On Wednesday we ventured to the south west coast of Malta to visit the Blue Grotto, a set of caves dug into the rock by the sea with pristine water, and to see Hagar Qim, home to some of the oldest temples on earth.
Blue Grotto
The west side of Malta consists of cliffs rising out of the Mediterranean Sea. In the southwest are a series of caves within the cliffs that provide some magnificent views of the sea. We went down to the inlet where the boats await to take you on a tour. Then we were off.
Inside the caves, the clarity of the water and its colours come to life.
These two shots show the clarity…the water is 10-12 feet deep and you can easily see the sand ripples at the bottom. There are also a lot of jellyfish. The boat driver picked one up to demonstrate that it you pick it up with your palm, which is rougher than, say, in between your fingers where the jellyfish can sting you, then you avoid the stings. I suspect my keyboard work life renders my palms a tad softer than his.
Then, this happened! Luckily most of the tourists were unaware Sean was the skipper
Hagar Qim
Hagar Qim (the Q is silent) is a prehistoric site consisting of megalithic buildings. It dates back to 3600 BC and is one of the oldest known structures on earth.
I’ve been here before but it is still impressive to see. Access to the site is restricted in that you can’t just wander throughout the ruins…you’re restricted to certain parts. Unfortunately that leaves you itching to walk thru the windows in the rocks and stand in some of the hidden rooms. Nonetheless, you’re standing in a historical place which is quite fascinating. Many of the structures are thought to be places for rituals, alters, and some rooms which appear to be dedicated for assembly of higher ranking members.
A few hundred metres away is Mnajdra temples, which dates back between 3600-3200BC…so it was constructed a bit more recently that Hagar Qim. It is actually three separate temples, all built at different times…sort of like a renovation. It is equally as impressive and you actually have more access to Mnajdra than at Hagar Qim.
Amazing that you can see the jelly fish so clearly in the water.