Charter a Boat in Malta: Your Guide to Renting a Boat in Malta

So you want to rent or charter a boat in Malta? Good call! Malta is a gorgeous country that absolutely blew us out of the water (pun intended), and chartering or renting a boat in Malta is the perfect way to explore this beautiful country. We visited Malta on a whim with literally zero expectations, but we were stunned by the MESMERIZING beauty of this small Mediterranean nation. 

Some of the country’s beauty is best experienced from the water, and we learned this for ourselves when we decided to charter a boat in Malta. We’d highly recommend you do the same, and if you’re looking to rent or charter a boat in Malta, this post is for you! 

Malta Boat Rental vs. Boat Charter

Do you want to rent a boat in Malta? First, you should learn the difference between a boat rental and a Malta boat charter. 

The difference is simple.

A Malta boat rental usually includes just the boat itself, with no crew or pilot. You’ll be driving the boat yourself if you decide to do a basic boat rental in Malta. 

On the other hand, a boat charter in Malta will likely come with a boat pilot or crew. This way, someone else can drive the boat while you can sit back and enjoy the ride.

What You Need to Rent a Boat in Malta

There’s one important thing to note about a Malta boat rental.

If you want to rent a boat with an engine larger than 30 horsepower, you’ll need a valid international boating license. 

There might be some small boat rentals in Malta available without a boating license, but without a boating license you’ll need to charter a boat with a skipper instead.

What You Need to Charter Boats in Malta

Besides cold, hard cash, here are some ideas for things you can bring with you when you charter a boat in Malta.

Depending on the specific boat charter in Malta that you choose, some items (such as food or drinks), may be included in the price. But you should still make sure you have any essential items you might need!

Here are the items we absolutely recommend based on our experience chartering a boat in Malta:

• Sunscreen. sunglasses. and sunhat. No matter the season, this one’s a must, as the Maltese sun is strong.
• Towel. After a refreshing dip in the Mediterranean, you’ll need a towel to dry off with.
• Snacks. Being out on the sea all day works up an appetite for sure!
• Drinks. Don’t want to go without this one.
• Alcoholic drinks. If drinking is your thing, you won’t regret this. As our skipper said, wine is the heart of the charter!
• Bathing suit. Your boat hire in Malta will stop at some beautiful spots to swim, so don’t go without this one, if you plan on swimming.
• Cameras. Including an underwater camera, if you have one!
• International boat driving license (only if you’re planning to rent a boat in Malta to drive it yourself).

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Malta boat rentals, let’s talk about the value they will add to your Malta itinerary!

Why You Should Rent or Charter a Boat in Malta

As an island nation surrounded by the dazzling Mediterranean Sea, some of Malta’s most beautiful spots are best viewed by or reached only by boat. If you charter a boat in Malta, you’ll be able to experience this for yourself.

If you charter a boat in Malta, you get to have experiences and views that you wouldn’t have from land. You can visit hidden coves and secret beaches, sometimes experiencing them all by yourself. 

Our recent experience with a charter boat in Malta added so much value to our trip. In a trip full of highlights, our time cruising the coast of Malta makes it to the top of the list. 

We had an unforgettable Malta boat charter experience with Big D Charters, a company that brings the passion to provide the best experience renting a boat in Malta.

In the next section we’ll go into a little more detail to explain how much care Big D Charters takes, and why we highly recommend them for your next Malta boat charter!

Charter a Boat in Malta with Big D Charters

Big D Charters is a local company specializing in Malta boat charters and rentals. With decades of experience on the water, including boat rentals in Malta, Big D Charters provides everything you need for your Maltese boat hire.

Big D Charters has several Malta charter boats of different sizes that can accommodate groups of up to 30 people. Whether it’s a half day excursion, a sunset BBQ trip, a catamaran, or even a sailboat, you can do it all with Big D.

Big D offers opportunities for both chartering a boat in Malta with a skipper included, and bareboat rentals where you just rent the boat. Remember you’ll need a nautical license if you’re looking to do a bareboat boat hire in Malta!

Talking about Big D Charters wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Big D himself, the namesake of our favorite Malta boat rental company.

The Man Behind Big D Charters

Introducing Daniele, the coolest skipper we’ve had the pleasure of knowing!

Big D Daniele brings a lifetime of experience and passion for boats, and this passion can be felt in everything he does for Big D Charters.

Spending an afternoon cruising to hidden coves with Big D, we learned that he’s a super interesting guy. He’s a dashing Italian sea captain who regaled us with tales of fighting off pirates, overreaching governments, and Hawaiian pizza (the most deadly enemy of all). 

If you spend time with Daniele, you’ll feel his passion and see how he puts his heart and soul into providing the best experience to charter a boat in Malta.

We loved our time on the see with Daniele, and highly recommend you rent a boat with his company. Be sure to let them know we sent you!

Our Experience Chartering a Boat in Malta

We came to Malta with very few preconceived ideas about what to expect, but everything we experienced in Malta really blew us away. At the top of this list is our time spent on the water with Big D Charters! 

From the minute we met Daniele, he welcomed us in with his friendly and generous manner. 

He’s very knowledgeable about many topics, not just boats and the sea, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to visit with him over the hours we were together. 

It’s rare that I can have a conversation with someone about the history of Phoenician roots in Mediterranean place names, which I’ll never forget.

Daniele was much more than just a skipper taking us from place to place. He provided many interesting insights about every place we went. We gained so much appreciation for the incredibly fascinating history of Malta from the time we spent with him. 

These impressions we got will last much longer than our few hours spent on the water with Big D Charters. 

Daniele took us to a beautiful cove near Marsaskala on Malta’s southeast coast. Since it was winter, there were no other boats anchored in the cove, and we had it all to ourselves. 

Per Daniele’s suggestion, I decided to jump in for a swim. While not quite warm, the water was definitely warmer than it is in California in December! Not to mention, I was so happy to complete my first Mediterranean swim. 

After enjoying an hour or two in the cove, we headed back out to sea, where we drifted peacefully for a while. 

As he threw a fishing line over the edge, we got to know Daniele better. He’d always been passionate about boats even though he grew up in northern Italy far from the sea.

Big D was lucky enough to catch a fish that day, which is something you can try for yourself if you’re in Malta and rent a boat with him, too. It was cool watching him gut and prepare the fish right there on board, something I’d like to learn more about myself.

Catching the sun set over Valletta from the sea was stunning! I can’t think of a better way to end our time in Malta renting a boat than watching the sun go down over the Maltese ramparts of golden stone. 

Final Thoughts: Charter a Boat in Malta 

We are grateful that we had the opportunity to be in Malta and rent a boat! Renting a boat in Malta with Big D Charters was definitely one of our favorite experiences in Malta. 

Malta may be a small country, but it’s one that’s absolutely packed with world-class sights and views. If you’re visiting Malta and rent a boat, you’ll never forget the time you spend on the water here.

 If you want to rent a boat in Malta yourself, definitely consider doing it with Big D Charters! Big D brings the passion, knowledge, and experience to ensure that you have the best time with your boat hire in Malta. 

Disclosure: This post is a collaboration with Big D, but as always, all opinions are very much our own!

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Do you have any experience with a boat rental in Malta?

Tell us about your experience in a comment below!