To be honest, we didn’t expect much when we added the Għar Dalam museum to our Malta itinerary. We had several stops in the East of Malta, and the Għar Dalam museum was one of those “if we have some time left” kind of stops. And luckily we had some time left that day! Because the museum was one of the most surprising highlights of our trip.
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The museum is located near Birżebbuġa in the east of Malta. Għar Dalam means “Cave of Darkness”, but it is much more than just a cave. The museum offers a glimpse into Malta’s ancient past. Like, Ice Age animals including dwarf elephants and hippos. It’s a small museum, but it left a big impression on us. We especially loved the retro looking display of all bones that were found in the cave. It gave us a feeling as if we were the discoverers ourselves.
If you’re exploring the highlights of the east of Malta, like Marsaxlokk, St. Peter’s Pool, and the Darmanin Salt Pans, then Għar Dalam is an easy and worthwhile stop. In this post, you’ll find all the practical information for your visit to the Għar Dalam museum in Malta.
Read more: Discover Malta with your own rental car
Table of Contents
What is the Għar Dalam museum?
Għar Dalam is a small archaeological site and museum located in the East of Malta and it is one of the most important prehistoric sites on the island.
Inside this limestone cave, archaeologists found layers of history going back over half a million years! Interestingly, they found bones of animals in the soil that once roamed Malta during the Ice Age, like dwarf elephants, hippos, and deer. Layers that are younger, show the signs of the first human settlement on the island (dating back 7.400 years ago!).
There is also a small museum next to the cave, that explains the history and showcases all the bones that were found inside the cave.
Why you should visit the Għar Dalam museum
The Għar Dalam museum is small, making a visit to the museum a pleasant experience. There is no overwhelming amount of information, but everything is clearly explained and visually presented, what makes it easy to understand.
The visit to the museum is also varied: There is the actual museum, displays with bones, the cave, a garden with explanations about the plants and landscapes, there are birds nesting in the cave, and so on.
Another big advantage is that the cave stays naturally cool and therefor makes it a perfect escape from hot midday temperatures.
What to expect at the museum?
Your visit starts in the actual museum on the left. Here you have displays that explain the history of Malta, starting from animals that lived here during the Ice Age to the first humans that settled on the island. A cool thing we learned here is the evolutionary change of animals to survive on this small island. There wasn’t just enough food for groups of large animals. So that’s why the species on the island underwent an evolutionary adaption known as ‘nanism’ or ‘dwarfism’: they became smaller. And that’s why you can find bones of dwarf elephants and hippos here.
From the museum, you continue your visit through the garden. Different stairs take you down, and along the path, you can find signs with more information about the plants in the garden and the landscapes surrounding this site.
At the end of the path, you’ll find the cave on the left. Inside the cave, you’ll get more information about the different layers of soil that were found here. There are six different layers, named after a species or a specific characteristic: like a bone free clay layer, a hippo layer, a deer layer, etc. It ends with a domestic layer, dating back to the first human settlers that found shelter in the cave. Inside the cave, you can also see some impressive stalactites and stalagmites.
Some practicalities when visiting the museum
To plan your visit to the Għar Dalam museum, we summarized some practicalities of the museum below:
Location: The museum is located in Birżebbuġa, on the east side of the island.
Opening hours: The museum is closed on Mondays. On the other days of the week, opening hours are between 9 am and 5 pm.
Entrance fee: A visit to the museum is very budget-friendly. Entrance for an adult is € 6.50 and for a child € 4.00. If you have a Malta Discount Card, you’ll receive a 50% reduction.
Getting there: If you have a rental car, there is a parking lot right next to the museum. If you are using public transport, there is a bus stop right next to the museum. There are various lines that make a stop at the museum. You can plan your journey here. The bus ride will take about 45 minutes from Valletta. If you are using the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour, the Red Route (South Malta Route) makes a stop at the museum
Book your ticket for the Hop-On Hopp-Off bus Tour
Duration of the visit: One hour is enough time to see both the cave and the small museum.
Pro tip: Plan a visit to the Għar Dalam museum as a short stop on a full discovery of the east of Malta, as there is a lot to see on this part of the island. You can combine a visit easily with a visit to Marsaxlokk, St. Peter’s Pool and the Darmanin Salt Pans.
And with that, we are convinced you have all the right information for planning a visit to the Għar Dalam museum. For us, Għar Dalam might not be the biggest attraction in Malta, but it turned out to be a very surprising one. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Happy travels!
Matthias and Mieke
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