420 Travel in Malta:

An overdue vacation and unknowing coincidence landed me traveling through the island country of Malta for the high holiday, 420. I’ve been celebrating the wonders of cannabis on April 20th ever since my junior year of high school in 2005. Approaching my 20th year of 4/20 activities I notice that I rarely make special plans for the date as I used to in my early 20’s.

As cannabis became a daily medicinal routine, my desire to over consume waned and the 20th of April has become more about Black Friday type seed sales and forcing my wife to rewatch Friday or Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle with me for the millionth time. Last October when I was booking tickets to Italy for a spring vacation, it didn’t dawn on me that we’d be traveling on 4/20.

Only a few months ago, when my pal Pineapple Longtooth asked if I wanted to meet up for a 4/20 disc golf trip, did I realize I was scheduled to be on a side trip to Malta on the high holiday. A pretty exotic coincidence that got me excited to figure out some chill plans.

 Well the day is finally here; it’s 420 in Malta, and I find myself waking up early to a hot shower filled with intoxicating scents of the lemongrass-eucalyptus soap my wife brought along. A quick and strong cappuccino hits the spot as we wait for the bus around the corner from our hotel in the heart of Sliema. We on hop the next bus to Valetta, the ancient capitol city of the islands. Weaving the narrow streets lined with dusty limestone buildings dating to mid 1500’s, it’s easy to see why Hollywood uses the country for filming so often; especially historical epics. 

  I’m feeling relaxed on the 20 minute ride alongside the bay. Colorful sailboats dot the harbor, ready for an afternoon cruising the Mediterranean. Skies are blue, sun is out, and temps are perfect mid 60’s as my coffee starts kicking in. Stepping off the bus in Valletta’s city center I feel gratitude in the moment, as we walk to our bus transfer heading to Malta’s famous Blue Grotto.

Within minutes an empty bus heading towards Zurrieq pulls up and we’re right in front of the line, guaranteed a seat for the 30 minute ride. As I step on and swipe my magical bus card that’s been rocking for 3 days, I’m in shock when the machine buzzes red and I’m forced off to quickly refill my credits before the driver pulls away. After a few confusing minutes trying get a refill, we dash back to the bus as the doors are closing.

The kind driver recognizes my panicked face and reopens the door allowing us to join the now packed crowd. I shuffle to a bit of space in the very back, laughing to myself about karma as I think of my eagerness to get a seat. 

As the bus pulls away from Valletta’s center I know it’s time and unzip the pocket of my camera bag to pull out the goods. Before leaving home, I whipped up a fresh batch of Blood Orange-Lemon gummy bears mixed with a healthy dose of Rick Simpson Oil. I pass a few bears to my wife through the crowd and pop 5 myself.

I made the RSO from 3 pounds of plant material, most of which was high THC but some CBD and CBG dominant cultivars were also in the mix. I estimated the gummies to each be around 10mg of full spectrum cannabinoids, so nothing too crazy with the balanced effects.

 Holding tightly to the pole above me I watch as the city’s limestone buildings fade to small limestone walls, bordering farm paddocks in the classic Mediterranean landscape. Wild fennel, grape vines, orange groves, olive orchards and sprawling cactus plants speckled with prickly pears remind me of a more lush version of the Texas hill country.

A load of passengers get off at Hagar Quim, the megalithic temples dating back over 5000 years. Yep, older then the Pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge. But today, I’m after the crystal clear blue waters of the Grotto. Finally, I get a seat only to realize our stop is next…classic.

As we exit the bus I hear a smorgasbord of German, French, Spanish and English speakers amongst the local Maltese dialects. We careen past the crowd towards the overlook with the deep cobalt ocean meeting the pale blue horizon in the distance. It’s stunning. A warm glow from my gummies sets in, as I’m entranced by the electric turquoise water below splashing against the rocky limestone cliffs.

Following the lead of some Gen Z French girls posing for Instagram, I slide through the gap in the fence to get a better vantage point of the grotto. I’ve seen this rock formation many times before, usually stoned while watching Edmund Dantes dive into the grotto to collect his treasure in The Count of Monte Cristo.

