Sam Spade’s Maltese Falcon may have been a fake, but, as MATT CLARK discovers, the island itself is the real deal

IT may be cold, wet and windy here, but the sun always shines in Malta.

Even in winter you can dine al fresco on the seafront and, being less than a three-hour flight away, the island makes an easy and welcome break from our dreary January climate.

Sandwiched between Europe and North Africa, just 96km south of Sicily, Malta has always been strategically important, having one of the finest natural harbours in the world.

A fact not lost on the Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians, and Arabs who, over the centuries, took it in turns to rule.

As a result, Malta is as diverse as it is beautiful and this eclectic mix is especially found in the cuisine. Culinary favourites include snails in red wine, mint and basil sauce and the calorie-laden pastizzi, savoury pasties filled with ricotta or peas, not to mention Kapunata, the Maltese take on ratatouille. Wash it all down with a glass of Marsovin red or Cisk, the island’s awardwinning beer.

Food aside, it was the Knights Hospitallers of St John who made their mark most firmly, initially at picturesque Birgu, where they built most of their palaces. Then after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, when the Knights built the magnificent fortified city of Valetta.

And they left such a legacy of cultural landmarks that the city has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Probably the best view of Valetta is from the Sliema ferry, but more hidden riches await when you dock.

None more so than the Grand Master’s Palace, built between 1573 and 1578 for Jean de La Cassiere, head of the Order of the Knights of St John. It is now the Parliament house and holds one of the world’s greatest arms collections.

Another gem is St. John’s Cathedral. The façade may resemble a fort, but inside the church is one of the most ornate baroque examples in Europe. It was decorated by Mattia Preti, the Calabrian artist, with intricate carved stone walls and paintings depicting scenes from the life of St John, together with a stunning inlaid marble floor.

Other highlights include the Oratory which contains two important works by Caravaggio, including The Beheading of John the Baptist, the only painting signed by the artist.

Just down the road, Casa Rocca Piccola, the 16th-century home of the de Piro family, is worth a visit for a picture of the customs and traditions of Malta’s nobility over the past 400 years.

Then there is the tiny Manoel Theatre; a 17th century miniature of Milan’s La Scala and the second oldest theatre in Europe. It first opened to the public in 1732 and the acoustics are so fine that you can hear the conductor turning the pages of his score.

The rest of Valetta is a warren of steep grid-patterned streets with tall, balconied buildings and rainbow coloured window shutters.

Tiny shops abound, some barely wide enough to enter, many redolent of England in the 1950s.

Inland, don’t miss the impressive medieval moated and walled city of Mdina.

When it fell under the control of the Roman Empire, the governor built his palace here and legend has it that that St Paul moved in after being shipwrecked on the island.

The huge fortifications were built by the Phoenicians in 700 BC as a stronghold because Mdina sits strategically on one of the highest points on the island and is also as far from the sea as possible.

Today no cars are allowed in, which has earned Mdina the nickname ‘Silent City’.

For Malta’s most energetic nightlife head to Paceville, or the seriously upmarket and cosmopolitan St Julians, where the island’s in-crowd gather to eat, drink and shop.

The resort still maintains its traditional charm, though, with colourful fishing boats bobbing about in Spinola bay.

On the northern most tip of Malta is Gozo, where lived Homer’s nymph Calypso.

Much less developed than Malta, the island is great for a daytrip by boat and attractions include the Ggantija temples, one of the world’s oldest free-standing structures.

Then there is Azure Window, a natural arch formed millions of years ago and, unlike Malta, some fine beaches.

On a cold, wet and windy day in York, what better vision could you conjure?