Weekends alone in Malta are often the hardest part of settling in. During the week, work fills your days; on Saturday and Sunday, Maltese colleagues are with family, other expats are travelling and the hours stretch out. The fix is not to fill every minute, but to give your weekend a simple shape: one active plan, one place where you see people, and one small social step. Do that for a month and solo weekends start to feel like a choice rather than a gap.
This guide gives you a weekend template, solo-friendly ideas by season and ways to turn some weekends social. If you are feeling isolated more generally, our pillar guide to loneliness after moving to Malta goes deeper.
Why weekends alone in Malta feel so long
Three things make weekends harder than weekdays for newcomers:
- Family-centred weekends. Many Maltese people spend Saturdays and especially Sundays with family: long lunches, christenings, weddings and village feasts. It is not personal, but it means colleagues rarely have weekend time free.
- Expat churn. International friends often travel at weekends or are already in established groups.
- No structure. Without the rhythm of work, two days can disappear into scrolling, sleeping in and feeling worse by Sunday evening.
Knowing this helps. Feeling low at weekends in your first months is common, and it usually improves as you build a few regular plans. Our honest look at whether it is easy to make Maltese friends explains why local friendships take time.
A simple weekend template
Use this as a starting point and adapt it to your energy and budget.
| Time | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Something active: a swim, a run along the promenade, a group hike or a class | Slow start, then a market, a walk or a trip to a village or Gozo |
| Midday | Errands and a proper lunch out, even alone | Long lunch or a picnic somewhere with a view |
| Afternoon | A museum, a café with a book, or a ferry ride | Rest, call home, prepare for the week |
| Evening | One social plan: a meet-up, a class, a quiz, dinner with someone new | An early night or a sunset walk |
The key is the Saturday evening slot. Even one social plan a week changes how the whole weekend feels.
Plan it on Thursday
Most lonely weekends are lost on Friday night, when you realise nothing is arranged. Make Thursday your planning evening: check what your clubs and classes have on, look at local event listings, decide on one active plan and send one or two messages to people you would like to see. If nobody is free, keep the plan anyway and go alone; you will still be around other people, and you will have something to talk about on Monday. After a few weeks this becomes a habit, and the weekend starts to feel like something you shaped rather than something that happened to you.
Solo-friendly ideas by season
All year
- Take the ferry to Valletta from Sliema and walk to the Upper Barrakka Gardens for the view over the Grand Harbour. The saluting battery below fires its cannon at noon.
- Visit a museum or historic site; Malta’s museums and fortifications are ideal for a solo afternoon at your own pace.
- Go to the Sunday market in Marsaxlokk, a fishing village in the south, for fresh fish, local sweets and a seafront lunch.
- Join a class that meets at weekends, from yoga to painting to Maltese lessons.
October to May
- Hike the coast and countryside when it is green and cool, ideally with a walking group.
- Spend a day in Gozo. Take the ferry from Ċirkewwa or the fast ferry from Valletta; our guide to the Gozo ferry timetable has the details.
- Find a regular café and become a familiar face. Small connections help.
June to September
- Swim early, before the heat and crowds, off the rocks along the Sliema and St Julian’s coast or at a northern beach.
- Go to a village festa in the evening: fireworks, band marches and street food, with plenty of people around.
- Book a boat trip to Comino or along the coast; group trips are naturally sociable.
Weekends on a budget
Malta can be expensive if every weekend means restaurants and taxis. Cheap and free options:
- Walks and swims cost nothing, and the coastline is never far away.
- Public gardens and promenades, from the Barrakka Gardens to the Sliema and Gżira seafront, are free and busy enough to feel lively.
- Buses reach almost every beach and village; plan with the official journey planner or app.
- Picnics from a local bakery: pastizzi, ftira and fruit make a cheap lunch with a view.
- Free events: village feasts, open days, church concerts and outdoor events are often free to attend.
- Volunteering on a Saturday morning is free, meaningful and sociable. See our guide to hobbies and activities below for more ideas.
Turning one weekend a month social
The fastest way to make weekends less lonely is to stop waiting to be invited. Once a month, host something small:
- Pick a simple plan: a brunch, a morning swim, a hike, a board-game afternoon or a Gozo day trip.
- Invite three or four people: a colleague, someone from your gym or class, a neighbour, a friend of a friend.
- Say who pays up front. “Everyone pays their own” or “I will get the coffees” removes awkwardness.
- Choose a public place that is easy to reach by bus.
- Repeat it. The same plan every month becomes something people look forward to.
Alongside that, join one activity that meets at weekends. Our guide to hobbies and activities in Malta for newcomers lists options from hiking groups to dance classes, and our guide to sports clubs in Malta for expats covers the weekday training sessions that often lead to weekend plans.
Looking after yourself
Some weekends will still feel lonely, and that is normal. A few habits protect your mood:
- Get outside every day, even for twenty minutes.
- Keep a regular sleep pattern rather than lying in until noon.
- Call or video-chat with friends or family at home at a set time.
- Limit Sunday-evening scrolling; plan Monday instead.
- Notice progress: count the people you said hello to this week, not just the plans you did not have.
If loneliness lasts for weeks, affects your sleep, appetite or work, or you feel hopeless, talk to a doctor or a mental health service. In Malta you can call the national mental health helpline on 1579 or Supportline 179, both free, and in an emergency call 112. Our guide to moving to Malta alone lists more support options for solo newcomers.
Most solo expats find that weekends get easier faster than they expect once they host their first small plan. Someone else was probably hoping to be asked.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? Open MeetNow and see the plans posted in Malta. It is free and works in your browser: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins, starting in Malta.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why are weekends so lonely after moving to Malta?
During the week, work gives you structure and people to talk to. At weekends, many Maltese colleagues spend time with family, and other expats may travel or already have plans, so newcomers suddenly have long stretches of unstructured time. It is very common and usually eases as you build regular weekend activities.
What can I do alone in Malta at the weekend?
Good solo options include a morning swim or coastal walk, a ferry to Valletta, the Upper Barrakka Gardens, the Sunday market in Marsaxlokk, a day trip to Gozo, a museum visit, a group hike or a class. Mixing one active plan with one social plan works best.
Is it safe to spend weekends alone in Malta?
Malta is generally safe for solo residents. Use normal precautions on nights out, tell someone your route if you hike remote coastal paths, check sea conditions before swimming and carry water and sun protection in summer.
How can I make weekends in Malta more social?
Join one activity that meets at weekends, such as a hiking group, sports club or volunteering team, and once a month organise a small plan yourself, like a brunch, a swim or a Gozo day for three or four people. Repetition and small groups turn acquaintances into friends.
When should I seek help for loneliness in Malta?
If loneliness lasts for weeks, affects your sleep, appetite or work, or you feel hopeless, talk to a doctor or a mental health service. In Malta, you can call the national mental health helpline on 1579 or Supportline 179, and in an emergency call 112.
