addition, the country has so much history to discover, ruins to explore, gorgeous landscapes and some pretty stunning west-facing beaches where you’ll feel inspired to renew your wedding vows at sunset.

In this article, we’ve rounded up the best gay hotels in Malta to check out based on our first-hand experience, recommendations from LGBTQ locals and from other gay travellers. We’ve included everything from five-star luxury resorts to intimate guesthouses for the more budget-savvy traveller. To read more about experience travelling in Malta, including the country’s gay scene, check out our comprehensive gay guide to Malta.

Malta Gay Hotels – Where to Start

Valletta is our hands-down favourite place in Malta. It’s a city bursting with culture and history everywhere you step! Fortified walls, medieval castles and winding streets filled with unique shops and bespoke eateries, you’ll easily lose yourself in the sheer charisma of Valletta. This is also where the majority of the gay hangouts are with many delightful gay hotels to choose from, which are mainly on the luxury end, like The Phoenicia, Rosselli and La Falconeria.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Malta Gay Travel Resources

Malta Gay Life – The Nomadic Boys

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Malta Gay Life - The Nomadic Boys

“Malta has become the gold standard of LGBTQI reforms – a beacon of human rights for LGBTIQ issues!”

So said the United Nation’s Equality and Non-Discrimination team. This tiny unassuming island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean has over the past decade quickly evolved to become one of the most gay friendly countries in the world with some of the most progressive LGBTQ laws.

But Malta wasn’t always like this. Up until 2013, divorce was illegal here, society extremely socially conservative and homosexuality was pretty much underground. Since the centre-left Labour Party came into power in 2013, the country did a big U-turn, passing an array of progressive laws led by the proactive Minister for Equality, Helena Dalli. You can read more about this in our comprehensive gay guide to Malta.

How did such a quick and rapid change affect Malta’s LGBTQ community?
We found that the older members of the Maltese LGTBQ community had a far different perspective compared to the newer generation who are now benefitting from these more open and progressive laws, which the older generation fought hard to achieve.

Malta Gay Life

A lot of the older gay guys we met, who came of age in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, had difficulties being out and were often forced to lead double lives, marrying a woman to satisfy their family. In comparison, the younger gay guys in their teens, 20s and 30s, we found them to be more confident about their sexuality when we spoke to them about Malta Gay Life. Now it was easier than ever to fight for change in terms of lobbying their MPs, organising LGBTQ events, leading the Pride movement, and more.

One of these awesome Maltese Millennials at the forefront of change in Malta is cutie Clayton Mercieca. Clayton recently married his life partner Christian and together had a baby boy and is rocking the #gaydad world! Clayton is also a prominent LGBTQ activist in Malta, responsible for organising Malta Pride.

We met up with Clayton and his hunky hubby Christian in Valletta, who told us more about the gay life in Malta and what it’s like being gay parents.

Queer Malta – The Gay UK

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Malta - pixabay

I first visited Malta 14 years ago and remember myself and my friends trying desperately to find a gay scene and left extremely disappointed as you could imagine as an early twenty-something would in a fruitless search of gay nightlife in the winter sun. The visit in 2004 was in the same year that Malta had its first Pride March an event to which no more than 50 people attended and so my interest was piqued when Allied Rainbow Communities announced the 2018 Malta Pride Parade & Celebration taking place in Valletta, the European Capital of Culture.

Time to give Malta a second chance.

5 LGBT facts you might not know about Malta

1) It is a little-known fact that Malta ranks as the leading country, before even The UK and Belgium, regarding how the laws and policies of the country positively impact on the lives of LGBT+ people.

2) Discrimination regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in Malta has been banned nationwide since 2004.

3) Malta is one of the few countries in the world to have made LGBT+ rights equal at a constitutional level.

4) In 2016, Malta became the first country in the European Union to ban conversion therapy.
5) Despite being a liberal country, Malta is extremely limited when it comes to exclusive gay venues.

There are a few places that are indeed worth checking out for a stay on the island, the best two I have included here.

By Ray Si – Full Story at The Gay UK

Malta Gay Travel Resources

Queer Malta – Gay Star News

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Malta - pixabay

There are many reasons to visit magical Malta, the world’s tenth smallest country, home to just 400,000 people. Firstly, the location. The three islands that make up the country – Malta, Gozo and Comino – are found almost directly in the center of the Mediterranean, 60 miles from Sicily. As such, temperatures are warm almost all year round.

