Malta Nature Trail 1 – Laferla Cross

Don’t you just love to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city to explore the countryside? If, like us, you feel a flutter of excitement when you discover a secluded place, then read on to find out more about the Laferla Cross trail you can follow on a clear morning like the one that dawned for us.

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The Laferla Cross

The Laferla Cross is located on the outskirts of Siggiewi. It is a religious landmark, also known as Is-Salib Tal-Għolja. Many Maltese pilgrims make their way up the hill to it on Maundy Thursday, passing by statues of Jesus showing his suffering before crucifixion.

Closest Stop to Laferla Cross:

By bus:

The trail leading to the Laferla Cross in Siggiewi can be reached from Valletta by bus number 62. You could either walk the rest of the way (about half an hour, depending on your pace) or else stop at Nikola and take bus number 201 in the direction of Rabat. Stop at Girgenti and walk (about 20 minutes) to Moghdija tal-Gholja.

Laferla Cross
Pretty Maltese House on the way to the Laferla Cross footpath

By car:

There is a parking space very close to the Laferla Cross. It is listed as Parking for Salib tal-Gholja on Google Maps. However, this was the end of the lane for us as we began our walk from the other end.

The Laferla Cross Trail

The footpath is called Moghdija tal-Gholja. It is a lovely walk uphill. Part of it makes for an easy walk, but halfway, the path becomes steeper and more strenuous. We strongly recommend wearing hiking boots to avoid injuries and to go when the weather has been dry as the ground can be slippery. For dog-lovers who own big dogs, we suggest extreme care or avoidance of this trail altogether. You might find yourself being dragged to the bottom of the hill quite quickly and unexpectedly if your dog gets excited and starts bounding downhill on a lead!

Laferla Cross
Path leading up to Laferla Cross

The view from the top is breath-taking and very rewarding after the uphill walk. We were disappointed to see that the Chapel of Annunciation is in a state of disrepair and seems to have been like so for some time. The Laferla Cross is beside it and if you walk up to it, you will be able to see for miles around. If visibility is clear, you can pinpoint landmarks such as churches and Verdala Palace in Buskett.

Final Thoughts

We hope you will enjoy this trail as much as we did. It is a relatively short one compared to the ones we are used to, but perfect for a mild day. It turned a bit cloudy eventually, but we managed to snap some beautiful photos! Check out our Instagram and follow us for more!

If you have any questions or comments, pop them in the comments section below!

Happy Hiking!

Passport and Pathways x

Are you a summer lover? Check out this post on the Best Beaches in Malta and pin it for some summer fun!

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Comments

  1. I went to Malta years ago and loved it. Looks like a great trail.

    1. Yes, lots of things to do in Malta, even though it’s so tiny 🙂 thanks for stopping by!

  2. Wow!!!!! Amazing trails. Wish I can visit Malta in the future. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Thank you! We hope you’ll get the opportunity to do so, it’s lovely here! 🙂

  3. jan says:

    After reading this article I’m amazed at how many small but beautiful places are there in Malta. Even though Malta is tiny it has a lot of unique stuff and an amazing cultures. I was astonished on the trails because I had never seen something that beautiful. I would definitely go and visit some day and thank you for sharing such lovely places to us because we need to be more proud on our small but amazing country.

    1. Hi Jan! I share the same sentiment! Malta can be a real gem if one knows where to look. Happy exploring!

  4. Matthew says:

    I went for a walk to Laferla Cross recently around two weeks ago. We went by walk, first stopping at Girgenti church and after up to Laferla cross, the view was breathtaking. You cannot access or enter the church because it is under repair since lightning struck the church. It got struck about three years ago. Now there is a fence so no one can enter it and get hurt. Spectacular views are given when you get up to the top, but it is currently closed as it is dangerous to access.

    1. The views are truly spectacular! Shame the chapel has been fenced off. Hopefully they’ll do something about it in the near future.

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