Valletta · Month comparison

August vs September

September ranks #1 overall vs August at #11. The other golden window: sea still warm, heat easing, prices dropping, crowds manageable again.

Valletta August — colourful traditional luzzu fishing boats in Marsaxlokk harbour, the Sunday market village at its summer best

August

#11 of 12 months

Strong option

The most Maltese month: the Feast of Santa Marija (August 15) lights the island with festas and fireworks at peak heat and peak cost.

  • Feast of Santa Marija (August 15) — a national holiday with village festas across Malta: the island at its most celebratory and locally festive
  • Sea still at 26°C+ and 11 hours of sunshine — magnificent if you're based at a pool or beach resort
Valletta September — Gozo's Ramla Bay seen through Tal-Mixta Cave opening, the red-sand beach and green terraced hills of the quieter island

September

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The other golden window: sea still warm, heat easing, prices dropping, crowds manageable again.

  • Sea at 25°C — the best swimming month if you want warm water without the summer madness
  • Temperatures drop from 32°C to 29°C: warm but no longer punishing, and sightseeing in Valletta becomes pleasant again
FactorAugustSeptember
Weather score
7
9
Value score
3
6
Crowd score
2
6
Events score
8
6
Atmosphere
7
9
Avg high temp32°C29°C
Monthly rain5mm21mm
Daily sunshine11hrs8hrs

August trade-offs

  • Prices match July at the annual premium — accommodation costs double or triple low-season rates
  • Tourist volumes at absolute maximum — Valletta, Mdina, and Comino are all genuinely overcrowded
  • Heat (32°C) with high humidity makes midday sightseeing uncomfortable; the historic city becomes difficult to enjoy between 11am and 5pm

September trade-offs

  • Still busy early in the month — the first two weeks of September retain much of August's tourist volume
  • First light rainfall returns (21mm), though the month is still very dry overall
  • Flight prices remain elevated through most of September from Northern European holiday routes
Scores compare months within Valletta. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →