The stunning Mediterranean island a £15 flight from Newcastle Airport with 300 days of sunshine

Ryanair has started flying to Malta from Newcastle Airport, while passengers can also head to the island with easyJet and Jet2

Holidaymakers in the North East have been presented with much more choice in the last two weeks when it comes to flying from Newcastle Airport. easyJet opened its new base on Monday, March 23, with 86 flights a week on 22 routes, and last week Ryanair announced it would base a third aircraft at Newcastle Airport this summer, launching four new routes.

One of those is Malta, with a limited amount of flights on sale for £15 this month with the budget airline – though that is only with a small bag that fits under your seat. You can also fly to Malta from Newcastle Airport with easyJet and Jet2.com.

Here are some ideas for what to do should you choose to visit Malta.

Wander the streets of Valletta

Malta’s fortified capital is the smallest in the EU, but it’s also one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world. Some of its unmissable attractions include St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Grandmaster’s Palace, Fort St. Elmo and the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

There’s a buzzing nightlife scene too with plenty of places to eat, drink and dance. Spend at least an afternoon wandering through its streets and alleyways.

Take the ferry to Gozo

Malta is made up of three islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino. Gozo is a scenic ferry ride away from the main island, where tranquil, turquoise waves lap against the shore and the sun shines for 300 days a year on average.

The ancient fortification Cittadella is the island’s major landmark and can be seen from all over the island, with a history estimated to date back as far as Neolithic times. The Ġgantija Temples are another historic marvel, understood to have been constructed between 3,600BC and 3,200BC.

However, Gozo isn’t just about history, it also has 56 dive sites which are mostly accessible year-round. With some of the clearets waters in the Mediterranean, it’s not a bad spot for other water sports, such as kayaking.

Explore King’s Landing

Much like Cittadella on Gozo, Malta has its own fortified city at the highest point on the island, Mdina. Known as the silent city, the former capital may look familiar to Game of Thrones fans, as many of the scenes from King’s Landing and Pentos were filmed in and around Mdina.

The small city has a handful of churches and palaces, while the Michelin Star restaurant De Mondion overlooks the island from the only hotel within the walls. Don’t miss the Domus Romana, the remains of a first-century villa on the border of Mdina and Rabat, where beautiful floor mosaics have survived for centuries.

Marvel at the Rotunda of Mosta

The church at Mosta is based on the Pantheon of Rome and is one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. If that is not impressive enough, it survived a bomb dropping in through that dome during World War II.

Around 300 people were waiting for mass to begin when the Luftwaffe dropped the bomb, which rolled across the floor, came to a stop and failed to detonate. At the time, it was seen as a miracle and a replica of the bomb can be seen in the sacristy; the original bomb was dismantled and disposed of in the sea.

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