Coastal Cliffs

Beside the extension of Valletta, that should have been inscribed decades ago, the Coastal Cliffs are certainly the most interesting tentative site of Malta but, as Ralf writes, it needs more precision. Nonetheless, about half of the coast of the two main islands consists of very impressive high cliffs reaching up to 130m above sea level, mainly along the southern coast. These huge cliffs are impressive from every angel: from the boat, from the plane or from various viewpoints and they contribute a lot the Malta’s history as an island fortress. The high cliffs extend often for kilometers and seems hard and undestructable but at their bottom you find everywhere seacaves of various sizes that show that the unrelenting sea over time dissolves even this hard limestone. 

The cliffs are not as varied as the inscribed Jurassic coast in southern England but they are equally impressive. Here some of the best places we found: Il-Ħnejja with the blue Grotto. Fantastic is a little hike around Dingli cliff view point with bronze age remains and views in all directions! On Gozo we had unforgettable views from the Ta cenc Cliffs sunset point and from the Cliffs in the extrem NW, especially for sun set. 

The nomination of Qawra should really be part of this nomination since it is one of the most spectacular spots of Gozo's coast line. We found spontaneously a man in a boat who took as from the inland sea trough the small opening out on …

Coastal Cliffs: Fifla Islet

On my 4th day in Malta, from Valletta I visited Mdina TWHS and Maltese Catacomb Complexes TWHS and then took the bus 201 from Mdina to the bus stop "Panorama" for Blue Grotto, also stopping at Dingli Cliffs on the way for Malta South West Cliffs TWHS.

I have no idea if Blue Grotto, which is located on the South West coast of Malta, is part of the Malta South West Cliffs TWHS. But it's perhaps one of the more scenic parts of the South West coast of Malta. 

From both Dingli Cliffs and Blue Grotto, Fifla Islet, which is one of the 5 components of this nomination, is visible, as you can see above the Blue Grotto in this photo. 

When I think about cliffs, I typically remember Cliffs of Moher and equally scary cliffs on the Island of Aran in Ireland (which are not even nominated for WHS), so I was wondering if these cliffs are similar to them, but they weren't. But if I look down from the edge of the cliff on Fifla Islet, I would feel different. At no point of my visit was I able to identify any endangered species. 

With the bus 201 you can also visit Megalithic Temples WHS at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, which are only 1 km away from the Blue Grotto. 

From "Panorama" I took the bus 74 back to Valletta. 

Staying in Malta for 4 nights was …

This nomination needs more focus. From the description, it is not clear which cliffs and coasts are included and which are not (and why). The super generic name doesn't help either. As it is, the nomination might include the complete coastline of Malta and the neighbouring islands, including the Dwejra area, that is part of another tentative site. I have wandered around the Dingli cliff area (where the location marker seems to be), have visited the Mnajdra temple (whose cliff area is mentioned in the description) and stared intensely at the coastline of Comino (which has its own section in the description). Have I therefore visisted the site ? Who knows. What I can say is that the cliffs are indeed gorgeous to look at and wander around, although the access can be a bit difficult. Bad for the tourists, good for the nature. The most visited area seems to be the cliffs near Dingli (Dwejra excluded - they can't really have nominated it twice). There is a road with bus stops nearby, although parking spaces are very limited. I discovered that the best views cannot be gotten from the bus stop/parking lot near the radar station, but from the rock outlook further south (at the "Zuta" bus stop). There is also a nice hiking path starting there, but no parking space at all.

Although I had a fun time here, I cannot see how this nomination can get a WHS in the current shape. Even the much better …