Secondly, there’s Malta famously LGBTI-friendly reputation. Despite being a deeply religious country, (the most popular religion being Roman Catholicism), Malta once again topped this year’s ILGA-Europe ‘Rainbow Index’, which ranks countries by how their laws and policies promote sexual and gender equality.

Malta is a major destination for Jet2holidays, the UK’s second biggest tour operator who provide package holidays from nine UK bases – London Stansted, Birmingham, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, East Midlands, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast International.

As such, we’ve teamed up with Jet2holidays, who are friendly, customer focused and winners of the Which? Travel Brand of 2018 award, for this quick-fire guide on what to do and where to stay in the Med’s most stunning archipelago…

Go set-jetting

Season One of Game of Thrones was filmed in many locations across Malta and Gozo. Meanwhile Popeye Village Malta, the set of the live action 1980 film, based on the iconic cartoon sailor, is now a major tourist attraction. This beautiful location is the perfect backdrop for blockbuster films and hit series.

By Jamie Tabberer – Full Story at Gay Star News

Malta Gay Travel Resources

Taking a Holiday in Gay Malta – Gay Star News

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Gay Malta Pride - Gay Star News

For many in Europe, Malta has a reputation for being a rather genteel holiday destination for older holidaymakers. The island is trying hard to shift that perception, with youth-oriented music festivals and a growing awareness of the LGBTI tourism market. It’s also an increasingly popular spot for those with a passion for diving.

However, for many, gay Malta’s main attraction remains its tranquil, Mediterranean charm.
Most holidaymakers head for Valletta, the capital city. It’s also a major harbor which plays host to cruise ships throughout the year.

Malta is actually three islands. Malta itself has a population of 400,000, while the smaller Gozo has 30,000. Comino, the smallest part of the archipelago, is almost uninhabited.
Approximately 1.6million tourists swell Malta’s population each year. The UK accounts for around 450,000 of those.

The island nation has a fascinating history. It has been tussled over by various factions, including Arab invaders, the Normans, the Knights of Malta and French. It was a major British naval base between the early 1800s and 1964, and elements of Britishness persist, such as red phone boxes. What dominates greater is the Maltese limestone from which almost all the buildings are built. Valletta was built along a grid system. Narrow streets are lined with buildings dating back to the 1600 and 1700s. Figures of saints and the Virgin Mary abound.

By David Hudson – Full Story at Gay Star News

Malta Gay Travel Resources

Gloriously Gay Malta – Gay Star News

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gay Malta
Photo Courtesy of Visit Malta

Way to go, Malta! The island nation in the Mediterranean Sea is now the 15th in Europe to win marriage equality, following today’s vote. It follows Germany, which voted in favor of the move at the end of June.

Malta, which has a population of 400,000 and is the world’s ninth smallest country country, was this year named the best in Europe for LGBTI rights. And this was before marriage equality! To celebrate the news, here are some of the most perfect spots on the island for you and your partner to enjoy together…

1 St Peter’s Pool

What: A natural swimming pool known for its immensely clear waters.

Where: Located near the village of Marsaxlokk.

Why: It’s a perfect example of Malta’s craggy, dramatic natural beauty.

Ten Reasons to Go to Malta

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Malta It’s time to reacquaint yourself with Malta, the island nation in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea – and the European destination you’ve been missing. Malta is comprised of three separate islands with a land mass of 316km2. But despite its modest size Malta gives visitors a huge variety of exciting and unforgettable things to see and do. From its gorgeous climate to its rugged, charismatic landscape; from the well-preserved architecture to perfect beaches; there are many reasons to visit Malta. Here, we look at 10 of them…

1 It never feels overcrowded

Malta’s three inhabited islands are Malta, Gozo, Comino, home to just 420,000 people. To put that into perspective, that’s almost 100,000 less than the UK’s city of Manchester. Despite the more relaxed atmosphere, Malta still offers a wide range of entertainment and nightlife to add a slice of excitement to your holiday.

Full Story at Gay Star News

Malta Gay Travel Resources

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