Where to stay

Year-round, but especially during the summer, St. Julian's comes alive when the sun goes down and the golden-hued city lights turn on. Parties spill out of clubs and into the streets in the lively Paceville neighborhood, where hotels often double as clubs and a good sleep is more commonly practical during the day. If nightlife means restaurants, rather than dance clubs, stay in accommoda-tions in Spinola Bay, where colorful fishing boats are decorated with lights after sundown, a beau-tiful sight from hotel room balconies and charming terraces.

Compared to the hostel-heavy areas of many other parts of the island, high-end hotels that draw on the unique mixture of Maltese culture are much more common in St. Julian's. Book a hotel along the Portomaso Marina to be able to watch yachts come and go on the calm waters of the harbor. Stay in one of the resorts on St. George's Beach to lounge by the pool or try watersports off the coast. For easy access to the casino, book accommodations right on Cape Dragonara, which has several luxury hotels that are also walking distance from the excitement of Paceville.

Even with the glitter and glamor of its hotels, St. Julian's remains largely a quiet, not-too-busy city, with several neighborhoods that offer access to attractions that are a bit separate from the down-town area. Just outside the city, get a hotel in Balluta Bay to stay on the seafront near a sleepy Carmelite church and a nice selection of restaurants. Live like a local by getting accommodations in Ta' Giorni or Tal-Ghoqod, whose names reference Malta's interesting Italian-Arab heritage and which offer budget-friendly places to stay not far from the sea and the buzz of the city.