Shopping in Malta

What to buy in Malta

• Maltese Cross: In almost every souvenir shop you'll find necklaces, earrings, keyrings and all kinds of gifts with the typical Maltese eight-pointed cross. It's the quintessential symbol of the island, making it a must-have souvenir.
• Prickly Pear products: Rows of prickly pear cacti are spread all over the island to protect the crops from wind and thieves. The fruit of this plant is used to make syrups, jams, sweets and many other products.
• Eye of Osiris: The colourful traditional Maltese boats, known as luzzu, have two eyes of Osiris on the front. This Greek symbol wards off evil spirits and helps sailors to ward off the evil eye. It's an excellent souvenir of Malta and can be found in almost every souvenir shop.
• Blown Glass: One of Malta's most characteristic handicrafts is glassblowing. It's a very old technique that produces vases, figurines and all kinds of wonderful coloured glass objects. The best glassblowing workshops in Malta can be found in Ta'Qali, Rabat and Mdina.
• Maltese lace: The speciality of Gozitan craftsmen is bobbin lace. The pieces are handmade into fine tablecloths, curtains or decorative embroidery. This technique has over four hundred years of history.
• Maltese knights: The knights of the Order of Malta have left their mark all over the island. In gift shops, you'll find figures of knights that come in all sizes.
• Jewellery: In the main shopping streets of Valletta and Sliema there are many jewellery and costume jewellery shops specialising in silver filigree, another typical Maltese product.
• Doorknobs: It is curious, but one of the most common items you'll find in Maltese craft shops are goldsmith's knobs and doorknobs.
   

The best shopping streets and zones

Malta's main tourist towns have a street that's a hub for clothes shops and other types of shops. In Valletta, this street is Republic Street. It's the main avenue in the centre of the capital and is where you'll find numerous shops of all kinds. Merchants Street is another shopping street in Valletta.

In Gozo, most of the artisan shops and international brands are located in Rabat, on Republic Street.

If you want to find the most typical Maltese products and handicrafts, the best places to go are the markets of Vittoriosa and Marsaxlokk.

Shopping centres in Malta

The Maltese archipelago is not exactly known for its large shopping centres like other European countries. Depending on where you're staying, these are the main shopping centres in Malta:

• The Point: one of the main shopping centres on the island of Malta. It's located in Sliema and has clothing shops and other services spread over 4 floors. It has a car park and a play area for children. Although there are a few cafes at The Point, there aren't many restaurants to eat at.
• Bay Street: the most important shopping centre in St Julian's and one of the largest on the island. Its services are more varied, with numerous clothing shops and several restaurant chains.
• The Embassy: Valletta's only shopping centre. Its main attraction is its cinemas, as it has hardly any clothes shops or restaurants. For this reason, it may not be the best option for a day's shopping in Malta.
• The Duke: Gozo's main shopping centre is The Duke. Although it's not very big, you'll find international clothing brand shops and some cafes.
• The Plaza: this is the other shopping centre in Sliema. It has quite a few restaurants and international clothing brand shops, which make it a good option for a day of shopping in Malta.