It was our birthdays last weekend and my partner surprised me with a stay at The Loft – a farmhouse on the outskirts of Zabbar.

The south is a side of the island I haven’t explored very much but (spoiler alert) it exceeded my expectations. During our long weekend at The Loft we were fortunate enough to visit nearby village Marsascala, Marsaxlokk, and the absolute gem St Peters Pool but I think each deserve their own posts.

On Friday afternoon, we made the trip by car from Mellieha to The Loft, it took us around 30 minutes. I loved passing through each of the different villages on our “long” drive to South of Malta. Even now, it’s fascinating to me just how much charm a 316 sq km archipelago can have.

As we drove from the North of the island, through the centre and into the south, its incredible to see how each locality is distinct from the other.

For instance: the south of Malta feels undiluted in terms of culture. Older, traditional houses stand proudly, with freshly washed laundry swinging happily in the Maltese air.

Driving along Triq Latmija we made a sharp right into a narrow, quiet hamlet and within a minute we arrived at The Loft – the gorgeous place we would be calling home for the next few days.

The Loft

The Loft is a beautiful farmhouse converted from an agriculture store and set in the Maltese countryside overlooking lush fields.

A stay here is a unique experience; namely because, not only are you away from the usual “samey” tourist haunts…

it feels like you’re away from it all. In fact, the only sounds to be heard are the singing birds a cock-doodle-do (oh and I heard a “moo” when exploring the nearby fields)

Stepping inside The Loft, felt like walking into a fairytale, aside from being exceptionally clean -has everything you need to ensure your comfort – a well equipped kitchen and full bathroom facilities.

As well as this, other amenities include: a powerful air conditioning system to heat up the farmhouse (in minutes) once the temperature drops. We were quite lucky with the weather during our stay and only required it after sun down. There is also a large supermarket five minutes walking distance away

Set over two storeys, the one-bedroom farmhouse has been expertly designed with relaxation in mind and despite all the mod cons has managed to retain beautiful period features which helps to create a magical atmosphere.

Whether you are outside in the extremely well-maintained gardens (more on this later), the rooftop, living room – every corner feels cosy. The mezzanine bedroom has a large and inviting bath moments from (the very comfortable) bed and an en-suite bathroom.

Upon our arrival Jesabel (the owner) greeted us promptly to check in and had left chilled prosseco for us and a bouquet of roses for me (at the request of my partner) to add to my birthday surprise, which was a very beautiful touch.

The Garden

If stepping inside The Loft felt like stepping inside a fairytale, The Garden – felt like pages out of “The Secret Garden”.

Greeted by the garden, the moment you enter the Loft you are lulled into a state of wonder by magnolia, bougainvillea and other pretty flowers inviting you to come in and simply relax.

During our stay at The Loft we made full use of the garden, drinking steaming mugs of coffee, listening to the birds or simply… just being. The Garden is beautifully maintained and looks and smells absolutely divine.

Needless to say, I throughly enjoyed our stay at The Loft and I’d 100% recommend it if you want somewhere unique, magical and away from the usual touristy places.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments 😊