Ħaġar Qim stands on a windswept ridge at the southern end of Malta, with the sea below and a small rocky island, Filfla, on the horizon. The temple was built around 3600 to 3200 BC, which makes it older than Stonehenge and the pyramids, and it is built of huge blocks of coralline limestone, some of them several metres high. The tallest single stone, in the facade, is about five metres, and the whole structure is laid out in a pattern of curving chambers, like a clover leaf. Inside are altars, carved holes and doorways that hint at ceremonies we can only guess at.
A walk down the hill leads to Mnajdra, a second temple complex a few hundred metres away and closer to the sea, which is aligned with the sun so that at the equinoxes and solstices the light enters in special ways. The two sites together make one of the most atmospheric places in Malta. A giant canopy now covers Ħaġar Qim to protect the stone from the weather, and there is a visitor centre with a museum and a cafe. Tickets are required, and opening times vary by season.
The road here runs through a landscape of stone-walled fields, carob trees and cactus, with a feeling of space that is rare on the island. The surface is mixed, with potholes and patches, and traffic keeps to the left. Nearby, the cliffs at Dingli rise to the highest point in Malta, a little over two hundred and fifty metres, and a road along the top gives views over the sea. Wied iż-Żurrieq, a narrow cove, is the starting point for boat trips to the Blue Grotto, a sea cave of luminous blue water.
Qrendi is a small village with two and a half thousand people, and Żurrieq has more than nine thousand, and between them they have fuel, bakeries and bars. Try the rabbit stew, the national dish, and a plate of fresh fish at one of the cove restaurants.
The best time is spring or autumn, when the stone is warm but not scorching. Summer can be fiercely hot, with little shade.