Malta and Gozo Tour and Trail Super-Durable Map

Great nontear product but a little unwieldy!

Accurate modern map, with good detail.

Over the last 20-odd years, I have collected many maps of the Maltese Islands and this one is undoubtedly the best. For the motorist, the primary routes are clearly distinguished and even annotated with road numbers (prior to this, I wasn't even aware that there was a numbering system). For the walker, there is a wealth of detail, including many minor tracks and paths not shown on other maps, with a special colouring scheme to link with two of the most popular walking guides. This is a double-side map with Malta on one side; and Gozo and Comino (to a slightly larger scale) on the other. Best of all, it is printed on a super-durable waterproof paper, giving me the confidence to carry and use it in all conditions, as I have done with the Madeira Tour & Trail Guide from the same publisher.

For years, the only decent map for walking on Malta, Comino and Gozo was the Kompass map, which shows many footpaths and rights of way not shown on others - so I was very pleased to see this new addition to the Tour & Trail series of walking maps. In the last couple of years we've done just about every route in all walking books of the islands as well as completing a walk that followed as closely as possible the entire coast of Malta and Comino - so although it's a little too late for that, it is still a welcome new resource. It's important to note that this map doesn't mark specific walk routes - it simply marks tracks and trails (in addition to the roads always shown on road atlases) where you should be permitted to walk - although not all are shown from my personal experience. I'm a huge fan of the "super-durable waterproof" maps sold by Discovery Walking Guides, as they last for years and can survive a deluge while you're out walking. Malta is mapped at 1:32,000 (which possibly limits the amount of detail in busy areas), but Gozo and Comino are mapped at an excellent 1:20,000, which is going to be really useful in our next holiday to walk around the coast of Gozo in a few weeks time. Although the scale used for Malta won't allow for the marking of bus stops, it's a shame that the map of Gozo also has this omission (which I'm sure could easily be added - without a name - with an icon on the roadside), as buses are the transport of choice for most people on the Maltese islands.

I bought this map before a trip to Malta where I hoped to do a lot of walking and was pleased that the map appears to mark many paths. The routes with a red outline are also featured in a walking guide I think published by the same authors. However I found these paths (even the red bordered ones) to be very unreliable.Many were blocked off with high fences or gates, or marked as private with keep out signs despite being on the map. So really it's a lottery if the paths marked on the map actually exist and if they do if you are actually allowed to use them. The same was also true of many of the roads that are marked as tracks (with white, not yellow) which were often private or blocked off. In some cases you can get halfway along a path only to find it blocked off halfway along, which is even more annoying.This is a real shame as it means it's hard to plan a walk because you don't know if paths on the map will be usable or not so I ended up having to back-track a lot. I am unclear if the issue is with the authors of the map or if the paths have been blocked off since it was produced. A quick Google suggests there has certainly been issues with paths being blocked off, not always legally and I did speak to a resident who said this was a problem in Malta and that it was the easiest thing in the world for landowners to stick a bit of red paint "Private" on a wall at the start of a path and claim it as private, even if it wasn't.The roads marked in yellow seemed to be more reliable so it would make a good map for driving, but I found it rather frustrating for walking given how many of the tracks and paths it shows seem not to be usable.

If, like us, you hire a car but like to get out and walk - or you want to plan your days but also see the bigger picture to take advantage of opportunities.....then this map is the ideal travel companion. The fact the map is printed on a material similar to the new bank notes and is therefore very robust in the hot, sweaty summer (or, i imagine, in the torrential rain) makes it even better.Being the most up to date map is obviously also a real bonus!

Onpast visits to Malta and Gozo I have found the maps available often out of date and not easy to follow. This map is exceptionally clear and detailed, great for using to walk around the islands or for driving/bussing around. Waterproof and lightweight but strong. I like the way you can fold and re-fold it again and again without the folds beginning to give way. Highly recommended.