Sunflower hotel

The Sunflower Hotel is a lovely three star hotel ten minutes from the promenade convenient for bars, shops, restaurants and the Maltaqua dive centre. With a swimming and spa on the roof complete with sun bathing terrace and a further indoor pool with whirlpool makes this hotel a swimmers paradise.

The Geranium Restaurant is situated at ground floor level with two adjacent open terraces. The restaurant has an attractive elegant but informal design with Maltese architectural traditions, like arched stone doorways and wrought iron. The Geranium offers a variety of meals including a number of vegetarian options and a selection of local dishes and is open for breakfast and dinner.

The Amaryllis Bar is located adjacent to the lobby and is an ideal place for enjoying a drink while relaxing in a friendly, intimate atmosphere. The roof top pool and terraces have a magnificent open sea and country view, including a beautiful view on the Wardija Hills, after which the bar was named.

There is a whirlpool, a separate children's pool and surrounding sun bathing terraces. The swim-up bar, with seating in and out of the pool, serves a variety of snacks, ice creams and drinks. In the high season the bar serves also a choice of freshly prepared grills and salads.

The indoor pool is heated during the winter and also features a whirlpool. The hotel rooms are tastefully finished in a comfortable, rustic style. All rooms have a balcony, TV, air conditioning, ceiling fan, safe (at a small charge) and a bathroom with toilet and shower. Most rooms have twin beds and can accommodate a third bed. Maltaqua was founded in 1970 by Mike and Agnes Upton, both CMAS National Instructors, PADI Staff Instructors and BSAC Advanced Instructors who have both logged thousands of dives since they started diving in 1968.

Diving in Malta is easy. At most sites you can drive virtually to the waters’ edge, kit up and jump into the clear, warm, azure sea. The bottom shelves down in steps to reach 25 to 30 metres within a 5 minute swim, offering a choice of diving depths to suit each level of ability. The rock has been eroded to produce caves, caverns, overhangs, swim-throughs and the most spectacular scenery. There are no tides and few currents so you can throw away your tide tables and dive when you feel like it.

The Island is large enough to offer a sheltered side when the wind blows but small enough to allow a drive to any site within 30 minutes. There are several easily accessible wrecks, the largest being the recently sunk, 105 metres "El Faroud", lying in 35 metres at Weid-iz Zurrieq (Blue Grotto).