Things to Do in Valletta in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Valletta
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is March Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + March hands you the island's steadiest weather—17°C (63°F) days let you pace Valletta's cobbled streets without the summer crush or winter damp settling in your bones.
- + Carnival's hangover lingers—locals stay in party mode, so brass bands still pop up in Republic Square and pastry counters push figolli (almond-filled Easter biscuits) that vanish by April.
- + Hotel rates hit the sweet spot—30-40% below summer peaks, yet every restaurant and site is wide open, unlike January when half the old town pulls its shutters.
- + The light flatters every frame—limestone walls turn honey-gold from 3-7 PM as the Mediterranean sun skims low, making Upper Barrakka Gardens Europe's finest free lookout.
- − The scirocco barges in uninvited—when North Africa sends it, the mercury jumps to 24°C (75°F) and Saharan dust drifts in, painting every surface orange.
- − Beach days demand grit—the sea holds at 16°C (61°F), which locals call 'brisk' and most visitors label 'borderline hypothermic', even under Malta's usual blue sky.
- − Easter week, if March claims it, turns quiet churches into crush zones—St. John's Co-Cathedral goes from peaceful to elbow-to-elbow with cruise-ship crowds.
Year-Round Climate
How March compares to the rest of the year
Best Activities in March
Top things to do during your visit
March's glassy morning seas make the Grand Harbour crossing effortless—the 10-minute ferry from Valletta to Birgu costs pocket change and frames the same panorama the Knights of Malta scanned in 1530. At 9 AM the low sun throws sharp shadows across the honey-colored stone, and you'll likely share the deck with only a handful of commuters, not the summer lines that snake back to the Upper Barrakka lift.
March's 70% humidity makes the underground pleasant—the Lascaris War Rooms sit at a constant 18°C (64°F), good for the 45-minute guided walks most tourists overlook. You step through the tunnels where Eisenhower plotted the 1943 Sicily landings, past original radios and wall maps still marking German positions. Summer packs these corridors; March lets you breathe.
Marsaxlokk's Sunday fish market hits its stride in March—tuna season opens, village kitchens serve lampuki (dorado) just starting its Malta fly-past, and fishermen still guide traditional luzzu boats painted blues and yellows. The 30-minute bus from Valletta lands you at a harbor where you can watch the catch come in while eating pastizzi (flaky ricotta pastries) hotter than any in the capital.
March cloaks Malta's interior in green velvet—arid fields explode with wild fennel, caper bushes, and orange groves sagging with fruit. Buses 62 and 64 out of Valletta thread through villages where old-timers will point out the finest wild asparagus patches. The Dingli Cliffs walk (8 km / 5 miles round trip) delivers 250 m (820 ft) drops to the Mediterranean minus summer hordes or heatstroke.
March nights strike the right balance—warm enough to linger outside at 8 PM, cool enough to savor red wine without ice. Strait Street, once Valletta's red-light quarter for the British fleet, now pours wine in former brothels where you can sip local Gellewza perched on original 1940s stools. The narrow stone walls bounce voices and clinking glass into a soundtrack worthy of Fellini.
March serves the year's sharpest clarity—30 meters (98 feet) underwater and horizons that reach Sicily on cloudless days. St. Peter's Pool, a natural limestone swimming bowl 20 minutes from Valletta, stands empty except for local teens who swear 16°C (61°F) water is 'refreshing.' White limestone throws back so much glare you'll want sunglasses even under cloud, and the afternoon sun paints the water an impossible turquoise.
March Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
The festival floods out of Teatru Manoel into chapels and courtyards city-wide. Vivaldi rings through 17th-century sanctuaries where acoustics are so precise cellos seem to inhale. Street players bow period instruments outside cafes, and orange blossom from trees in every public garden perfumes the air.
Essential Tips
What to pack, insider knowledge and common pitfalls