Young holidaymakers in Paceville were generally upbeat about Malta as international media reports compared the island to cheap holiday hotspots, rife with alcohol and weed.

A vox pop last week saw youngsters describing Malta “crazy” and “like Ibiza, but cheaper”.

But many dismissed claims that they are just here to party. They lauded the country’s landscape and “affordable” alcohol prices, while one young man said he was enticed by photos of the Blue Lagoon taken by his sister during a recent holiday.

“That’s the one thing about Malta, it’s a beautiful place,” said British tourist Andrei Campbell.

Earlier this month, British tabloid newspaper The Sun branded the country ‘Amsterdam-on-Sea’, saying young holidaymakers from the UK were travelling to Malta for the “good food, cheap booze and legal weed”.

“Brits flocking to Malta for its new wave of superclubs and wild drinking games are also making the most of its groundbreaking new drug rules,” it said.

Another titled ‘Malta Mayhem’ said the country was “the new Magaluf”, in reference to the holiday resort on the Spanish island of Mallorca famous for its nightlife. Some of those claims were clearly reflected in Paceville last Tuesday.

Stefano S., 25 from Italy, said his group of friends had been clubbing from 6pm to 7am every night and then sleeping until lunchtime before visiting the beach during the afternoon. “It’s a routine,” he said.

Everyone says it... that Malta is crazy, the alcohol is cheap, and clubs are free most of the time

A group of students from Portugal, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and Portugal said it was common knowledge that the country is a good holiday destination for parties.

“Everyone says it... that Malta is crazy, the alcohol is very cheap, and clubs are free most of the time,” said one young woman. Another remarked: “St Julian’s never sleeps, and neither do I.”

In 2021, Malta became the first EU country to legalise the recreational cultivation of cannabis.

The legislation laid the groundwork for the introduction of not-for-profit associations able to sell to their members, though to date none have opened for business.

Helena Ruth from Belgium said she had heard cannabis was legal in Malta, commenting that “a lot of people” were smoking, though few of the partygoers Times of Malta spoke to said they had tried it while in the country.

One group of friends said they had seen and smelled the drug “a lot” but had not tried it for fear of being kicked out of their language school.

Italian student Alessio Alamanni said he had heard weed was legal in Malta before travelling to the country and had taken the opportunity to smoke some while visiting.

He said he bought the cannabis legally from a shop rather than on the street, saying it was “very good”.

When asked what he thought of Malta’s landscape, he called it beautiful, but said that when intoxicated by cannabis, it was “way more beautiful”.

One cannabis shop worker that night said tourists were often under the mistaken impression that products containing THC were being sold in Malta.

Cheap alcohol and rubbish

A group of young men from London said the low prices, especially compared to London, had attracted them, while one young woman commented on cheap shots in Paceville, saying she could not believe bars were selling 70 alcohol shots for €20.

Lilly from Iran called Malta “a very interesting island that has a very unique history”. When asked about the price of alcohol in the country, her friend Stas said it was much cheaper than Eastern Europe, while Lilly highlighted that alcohol is banned in Iran.

Spanish athlete Valme Prado Duran said her group of friends had been drawn to the country because of cheap flights, while Agostino Burlando said he loved the views of the sea and Malta’s landscape.

He also said it was easier to get into clubs in Malta, facing less pushback from bouncers.

Some tourists commented on the problem of rubbish being left on the streets in tourist areas, with French student Charlotte saying it made the country “look like a big trash” (sic) and Andrea Salvatore calling some areas “dirty”.

Paolo Fabi said her group of friends had heard about the country through TikTok videos, saying the country had looked “beautiful”, and mentioned beaches, hiking trails and monuments as some of the key reasons they had chosen Malta.