Experience the countryside of Mistra and Selmun
Malta has a beautiful coastline and countryside that has a unique Maltese flavour. Rubble walls and limestone footpaths provide a distinct contrast from the busy towns. October to April will find the countryside green and abundant with flowers intertwined with a history that covers hundreds of years. We have teamed up with Stephen Mifsud to offer guided walks through some of Malta's beautiful countryside. Stephen brings considerable knowledge of Malta's fauna and flora to lead you on the walk and help you experience Malta at its best. We have put together a selection of walks, short and long, for the young and old. Your walk will be so much more interesting with our friendly guide explaining about the nature you encounter and taking you through several 'secret' paths to see the best panoramic sites of the northeast of the island.

Type of walk: This is a peaceful walk along grass pathways and rock stepping. Due to the nature of Maltese topography some pathways are steep. Recommended for any ages and people who are in good state of health and can make long walks. However no fears, as there are several stops during the walk when some interesting plant or panoramic view is met. General knowledge about the islands is given during the walk. There will be ample time for short rests, own-exploration and photography. The leader is an expert photographer himself so you can abuse for some great photos!
What you should bring: -Comfortable shoes or boots with a non-slip bottom (due to rock stepping).
-Small binoculars Photo camera (a must!)
- Light snacks, fruit and water (a must!)
-Adequate clothing for the weather Passport or ID in case you apply for family offers or have children.

Languages: English, Italian, Swedish translation + basic German (at extra cost for translator), Russian translation (at extra cost of translator).

What nature to expect: The Mistra area is blessed with a profusion of flowering plants and trees. Depending on the season, one should expect to see, orchids (e.g. Anacamptis pyramidalis, Ophrys bombyliflora and Ophrys fusca), endemic or sub-endemic plants (e.g. species of Romulea, Cistus, Iris, Periploca and more), red carpets of honeysuckle or poppies, snapdragons, asphodels (e.g. Asphodelus aestivus), borages (e.g. the medicinal Borago officinalis and the honeywort – Cerinthe majus), mustards, aromatic plants (mints, fennel, etc), the curious squirting cucumber, and much more. We will also be accompanied by the various fauna that we encounter on our way such as lizards, butterflies and, if lucky, the camouflaged chameleon. Detailed description of full day tour: Dates and Time: – Tuesdays and Thursdays 9.30 am – 4.30 pm

-We meet at 9:30am at the parking area of the Xemxija Fire Brigade - also known as the Xemxija Civil Protection - very close to Xemxija rebuilt church.
-An introduction speech is given, while we start our tour in the wonderful countryside of Mistra/Selmun area adorned by various local and mediterrenean flora. Accompanying our walk are also several spectacular views, secret lanes and sites of historical importance. Our resident expert will fill you in with all details about wild flowers, or sites explored.

-Around noon we rest at Selmun Bar & Restaurant (specialising in Maltese food, such as rabbit). We have negotiated a selection of set menus at the very nice price of LM 6.00 per person (children LM 3.00), including a glass of wine or a mineral drink, which you can choose from at the start of the walk. Food will be served on arrival, no wasted time! Please bring your own food if not interested to eat at the restaurant.

-We should finish our adventure around 4:30 - 5:00pm.

Be sure you have plenty of space in the memory card of your digital camera !!!

Meeting Place and Transport

The meeting place of the tour is near the church of a small village known Xemxija, which mostly is found lining Xemxija Coast. Few metres ahead from this church there is a parking lot, where there is also situated the Xemxija Fire Brigade (Xemxija Civil Protection). This parking area is the meeting spot of the tour.

There are 3 types of transportation:
1) Public bus (cheapest) 2) Your hired car 3) Taxi (fastest!).

1.Transport by Bus:
Buses are frequent and do not take much time to travel across the small island of Malta. All buses go and leave from Valletta, so what you have to do is pick the bus from the nearest bus stop of your hotel, and once in Valletta follow the extremely easy guide (with true aerial views) prepared for you on this link [Click here]. The prices of buses are very, very cheap in Malta (less than half an Euro) and the time from Valletta to Mistra during the week should be around 45 minutes.

2.Hired Car:
The main destination is Xemxija Bay. Unless coming from Mellieha or Ghajn Tuffieha, you have to pass from Saint Paul's Bay which is well marked location in any local map. Once you are on the road that outlines most of Xemxija bay, follow Part 5 to Part 7 in the webpage dedicated to bus route guide.

3.Transport by Taxi:
This is by far the fastest and easiest method of transportation, but can come at an extra cost of Lm10-Lm12 for one way transport.