Living in Valletta, where there isn’t much green space, Shawn and I have swiftly fallen for the charms of Malta’s countryside. While honking horns and heavy traffic prevail in the densely populated parts of the Mediterranean island, the feeling is relaxed outside these urban areas. Open fields are dotted with agricultural plots of land and rocky walls, and the air is fresh and crisp. And if you keep motoring far enough, you reach land’s end and the beginning of the brilliant blue sea.
Citrus, Glorious Citrus
Malta, like other Mediterranean countries, grows citrus fruit such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit. While not indigenous to Malta, the country’s orange trees are believed to have been planted by the Arabs in the ninth and tenth centuries; they’re reputed for having brought irrigation techniques to the island as well.
The Maltese speak proudly of the citrus trees thriving in the private courtyards of their homes. The general consensus is that Malta’s centrally-located ‘Three Villages’ of Attard, Balzan and Lija grow some of the best oranges, because of the area’s soil composition. And, each January, Malta’s presidential palace gardens play host to a delightful Citrus Festival where carts and crates are filled to the brim with fruit from the garden’s trees. It is sold by the bushel for charity.
Ecotouring in Western Malta
The weekend after we’d enjoyed the regal Citrus Festival in the San Anton Palace Gardens, Shawn and I were determined to get our hands dirty and see what it was like to pluck oranges off a tree ourselves.
Connecting with Christian and Jeanette Borg who founded the ecotourism social enterprise, Merill, we joined a mostly-Maltese bunch of visitors at the Tas-Salut Fruit Orchard, in the western part of the island. We took in extraordinary views of Ġnejna Bay and Malta’s sister island of Gozo, before beginning a short ascent of a terraced hill in which Tas-Salut is nestled. On the way, we spied palm trees, strawberries, and cactus plants; the views of Ġnejna Bay became increasingly gorgeous the higher we climbed.
Leaving the sunlight-drenched, cinnamon-colored fields of the valley below, we entered the cool and well-shaded orchard. Owned by farmer Benny, whose family has maintained the property for generations, Tas-Salut is remarkable not only because of its beauty, but also because such green spaces are becoming increasingly rare as Malta’s land continues to be commercially developed.
Before tiptoeing into the orchard, Merill co-founder Christian shared safety pointers and guidelines for treading respectfully on the land. Though the petite grove was cast in shadow, the vibrant-colored, fragrant oranges seemed to glow through the trees. In about twenty minutes, our tiny group had harvested everything within arm’s reach, amassing an impressive citrus collection.
The afternoon in the countryside continued with a light snack: an orange-tasting, slices of bread adorned with pumpkin and tomato jam (I enjoyed the jam sans bread, because of the gluten), and glasses of traditional Maltese coffee. These products, along with honey, are all produced by Merill’s rural network of farmers. Merill not only brands the farmers’ products, but also helps market them so that farmers can focus upon working the land. All of Merill’s efforts, of course, raise awareness of quality Maltese products, while encouraging the island’s remaining farmers to continue engaging in agriculture.
Upon returning home to Valletta, feeling quite relaxed and a bit chilled from our winter’s day spent in the open air, Shawn and I warmed up with mugs of hot chamomile tea. Later, we enjoyed a magnificent Tas-Salut orange, which we’d harvested earlier in the day. As I savored the juicy segments of the enormous fruit, the wedges sparkled under the light. For a moment, I closed my eyes and remembered the factors that had nurtured the orange’s growth: fresh sea breezes, sunny skies, and a devoted farmer to tend to its branches. With those idyllic ingredients, it’s no wonder the orange was one of the largest and best I’ve ever had.
Video of This Experience:
Where in the World?
Planning Pointers:
- Oranges are ready to be picked in Malta during the winter months (typically December – February). We participated in this harvest in January.
- Merill, an ecotour social enterprise, coordinated this hands-on event. From olive oil, wine and cheese tastings, to salt harvests and weaving demonstrations, Merill organizes a variety of experiences throughout Malta. Contact co-founders Jeanette and Christian for more details.
- Need more inspiration? This link contains an index of all my posts from Malta.
Disclosure & Thanks:
Merill hosted us for this orange-picking excursion.
Grazzi ħafna to Merill’s Christian, Jeanette, and Stephanie for facilitating such a fun afternoon! Additional thanks to Ray and Doreen for the impromptu tour after the ecotour. :)
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All Rights Reserved. The video is a creation of my husband, Shawn.
