Exercise, especially cycling, can be a very ideal, therapeutic, and rejuvenating activity. It can, as long as one doesn’t register on Strava and push oneself into some kind of self-competitive spiral 😊 Of course, this can be avoided with the right will and by reminding ourselves that we are not professional athletes but enthusiastic amateurs.
Malta is by no means a cyclist’s paradise, as there is heavy traffic, drivers are quite aggressive and fast, hills follow one another closely, reportedly there are many potholes (though as a Hungarian, this is not noticeable), buses run frequently and push us off the road. And of course, everything is reversed.
Despite this, cycling/exercising in Malta is good.
It’s good because the body quickly adapts to these routes filled with elevation changes. The stress level maintained by the feeling of cars and buses speeding by inches from us probably also gives good (mental) fitness.
There are green-painted bike lanes with solid lines along some busier roads. For example, the coastal road, part of which is quite flat.
As I mentioned, within 7 hours of my arrival, I was already the proud owner of a nice red road bike. I got a lot of things with it, like 2 helmets. It had a meaning I didn't know at the time.
My first trip from St. Julian’s led to Mosta via a detour on this coastal road. The left-hand traffic, a heavy backpack on my back, a large bag in my hand, a metal pump, helmets, and keys all increased the stress level I had to endure on my first day here.
Since then, however, this has become one of my favorite routes. It’s almost entirely protected, nearly flat, and runs along the coast.
So this is my first recommendation for those who want to get to know the Maltese cycling opportunities.
It won’t be comfortable, good luck! 🙂