The Inland Sea and tunnel
TRAVELSPECIAL
Malta and Gozo have been on the British diver ’ s destination list for a long time , and for good reason . First , it ’ s easy to get there , with regular flights from most British regional airports . It ’ s blessed with clear water ; some familiar fish ( and some different ones ) for UK divers ; plenty of wrecks at all depths ; a predictable and warm climate ; great value diving , accommodation and food ; friendly people and no language barrier . They even drive on the same side of the road ... mostly .
An important but often overlooked feature of these islands is that it they are essentially tide free . The tides are so small as to be irrelevant , meaning dive times and surface intervals are just a safety consideration . So , beautiful , warm water diving for all levels and easy to get to . What ’ s not to like ?
As with so many places , Covid-19 came as a cruel blow to the people of Malta . As a tiny country with a population of about half a million , it ’ s still a densely populated place ; the virus ran riot until government lockdowns exerted control , but in doing so decimated the tourism industry .
Most tourism related businesses saw less than 10 % of predicted revenue that year . 2021 was kinder , with business back up to 60 or 70 % of pre-Covid levels , but the
The Karwela ’ s famous staircase
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