Travels With Tricia 
Your wonderful photos and description take us right to the orange grove. Looks like a fun way to spend a sunny day in a beautiful location, and you get to eat the fruits of your labor!
Marilyn, I can’t think of a better way to soak up some vitamin C & D than harvesting oranges on a sunny day. We’re lucky to still be in the midst of citrus season, but as good as our Sicilian oranges are from the market, they can’t beat ones that we hand-picked ourselves. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Malta is one of the place I wish to visit. The blue of the sea is wonderful :-)
Bea, depending upon what part of Italy you’re from, Malta is only a ferry ride or flight away. We’re hoping to hop back to Sicily one of these weekends, but Malta’s great number of festivals and historic sites are keeping us busy for the meantime.
Perhaps we spoke already about your job I don’t really remember. Do you work for a travel agency? I’ve just come back from Sicily and Malta has got the same wonderful colours. Forgive me if I make mistakes but if you don’t keep on writing a foreign language you forget a lot of words and grammar. Ciaoo
Bea, we’ve been to Palermo once before, but are eager to explore new spots in Sicily – do you have any recommendations having just been there?
I’ve worn different types of work hats: education program director, trainer / consultant, English teacher, and writer/editor. My husband and I are now living in Malta while he completes a graduate program at the university here. We’ve been fortunate to have been avid travelers these past years too.
As for your English, brava! I’ve studied French & German, and I can relate to language skills becoming ‘rusty’ if not used. :) I’m also trying to pick up a bit of Italian while here in Malta (since so many of the products are labeled in Italian). In what part of the country do you live?
I live in Monza in the north of Italy and I often go to Elba Island for take baths and sun. I’m Sicilian and if you’ve never been there I suggest you to make a tour of 1 week.
Rent a Car and visit Siracusa, Valle dei Templi, la Scala dei Turchi, Segesta, Trapani, Erice, la riserva dello Zingaro near Erice, Cefalù and finally the wonderful Taormina. In my blog I’ve only posted something about Taormina but in a my previous travel. Sicily is really wonderful. Ciaoo
Mille grazie for your Sicilian recommendations, Bea! Indeed, while it was a wonderful introduction to Sicily, our four days in and around Palermo in 2011 just weren’t enough to get to know the island. Do you think there are good bus connections between some of these spots too?
I don’t know Tricia but if you want I can find something for you :-)
It’s very nice of you to offer, Bea, but I don’t mind doing a search (once we know we are going to Sicily for sure, and once we know how much time we’ll have to visit there). It sounds like rental cars are highly recommended (as you suggested), then buses, then trains. :)
Anyway buses are often used to move all around sicily
Tricia if you’d like to have a look around Catania and Taormina just enter in my new post and see also my previous post. In a few days I’ll post a new one about Teatro Greco. Ciaooo
https://viaggiandoconbea.wordpress.com/2016/02/28/sicilia-bedda-qualche-scatto-in-giro-per-catania-e-dintorni/
What fun! The oranges look delicious. Great pictures and video. We may return to Malta next year as we loved it so much and want to spend more time there.
Darlene, I hope your return trip to Malta will come to fruition (pun intended). :) When you do come back, here’s hoping you’ll be able to spend a bit of time in the countryside too. Valletta is an intriguing city, but it’s also refreshing to glimpse the sea, listen to the birds, and get a chance to see the native flora.
Enjoyed your delightful story Tricia! I am imagining the rich smell of citrus in the January air!!
Leslie, that’s kind of you to say – grazzi ħafna! As a Maltese local, do you have any insider tips about upcoming seasonal food festivals or other harvests? Perhaps you’ve already written about some on your blog? (We’re eager to find figs later in the year, for example, and the Mġarr strawberry festival is already on our calendar.)
On Valentine’s Day, my husband, Shawn, and I went foraging for wild asparagus in Delimara. We were delighted to combine a refreshing afternoon in the countryside with a tasty cooking experience later in the day.
I absolutely love your first photo Tricia. It’s like a magazine photo. Pumpkin jam sounds interesting. Was it sweet or savoury?
Carol, thank you! It was my first time trying pumpkin and tomato jam and they were both sweet. (I often travel with gluten-free rice cakes, and so I put a dollop of each jam variety on the rice cake, while the others sampled them with bread.) Shawn and I liked the jams, and we went head-to-head with our respective sweet tooths about what to buy. We finally decided on taking home a package of the unique Maltese coffee blend instead, along with a bag of the oranges. The oranges didn’t last long, and you’ve just reminded me that I should make some of the Maltese coffee again. We usually make it on days where we have a bit more time, because it’s made in a pot on the stove, stirred directly into the boiling water (like the concept of Turkish coffee, but spiced in a different fashion).
