Malta: souvenirs
Malta's small islands hold big crafts - glass, lace, silver filigree and honey from thyme-covered cliffs. Here is what travellers bring home from Malta, where the good versions live, and the export questions worth a look - alongside our 79 written places.
The classic buys
Mdina glass
Swirling blues and golds blown at the Ta' Qali crafts village - watch it made, buy it boxed.
Silver filigree
A Maltese-cross pendant in fine silver wire - hallmarked pieces from Valletta jewellers.
Gozo lace
Bobbin lace still made by hand on Gozo - buy from the makers and expect handmade prices.
Honey and capers
Thyme honey from the islands' wild scrub, salted capers and sun-dried tomato paste from grocers.
Limestone and tile crafts
Carved globigerina pieces and reproduction Maltese tiles - the island's own materials.
Kinnie and Twistees
The bitter-orange soft drink and the national snack - cheap, beloved, and only really Maltese.
Check before you buy
- Anything from wrecks or archaeological sites is state property - Malta's waters are full of history that must stay.
- Bird-related items are sensitive given the islands' hunting controversies - avoid feathers and taxidermy entirely.
- Filigree is delicate - carry it in hand luggage, boxed.
✗ Better left behind
- 'Ancient' coins and pottery from stalls - replicas or crimes, nothing between.
- Coral jewellery of unknown origin - restricted trade; the glass is the better blue.
Markets shift, workshops close and open, and the best souvenir is still the one with a story you were there for. Buy from makers where you can, keep receipts for anything substantial, and when a deal feels too good, it usually is.