I fire off a handful of photos before I hear someone yelling at us from the other side of the fence. “Don’t go that side, Don’t go that side! It dangerous, rocks can Fall! Don’t go that side!” screams a Japanese tour guide with zero authority. She continues to repeat herself as the French girls and I promptly ignore her.

Once I get the shots I was after I head back through the fence as the guide continues to repeat herself about the dangers of falling over the cliffs. I roll my eyes in rebellion and rejoin my wife who scolds me as well. We begin to walk down to the zig zagged road towards the inlet at the bottom of the hill.

We walk past Torri Xutu, a 17th century coastal watch tower, with it’s panoramic views of the Mediterranean looking to Tunisia & Libya. We see 3 or 4 small cafes and shops that seem to make up the entire “town” of Zurrieq.

At the bottom of the hill we find a quickly moving line of tourists to book a 20 minute boat tour of the grotto and surrounding caves. A 10 euro ticket seems like an absolute bargain to witness such views. My gummies are really kicking now. I feel outstanding as the breeze whips my hair in all directions. 

We’re shuffled onto a small motor boat by a few elderly Maltese men. The captain welcomes 9 of us aboard with a thick local accent. He passes out life jackets as he quickly blasts off the dock pointed to the open sea. The salt water splashing on my face feels amazing and I’m loving life.

We turn back around and follow the coast line of cliffs. We stream through several caves as our Captain shouts out every beautiful vantage point. “The water please, look the water. Over here, the blue water! Stalactites please, look! Purple Stalactites! 

I’m stuck in the middle row, in-between of my wife and another guy, so I’m having a difficult time taking photos without something in my way. I begin laughing aloud thanks to the gummy bears. “The chapel please, look the chapel. You see the arches of the cave form the chapel. It’s ok, I stop so you stand” he says to me so I can finally take a clear shot. 

We curve under the huge stone arch covering the grotto, with perfectly transparent water below. The white rocks beneath the boat glimmer a turquoise hue as the sun catches them through the glassy sea. We continue through more incredible rock formations and caves as we begin to circle back. Over there please, the window cave, look the window!” We pass through several more caves and spectacular rock formations before curving back towards the inlet.

As we approach the dock I ask about a plateau island off in the distance. “Flifla. The most southern point of Malta” the Captain tells me. We thank and tip him as we climb off the boat. Walking back up the hill to the bus stop, we stop at one of the cafes for another cappuccino to hold my rumbling stomach until we get back in town for lunch. The sheer beauty of the ocean views from the cafe remind me to enjoy the moment and that a good meal isn’t far off. We head back to the overlook, spending more time enjoying the views while we wait for the bus.

Perfect! We’re able catch a line heading directly through Sliema. I pop a couple more gummies to keep the mood, as we make plans to hit our rooftop pool after lunch. Yesterday we tried some English meat pies as a walking snack and thought they were good enough to warrant a full meal. Malta has been conquered by many different empires throughout history, which has led a diverse culinary scene.

We’ve eaten Thai, British pub fare, Lebanese, Italian, and Turkish so far here, and it all feels very local. The British left a lasting impression, and Jeff’s Pastizzeria is the perfect example. We grab a handful of the flaky, classic meat pies and a few sausage rolls. It takes me back to my typical “brekkie” during my year in Australia. 

The walk back to the hotel helps digestion and I’m ready for a dip in the pool. The sun is blazing from above but a chilly breeze keep things in balance. I can see Fort Saint Elmo on the coast looking towards Valetta. The icy water cuts our swim short and we decide to simply enjoy the views. We discuss the adventures of the day and what we want for dinner at the Lebanese restaurant we walked past earlier.

My holiday celebrations have certainly matured over the years. I remember 4/20 of 2007, sleeping in a tent in the living room of my buddy’s frat house so we could wake up and hot box it at 4:20am. That was followed by a day full of blunts and an evening at a Bone Thugs N’ Harmony concert. I think these days I much prefer a chill day at the Grotto, a handful of edibles and a Lebanese feast with the wife.

Enjoy reading about our 420 travel in Malta? Check out our adventures in Greece!