My mother makes tomato jam every summer. It’s delicious. Your coffee sounds great. We brought some home from Maui which is very good too.
Carol, admittedly, I’ve long been accustomed to the more ‘mainstream’ jams and marmalades like strawberry, apricot, fig, and raspberry, so I found it fun to try some of the sweet non-traditional sort during this experience. Do you know if your mom sneaks other spices into her tomato jam too?
Wow!! Those oranges look refreshingly delicious. Each photograph is great and your description makes one feel to be there.
Bhaskar, I appreciate your kind words! Indeed, we’re happy to be soaking up plentiful sunshine and vibrant scenes like this, even in the midst of winter. Wish you a wonderful start to the new week, and thanks for your comment.
Visited Malta many years ago over Christmas and New Year. Had a great time, one of the highlights of which was our trip to Gozo. I expect it’s much more built-up now but then it seemed so relaxing.
Dorothy, we’ve only been to Gozo for a day trip, but like you, count that visit among our Maltese highlights. Even today, I’ve heard Gozo described as “Malta 20 or 30 years ago” because of its more open and undeveloped landscape. I adore living in Valletta (mostly because of its rich architecture and ongoing activities), but my soul feels quite relaxed when we’re able to venture into the greener parts of the island. The excursion I detailed here was such a moment.
Do you recall what some of the highlights of your Gozo trip were? I want to get back there for many reasons, but the traditional salt pans are of particular interest. Geographically-speaking, nothing is far here on Malta, but traffic congestion can even make a trip of a few kilometers quite lengthy.
I just met a young woman from Malta on a recent trip in Mexico. She made me think of Malta as a possible destination. Now seeing your post, I’m intrigued further. I like the idea of an ecotour. I would like to try their coffee, too. Your photos are further enticement. Thanks for a well-written and documented post, Tricia.
Rhonda, glad to hear Malta is on your radar! I first came here on a long-weekend trip in 2006, and had a very lovely chance meeting with a Maltese family who took me under their wing. Now that my husband and I have moved here for his studies, I’m glad to have recently caught up with this family, 10 years later. We’ve been living here for a few months now, and I’ve found what I most love about the country is its abundant sunshine, plethora of heritage sites (temples that even predate Stonehenge!), pretty architecture, Mediterranean flair, and relaxed people. Of course, being near the sea is quite nice too.
Where in Mexico were you? That’s another country I’d like to get to know better.
Hi Tricia. Your blog keeps getting better and better. The layout is beautiful and the content is interesting to both read and view. I’m looking forward to catching up with your travels!
Take care,
Elisa
Elisa, that’s lovely praise, especially coming from a talented person such as yourself; thank you! I haven’t been able to tell stories as frequently here as I’d like to (as it’s taken a while to get settled into life on Malta) but I’ll do my best to keep the tales coming.
Wish you a splendid weekend!
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. I think I’d spend all of my time in the countryside…what a splendid series of photos showing a lifestyle that makes me understand why health authorities always cite the lifestyle of the Mediterranean people one we should learn from. You and Shawn seem to have a flair for connecting not only with the local scene (the sunsets and natural beauty of the photos) but the local people as well. Incredible.
Randall, we contemplated living farther outside of Malta’s urban areas, but the erratic traffic and our desire to be near the capital city’s cultural activities swayed us to choose Valletta instead. As the weather warms and the wildflowers continue to bear blooms, I find myself itching to get back out there. Tomorrow, we’re off to meet a beekeeper, so it seems my wish will be granted. :)
As always, thanks for your thoughtful words. Here’s hoping you had a relaxing and fulfilling weekend filled with a plethora of photo opportunities.
Looks like a wonderful experience! I totally understand the need to get away from the horns and semi-chaos of cars and scooters in the small city center. When I’m in Bologna, I’m always looking for ways to escape! :)
Peggy, having only been to Bologna’s city center, does it take long to get out into the countryside from there? Having spent some time in Emilia-Romagna, I should remember, but so many adventures have been crammed in since then. :)
Hey!! So sorry for the delay here. I just got back from my most recent tour yesterday, and when I’m doing them they overwhelm my time. Yes it is easy to get to the countryside from the center of Bologna. I guess the challenge is figuring out where to go when you are dependent on the bus. The easiest and most popular option is to walk up to San Luca on the hill just outside of Bologna. It isn’t a long walk and it feels like you are in the country when you get there. Really nice. :)