Malta is 27 km end to end, which sounds like nothing until you drive it. The coast road never runs straight for long, the good stuff is rarely signposted, and the best hour of the day is the one most people spend queuing for a table. Here is where to point the car.
Dingli Cliffs, for the drop
The west coast falls away at Dingli — the highest point on the island, roughly 250 m above the sea, with Filfla sitting out on the water below. The road along the top is open, quiet by Maltese standards, and faces due west, which makes it the obvious place to be an hour before sunset. Roof down, if you have the choice.
The northwest bays
From Dingli the coast runs north through Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa, two of the few genuinely sandy beaches on Malta and a short, pretty drive apart. Continue up to Melliħa and Għadira, the island’s largest sandy beach. The roads here open out; it is the closest Malta gets to touring country.
The south: Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk
Head south instead and the character changes. Wied iż-Żurrieq is the launching point for the Blue Grotto, best seen in the morning when the light gets into the caves. Carry on east to Marsaxlokk, the fishing harbour where the painted luzzu boats sit at anchor — Sunday is the market, and the crowds that come with it. Midweek is the better drive.
- Go early or late: midday traffic and midday light are both unkind.
- Village roads are narrow and walled — take the wider route in a big car.
- Parking at the popular bays fills by mid-morning in summer.
Gozo, which is the real answer
The ferry leaves from Ġirkewwa at the northern tip and takes about 25 minutes to Mġarr. You drive on and off, and the island on the other side is quieter, greener and considerably better to drive: longer sightlines, fewer cars, and roads that actually reward a good chassis.
Make for Dwejra on the west coast — the Azure Window collapsed into the sea in 2017, but the Inland Sea and the cliffs around it are still worth the trip. Then Xlendi and Marsalforn for the harbours, Ramla Bay for the red sand, and Victoria in the middle, where the Cittadella looks over the whole island. A day is enough to see it. Two is better.
What to take it in
For the coast road and Gozo, the E-Class Cabriolet is the obvious pick — the roof is the entire point on the Dingli stretch. For a longer touring day with four people aboard, the Panamera covers ground more comfortably. All three of our cars come with unlimited kilometres, so the ferry crossing and the long way home cost you nothing extra.