If you read our blog post about going to the Nickelodeon Treasure Hunt in Malta, you might already have spotted that we visited the Esplora Interactive Science Centre.  Esplora Malta made such an impression on us that I had to share a review from our visit.  My husband is the hardest to impress when it comes to days out and attractions in our family, and he loved visiting here with the kids, which is a real testament to what a great place this is to visit in Malta.

entrance to esplora science centre in malta

Esplora Interactive Science Centre Review

Where is Esplora?

You will find the Esplora Interactive Science Centre at Villa Bighi in Kalkara which is in the north east of Malta.  It has a wonderful vantage point and visitors can enjoy views across the bay to Valletta.  Esplora is about a 20 minute drive from Valletta and is easily reached from most places on the island making it a perfect for your list of things to do in Malta.

The full address is:

Esplora
Interactive Science Centre
Villa Bighi,
Kalkara KKR1320
Malta

dad and child looking at view from esplora malta

Is Esplora Worth Visiting?

If you are visiting Malta with kids then the answer to this question is 100% yes for lots of reasons.  The first thing worth mentioning is the price.  It only costs €4 for a child aged between 5-11 years old to visit. Children aged between 0 and 4 years old are free and adults are just €6 each.

For this you can easily spend a whole day at Esplora with the kids.  We began our visit at around 10.30am and left at 3pm, but we could easily have stayed a few more hours as the kids were having so much fun.

What’s it like at Esplora?

From the moment you walk inside Esplora you just know the kids are going to have fun.  If you have ever been to the Nemo Science Centre in Amsterdam it’s very similar.  You are treated with hands on exhibits from the moment you walk in and the kids will have absolutely no idea they are learning at the same time.

In the first area we found so many cool things for the kids to do.  They got to use a machine that blew a ball in the air.  This is really popular with the kids, so expect to need to give some encouragement when it comes to letting someone else have a go.

child playing with pulley lift at esplora interactive science centre

They also get to play with pulleys, water displacement experiments as well as seeing how far they can project a tennis ball in the air to name but a few of the fun packed activities they can do.

There are lots of different areas in Esplora all exploring different scientific concepts.  The next area we stumbled across was looking at optics and again it was super hands on for the kids and parents too.  The large eye balls let the kids see the impact wearing glasses can have on vision and you can play with prisms to split light into it’s various colours. There’s also a plasma ball, which I think we all still find fascinating.

child playing with eye exhibit at esplora malta

We carried on through Esplora to learn more about electricity, magnets, the earth, volcanoes and even digital media.  The brilliant thing about Esplora is that every single activity is interactive and designed with children in mind.  It’s all about touch, exploring and experimenting which gives the kids loads of opportunity to learn about different scientific ideas and have fun at the same time.

The fun isn’t only confined to indoors!  When you step outside there’s even more going on including musical activities, lots of chances to play with water and a couple of playgrounds, one of which is secret and hidden underground.

outdoor playground at esplora malta

While the children are safely playing with all the activities, the parents can take a moment to enjoy the sunshine and incredible views safe in the knowledge that it’s highly unlikely the kids will be bothering them with comments like ‘I’m bored’.

kids playing with water exhibit at esplora malta

If the sun gets a little much, there are more indoor play areas to be discovered inside that will keep your kids entertained for as long as you want.  They can use pulleys to more their baskets filled with goodies around the space as well as enter into a great game of hide and seek.  I suspect you will also find some building & construction happen during your visit as well as some giant piano playing!

child doing building activity at esplora malta

Esplora Cafe

In amongst all the fun, we did actually find time to break for lunch.  The Esplora Cafe is small, so make sure you time your visit well to beat the rush.  That being said it’s well worth a visit.  The balcony overlooks the bay so the view is amazing.

The food is excellent too, with the portion sizes being very generous.  The girls had hot dogs which I’m assured were very tasty.  They definitely looked good.  Daddy and I shared a beef and stilton wrap, which was delicious.  The wrap was packed full of meat and filling and the chips were lovely.  Malta does food really well, even at the family friendly attractions, so I would honestly recommend leaving the picnic at home and visiting the Esplora Cafe during your visit.

Would We Recommend a Visit to Esplora?

If you are going on a family holiday to Malta I really think Esplora really needs to be on your list of things to do.  It’s a full day of fun for the whole family and it’s a great price too.  Allow a full day to visit Esplora as there is plenty to keep you and the family busy during your visit.

Because of the interactive nature of the exhibits, you and the kids will enjoy playing together on the various activities around Esplora.  That being said, the activities don’t necessarily need parent help to be enjoyed so you can let your child play, learn and discover without interference if you wish.

child playing with air hockey style game at esplora science centre

Expect a visit to Esplora to promote a lot of questions and ideas from the kids as they delve into the fun and interactive world of science and brace yourself for an awesome day out in Malta.  We were incredibly impressed with the price, the concept and even the venue of Esplora and would happily visit here again should we be fortunate enough to go back to Malta for a holiday.

We did have free entry to Esplora as apart or our review of the Nickelodeon Treasure Hunt but we were not required to write a separate post about our visit.  We would certainly have been happy to have paid for our visit to Esplora Interactive Science Centre in Malta given the fun we had and how good value the ticket price is for families.

Have you visited Esplora Malta before?  I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments below.

Do you want to know what Esplora Science Centre in Malta is like? Read our full review right here

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3 COMMENTS

  1. This place looks great and really educational too which is something I’d be interested in visiting when I next come to Malta. Note that I say ‘when’ not ‘if’! I was really impressed with the destination when I visited on a work trip about 20 years ago, and I vowed to return – with the family!

  2. Mr W’s brother was born in Malta. We really fancy going this Winter as they have great weather all year round. This science museum looks great fun for kids especially but I bet Mr W would enjoy it too!

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