Stuck trying to pick between Cyprus and Malta? We can quickly assure you that the answer is as frustrating as it always is: boy, it depends. Still, we can try to aid you at least a tiny bit in choosing your next holiday destination. We’ll go over a few categories and see how the two compare in regards to beaches, weather, tourist sites, hiking, prices and being suitable for children.
Cyprus vs Malta
Introduction
Let’s start with the basics. Cyprus is significantly larger, at 9,251 km square with over 1,200,000 citizens. Malta has merely 316 km square with nearly 520 000 citizens. As you can see, Malta is a lot more dense. Other than that, we’d argue that Malta is a small copy of Cyprus, with similarly beautiful places, just in fewer numbers.
The sites in Malta are all much more concentrated while Cyprus has them much more spread out and divided between southern Cyprus and Northern (Turkish) Cyprus. Both islands were once a part of the British Empire, so you can see the cultural influence in both places. Malta is basically an Italian-British-African mix with a beautifully unique language while Cyprus is a Turkish-Greek mix with a tint of Brits.
Cyprus vs Malta: which one has better weather?
Which one is warmer?
By better weather here we simply mean higher temperatures and less rainfall, given that we’re simply looking at better weather for holidays. Both places will certainly not disappoint, as they’re both well over 30 degrees Celsius regularly, but Cyprus is slightly higher in summer. There’s also less rainfall in Cyprus. So if you really want to just bake in the scorching sun, choose Cyprus! 🙂 And very strong sunscreen, a good hat and plenty of water. You can also totally go to Cyprus in winter and it’ll still be warm.
Cyprus vs Malta: which one has better beaches?
Which island should you choose as a beachgoer?
Malta is considerably smaller than Cyprus, so there are resultably fewer beaches – even though their quality is very comparable. In Cyprus, you have the legendary Nissi Beach, the beautiful secluded Lara Beach and the Coral Bay among others. In Malta, you have the Mellieħa Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa and the Golden Bay. The point, however, goes to Malta here, as the beaches there are incredibly charming. If you’re flying over for a while though and you want more variety, Cyprus may be the better option. Plus, the waters around Cyprus are a bit warmer.
Cyprus vs Malta: which one has better tourist attractions?
Which one has the more interesting sites?
In Malta, the main place of interest is the centre of Valletta, even listed as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. In Cyprus, your tourist attractions are scattered all around the island, with some being in Famagusta, some in Paphos, etc. And still, these individual places in Cyprus tend to be less packed than Valletta. Be it Paphos, Famagusta, or Larnaca, you’ll likely explore them in a day each. If you’re coming for a weekend, we’d certainly say Malta is better here. If you have more time on your hands, Cyprus has a lot more to offer.
Cyprus vs Malta: where should I go with my children?
Which island is better for family holidays?
If your child or children are under 10 years old, we’d certainly say Cyprus, especially as you can choose a hotel with childcare. There are plenty of these in Cyprus thanks to agreements between travel agencies and hotels. If your children are over 10 and under 16, both islands will be perfect for teenagers. As for kids over 16, it’s kind of both your and their call if you want to let them wander into Ayia Napa and its clubs or whether they’re more into exploring historical sites already and you want to show them Valletta.
Cyprus vs Malta: which one is better for hiking?
Hiking and National Parks
Not going to lie, we were absolutely enchanted by the National Parks in Cyprus, there are plenty of really beautiful trails in the Akamas and Karpas peninsulas. Malta is no less beautiful though, as a walk around Marfa, the Blue Lagoon, Dingli or Marsaskala are equally magical. We’ll put it like this: if you’re short on time, there’s no difference, as you won’t feel how small Malta actually is. If you have more days on your hands, like a week or more, then Cyprus will certainly be more satisfying, as you may simply run out of things to do in Malta.
Cyprus vs Malta: which one is cheaper?
Budget holidays
Are you looking primarily for a cheap holiday? We have bad news if you were excited about Malta. For comparison, we took a few examples: dinners more expensive by more than €5 in Malta (€19 to €14), a bottle of water more expensive by €0.4 (€0.8 to €1.2), beer more expensive by €0.3 (€1.3 to €1.68), bus tickets more expensive by €0.25. Not everything is that much more expensive in Malta though – espresso and wine are actually cheaper there. Still, Malta is quite a lot more expensive than Cyprus on average.
So which one should you choose? We’re back to it: it depends. Mostly on the amount of time you have.
- If you have a lot of time, choose Cyprus
- If you’re flying with children, choose Cyprus
- If you’re interested in the best beaches, choose Malta, though Cyprus has beautiful beaches too, and a lot more of them.
- If you’re all about exploring beautiful places of interest and you’re short on time, choose Malta for its Valletta. If you have much more time, choose Cyprus.
Whichever one you choose, we hope you’ll have a great holiday! 🙂
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