Prehistoric Temples and Highlights of the South Full-Day Tour

Located in the traditional Maltese village of Siġġiewi, The Limestone Heritage Park & Gardens is a unique and innovative attraction which highlights the beauty of the Maltese stone and its incredible 22 million years of history, relish the opportunity to immerse yourselves in the islands’ eclectic history, through an engaging audio-visual presentation and a very informative audio guided walk-through, this attraction offers an immense insight into the islands’ compelling history and broad culture.

From here we will proceed to visit the megalithic temples complex of Ħaġar Qim, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, the complex is located on the southern edge of the island on a hilltop overlooking the sea and the islet of Filfa, these temples are amongst the most ancient religious sites on Earth and are described by the World Heritage Sites committee as “unique architectural masterpieces”, dating back to c. 3600-3200 BC they are over 5000 years old, pre-dating the pyramids of Egypt by approximately 1000 years!

The site consists of a central building and the remains of at least two more structures. The large forecourt and the monumental façade of the central structure follow the pattern typical of Maltese Prehistoric Temples. Along the external wall, one may find some of the largest megaliths used in the building of these structures, such as a 5.2 meters high stone and a huge megalith estimated to weigh close to 20 tonnes.

Our next stop is Żurrieq Valley where we will visit the magnificent Blue Grotto and appreciate the fantastic scenery and breath-taking views surrounding the entire site. The Blue Grotto is a complex of seven caves found along the southern coast of the island, this complex comprises of a massive and very impressive main arch, which is approximately 30 meters in height, as well as a system of 6 other caves, amongst which you will find the Honeymoon Cave, the Cat’s Cave, and the beautiful Reflection Cave.

Featured in numerous movies shot in Malta, owing to its natural beauty, enchanting structure, and perfect location, such as Cutthroat Island (1995), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) & Troy (2004), this extremely popular site attracts many visitors each year, with many opting to see the amazing grotto up-close, weather permitting you will also have the time and opportunity to visit the grotto and caves by taking one of the boat trips (boat trip is not included in the price).

Our next stop is at the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk. The village is the largest fishing harbour in Malta, and has been so since antiquity, today the greater part of fish sold on the islands are caught by fishermen coming from this village. Traditional “luzzu’s” (brightly coloured traditional fishing boats) and larger fishing vessels line the sheltered harbour in a colourful display that has been the subject of countless photoshoots.

Marsaxlokk is also popular for its many delightful restaurants and nice cafés huddled along its entire promenade and for it’s charming and large open-air market, selling a vast assortment of food and a wide array of durable goods, such as fish, locally produced honey and fruit jams, traditional sweets and other delicacies, local wines and liquors, souvenirs, clothes, shoes, traditional lacework and crafts, custom jewellery, accessories and many more.

We end our tour with a visit to Għar Dalam Cave; Malta’s oldest prehistoric site, dating back to c. 5200 BC, Għar Dalam (meaning Cave of Darkness) is a 144-metre-long phreatic tube and cave, or cul-de-sac, located in the outskirts of the village of Birżebbuġa.

The cave contains the bone remains of animals that were stranded and subsequently became extinct in Malta at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, such as the dwarf elephant, hippopotamus, giant swan, deer, and bear, which have not lived on the Maltese islands for thousands of years. It is also here that the earliest evidence of human settlement in Malta, some 7,400 years ago, was discovered. Due to its paleontological and archaeological significance this site is viewed as one of Malta's most important national monuments.

A lunch (fixed menu) with a glass of wine is included during one of our stops.