Dingli Cliffs

The western side of Malta rises to a limestone escarpment and simply stops, dropping around 250 metres into the Mediterranean at Dingli - the island's highest ground and its emptiest horizon. A clifftop path runs along the edge past terraced fields, dry-stone walls and the tiny chapel of St Mary Magdalene, with the uninhabited islet of Filfla sitting offshore. Sunset here is the island's classic evening, and because Malta is otherwise so built up, the sense of open space is startling. Nearby, the mysterious Clapham Junction cart ruts - deep parallel grooves cut into bare rock in prehistory - remain unexplained.

History

The name is believed to come from Sir Thomas Dingley, an English knight of the Order of St John who owned much of the land here. Until the early 16th century a small village, Ħal Tartarni, stood between Buskett and the present village, one of Malta's ten original parishes by 1436; its people moved closer to the fields, and the parish of Dingli was established in 1678 (Wikipedia, Dingli).

What's there

• The clifftop path - the walk along the escarpment edge.
• Filfla islet - the uninhabited rock offshore, a bird reserve.
• Clapham Junction cart ruts - prehistoric grooves in the limestone nearby.
• Sunset over the sea - the island's best evening viewpoint.

When to go

Spring brings wildflowers along the cliff path and the greenest terraces; autumn gives warm evenings without summer heat. Summer midday is fierce and shadeless. Winter is windy but dramatic and completely uncrowded.

What to expect

There are no barriers along much of the edge and the rock crumbles in places - keep well back, particularly in wind and with children. Buses reach Dingli village but the cliff path needs a walk from there. Facilities are limited to a couple of cafes. It gets busy at sunset in summer, with parking along the road filling early.

Nearby

Mdina and Rabat, the Blue Grotto to the south and Buskett gardens inland.