Beneath a quiet residential street in Paola, a few kilometres south of Valletta, there is a labyrinth carved into the rock about five thousand years ago. The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is a prehistoric underground sanctuary and burial complex, cut by hand with stone and antler tools into the soft limestone on three levels, with chambers, passages and niches that descend to about ten metres. It was in use from around 3300 BC to 3000 BC, and the remains of thousands of people were found in it when workmen broke into it by accident in 1902, while digging a cistern.
What strikes visitors is that the architecture imitates the free-standing temples above ground, with curved ceilings, doorways and carved spirals painted in red ochre. In the so-called Oracle Room, a small chamber with an odd acoustic quality, a deep voice is said to boom through the whole complex. A small clay figurine of a sleeping woman, found here, is one of the best-known pieces of Maltese prehistory. The Hypogeum is part of the UNESCO listing of the Megalithic Temples of Malta, and because the microclimate inside is fragile, visitor numbers are strictly limited. Tickets sell out weeks or months ahead, and photography is forbidden, so book early and do not expect to be admitted on the day.
Riding in Malta is an adventure with a particular flavour. Traffic drives on the left, a legacy of British rule, and the roads around Valletta are busy and often congested, with buses, vans and small hatchbacks driven with great confidence. The surface is patched, drains are common, and the limestone dust and polished stone can be slick in the first rain after a dry spell. The urban sprawl blurs towns into each other, and Paola, Fgura and Santa Luċija seem to be a single built-up area. Parking is tight but easier for a bike than for a car.
Fuel, supermarkets and cafés are abundant in Fgura and Paola, with a population of eleven thousand in Fgura alone, so there is no need to plan. The nearby Tarxien Temples, a short ride away, are free-standing temples with spiral reliefs and are well worth a visit. For a snack, try pastizzi, flaky pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas, sold from small shops for pocket change, with a cup of strong tea.
The island is hot and dry from June to September, with temperatures that make helmets uncomfortable. Spring and autumn are the best times to explore.