Panoramic walk around Fawwara

Malta is all year around destination and this time of the year is ideal for exploring the rural side of the island. The perfect occasion to enjoy the beautiful Maltese country side that’s nicely green and blooming. The weather has been pretty good the last few days and I think over the weekend the temperature was close to 20 degrees, which is very pleasant for the beginning of March. I just love spending my weekends outside after a full work week in the office.

Therefore I couldn’t miss another organised walk with Malta Treks and Explore. This time we are about to explore the area of Fawwara starting and finishing at the Pjazza San Nikola in Siggiewi. Our meeting point was at 3pm just next to the Statue of Saint Nicholas.

Since I arrived early and had some time to spare I decided to check out the Siggiewi Church of St Nicholas. Didn’t have the opportunity to go inside, but it looks magnificent even from the outside as you can see for yourself.

After wandering around Siggiewi, meeting the rest of the group and starting the trek, it only took us couple of minutes and we were out of town, surrounded by fields and greenery.

Here is one tricky question. 🙂 Can you spot the Laferla Cross on the hill on the picture below? I know it’s very small, so if you cannot see it don’t worry, we will be passing by this landmark at the end of the trek and I will also mention a blog dedicated to Laferla Cross that I’ve already written.

If you come from a cold country like me, you will appreciate as much as I do something as simple as a blooming field at the beginning of March. Back in Czech Republic, we still have snow and temperatures below zero and here is spring in a full swing! Loving it!

And finally we reached the coast and the views are just stunning. That “rock” in the middle of the sea is a small uninhabited islet of Filfla. You might not know that Filfla is actually the most southern point of the Maltese Islands and that it was used for target practice by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force until 1971.

This is all I need to recharge my batteries after a week in front of a computer screen. Blooming fields, stunning views and great company of like-minded people. As I usually go alone on these treks I take it as an opportunity to meet new people, make friends and find more adventure buddies for walks and treks that are rather dangerous.

This is Our Lady of Mount Carmen Chapel. It was built at the beginning of the 17th century on the Fawwara spring and funded by Ġlorma Ciantar an owner of many fields in the area. Even though it’s not really visible from the photo, there is fresh water just underneath the chapel.

I did a little bit of research on Fawwara and found out that this area is famous for not only its beauty and plenty of spring water, but it also has a great history and number of legends related to this area. One of them dates back to the 13th century. It’s found in the writing of Fr Francis Cilia who describes how the Arabs tortured and murdered seven young women that lived in Fawwara between 1270 – 1280 and who wouldn’t give up their faith no matter how much they were tortured.

You can read more about it in this article by Times of Malta if interested.

I think this was the highlight of the trek. This view point is absolutely mind-blowing! You look one way and you see the gorgeous Fawwara and Filfla in the distance, on the the other side the stunning Dingli Cliffs! I didn”t know where to look first! This place is easily accessible by car as well, if you want to enjoy the view without the long walk. There is even a bus stop, so if you don’t drive you can get here by using the public transport. Click here to see the exact location.

Once you park your car or get off the bus at the given location, you will get the below view. It’s maybe 100 metres from the road, so it’s not far away. Just wear comfortable shoes at the surface is uneven and a bit tricky. Now the weather gets sunnier and the temperatures warmer, so soon enough you will be able to grab a blanket and have a nice picnic in the area.

And here comes the promised blog about the Laferla Cross. I’ve visited this religious landmark back in September 2017. The Laferla Cross is closely linked to Catholic cultural traditions and constitutes a yearly meeting point for Maltese pilgrims during the night of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. At that time, the steep hill leading to the Laferla Cross is illuminated with torches and candlelight forming a pathway starting from the statues of Jesus symbolising his final hours before crucifixion.

I would highly recommend, if you’re considering visiting the Laferla Cross, do it now, as it’s just lovely with the surrounded blooming fields. Just be mindful of the chapel nearby which is in a really bad state. There are barriers around the area to stop people from visiting the side due to the danger of the chapel collapsing, however if you proceed with caution, you should be fine and also you won’t be the only one. 😉

And this is it. What a great afternoon it was. At this point we are on the way down from the Laferla Cross back to our starting point the Pjazza San Nikola in Siggiewi. The walk took 3 hours and we walked just over 10km. If you are considering joining one of the future walks with Malta Treks and Explore, there are already couple of them planned that you can choose from. Just check out their events. Also don’t forget that these are charitable walks organised by Gregory and he is always raising money for people in need. 🙂 Another good reason why to come!