Folkestone-based Saga Holidays has taken over the management of a hotel in Malta. Trevor Sturgess stayed there and explored the delights of this Mediterranean isle.

Wandering down narrow streets in the ancient capital city of Mdina highlights the joys of Malta. Perched high on a rocky crag, its yellow walls sunlit by day and floodlit by night, Mdina captures the antiquity and fascination of this Mediterranean isle.

Centuries of dramatic history, much of it intertwined with our own, combine with a sparkling blue sea, ideal climate, tempting cuisine and friendly English-speaking people to make Malta a mouthwatering holiday place. This island holds so much resonance for the British visitor. It is hard to go anywhere without coming across a naval connection or a familiar object – a bust of Churchill perhaps, or the George Cross presented by King George VI in recognition of Malta’s courage and sacrifice in the Second World War.

Malta has beaches but is much more; for those who love history, archaeology and exploring interesting places – all so easy to reach. Nowhere is ever far away on an island just 17 miles long by 12 miles wide. With its lovely climate, no wonder so many Brits have a home there.

For years, Saga, the Folkestone-based financial services and holiday business, has promoted this Mediterranean gem for a superb sunshine break.

It has further underlined the importance of Malta to its holiday offering by taking over management of the Coastline Hotel.

Overlooking Salina Bay, the well-appointed hotel is a relatively short bus or taxi ride from the capital Valletta, with Mdina, Gozo, the Blue Grotto and a host of other attractions all within easy reach. This hotel is exclusively for Saga customers and it shows, in meticulous organisation and excellent customer service. Staff are friendly and ever willing to help.

The hotel has everything a Saga guest could wish for, from a cinema to screenings of live sporting events from home. A busy programme of optional excursions and walks is advertised in reception. Entertainment is laid on in the evening.

Saga does not charge a single room supplement – the bane of many on their own – and most drinks in the bar are free.

The best way of familiarising yourself with the island is to take in the impressive Malta Experience, a widescreen audio-visual tour through the island’s history from the Stone Age to Romans, Arabs and Christians.

It tells the tale of the Knights of St John who broke away from Knights Templars to join the Knights Hospitallers who arrived in Mdina in 1530, of the Great Siege in 1565 which pitched 40,000 Ottoman Turks against 20,000 Maltese and the legendary battle between Suleiman and La Valette. It’s a story of Grand Masters and nobles determined to protect the Catholic faith from attack. Go out into the sunshine and bring those images to life with a walk around the town of Valletta, taking in St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its huge altar painting by Caravaggio of the Beheading of John the Baptist. Look across the magnificent Grand Harbour from the ramparts and at noon, watch a cannon fire from The Saluting Battery.

Don’t overlook The Pub where actor Oliver Reed supped his last. Tributes to the larger-than-life star of Women in Love, Gladiators and The Three Musketeers adorn the walls.

Take a boat trip to the Blue Grotto and its neighbouring caves, peering deep into the clear waters and phosphorescent colours of the underwater flora. And on Sunday, pick up bargains and souvenirs from the lively street market in the old fishing village of Marsaxlokk.

If you visit Malta in February or March, you can mingle with the crowds enjoying the annual carnival, dating back six centuries, with Maltese villages and groups competing with one another for prizes. The island lets its hair down for five days of merrymaking.

Enjoy the local bitter-sweet non-alcoholic drink Kinnie, made from oranges and aromatic herbs.

Bus anoraks will enjoy looking at the vehicles, many of them 40-year-old Leylands lovingly maintained. Visit Bay Street for the night life and Sliema for shopping at familiar high street names.

Maltese cuisine combines Mediterranean and British styles, and visitors can choose from a wide variety of restaurants. Local wines are surprisingly good and lobster is readily available. The local Maltese beer is Cisk. It really is worth raising a glass to Malta.

The island of Gozo is where the wealthier Maltese have their second homes, where Robin Williams starred in the feature film Popeye and Joan Collins stripped naked for a film, outraging Roman Catholics.

Gozo is linked to the main island by regular ferries and new helicopter service Heli Tours set up by Kent-based aviation expert Philip Rashleigh Bayne, from East Brabourne, near Ashford. A 20-minute Platinum tour gives you a stunning bird’s eye view and costs 125 euros a person. You can book at Malta International Airport.

The relaxed Gozotans give a friendly welcome. The Ggantija Temple, said to be the oldest free-standing structure in the world, dates back to 3600BC. The island also has the distinction of being the place where Sainsbury’s tomato ketchup is made.

THE FACTS:

• Malta is just under three hours’ flying time from the UK
• The island has 40 prehistoric sites, 23 temples and 30 Roman villas
• Population: 370,000 (Gozo: 30,000)

More information: www.sagaholidays.co.uk or www.visitmalta.com