Dolmen Hotel Malta — a sunny September stay in Saint Paul's Bay

A relaxed September week on Malta's north coast: warm sea, golden evenings, and a seafront hotel that makes it easy to explore the island.

We arrived at Malta International Airport in early September, still carrying the last warmth of a British summer, and instantly felt the difference. The air was dry and warm, the light was bright, and the sea looked inviting from the first glimpse. We picked up a hire car and headed north to Saint Paul's Bay, where the Dolmen Hotel Malta sits on a rocky promontory between Bugibba and Qawra.

The hotel's real selling point is its position. The pools and terraces look straight out across the bay, and there are steps down to the water for a swim or a snorkel. The main pool is large and framed by palm trees, and even in early September there was enough space to claim a lounger without a dawn rush. The rooms are comfortable rather than cutting-edge, with clean lines and decent balconies, and the staff are genuinely warm — the kind who recognise you at breakfast and ask how your day out went.

Saint Paul's Bay itself is a relaxed base. We walked the seafront promenade most evenings, stopping for pasta and local wine, and watched the fishing boats bob in the harbour. By day we drove to Mdina, Valetta, and Gozo, all within easy reach. September proved the perfect month: hot enough for the beach, cool enough to wander walled cities, and quiet enough that the restaurants still had tables without needing to book a week ahead.