Explore the richness of Malta's nature and culture with Us

„Conservation through leisure”

Our motto reflects the mission of Merill very well. We strive to link nature and culture in a unique and exceptional way. Promoting Malta’s Mediterranean traditions as well as reviving the agriculture of Malta and its sister island Gozo, is the core part of our mission. Our activities involve conservation, preservation and education. The clients will experience the very best of nature, history and culture all in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. We pay lots of attention for reducing the carbon footprint and the harmful effects of tourism on the environment. Providing benefits for the local community is also an important concept in our work. Under the brand name Merill Local Products we promote the local, authentic products bought directly from the farmers and craft persons. Each person who participates on our tours or takes part in one of the activities organized by us contributes to the preservation of old agricultural traditions and gains a life time experience. The wide range of experiences we offer makes it possible for us to target groups or individuals with different interests.

Let’s see a bunch of the activities one can enjoy with us!

Are you interested in birdwatching? Join us for a trip to Buskett which is the most important woodland in Malta or visit the Salina area. Spring is the best time to visit when a variety of herons and egrets can be spotted resting in the salt pans, the ditch or on the trees in the park itself, with the most common being Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Night Heron and Little Egret. 

In case if you wish to enjoy the calmness of the beautiful landscape and seascape, our Gozo, Dingli and Mellieha Eco Tours were made for you. The tours were designed to introduce the authentic agricultural lands and to represent the Maltese village life. We carefully choose the itinerary of the trips in order to preserve the natural beauties and habitats.

Should you be interested in the traditional way of land cultivation you may wish to organize an event taking place on a vineyard, olive grove or engage yourself in a strawberry picking session. These activities are perfect for team-building or just for a fun day out.

In order to keep the old traditions alive, such as weaving and sea salt harvesting workshops are organized regularly. All these options provide you an informative, interactive and interesting way of spending time with your family, friends and colleagues. 

For further information please visit our fan page


Betti :) 

For more information about the whole range of experiences we offer, please visit the Merill Eco Tours website. We organise experiences upon request for small and medium sized groups. Feel free to email us on info@merillecotours.com or call us on 21/27411388.

Family Tours in Malta

While the temperatures keep rising, more and more tourists come over to the Malta for a well deserved break. The clear blue sky and sea are ideal to drain down the stress accumulated during winter.

For all those families coming over to Malta for a break, we are offering half and full day tours tailor made to feature the very best of Malta. Some families would have already visited Valletta and Mdina, as the main historical sites in Malta. We have a lot more to show you! ....villages, way side chapels, view points, places rich in nature, archaeology, traditions and culture. We are aware that some places are difficult to get to, by using public transport. While recommending the hiring of a car or a chauffeur driven service, we can organise an experience and have you escorted by one of our expert guides.

Send us an email for more info on info@merillecotours.com or call us on 00356 7941 1388.

P.S...we also organise these experiences for locals...have a look at this clip to get a feel of what we do.

Beat the heat this summer...stay fresh with us at Merill Eco Tours!

Traditionally baked foods 

Ausflug für Familien
Escursione per famiglie
Excursie voor gezinnen
Экскурсия для семей
εκδρομή για οικογένειες

Visite d’une ferme maltaise, dégustation d’huile d’olive et découverte de Marfa.

Si vous êtes à la recherche d’une expérience unique pour profiter d’un moment spécial avec la nature, alors n’hésitez pas, lisez la suite.

L’authenticité de ce tour prend tout son sens dès que vous vous engouffrez dans cette charmante ferme. Baigné dans une atmosphère chaleureuse et conviviale, vous serez tout de suite accueillis par le chant des oiseaux et par de nombreux autres animaux. 

Les propriétaires vous accueilleront au sein de leur domaine et prendront soin de vous guider tout au long de cette expérience. Au-delà du métier, c’est avant tout la passion pour la nature qui a amené cette famille à vouloir partager leurs connaissances de la terre avec les touristes. La culture de l’olive est un savoir-faire qui s’est transmis de génération en génération.

En flânant entre les oliviers, un chemin vous amènera au lieu de la dégustation. Perché sur les hauteurs, ce petit coin de paradis vous offre un panorama saisissant sur une campagne verdoyante et sur les villages aux alentours.

Si vous êtes en quête de nouvelles sensations pour vos papilles, vous vous régalerez en dégustant ces succulentes olives vertes. Frais et croustillant, savourez le pain Maltais et trempez le dans l’huile d’olive. Au cours de ce voyage gastronomique si vous fermez les yeux vous pourrez peut être entendre le chant des cigales. Pour parfaire cette expérience culinaire, un rafraichissement vous sera généreusement offert.

Cette excursion sera l’opportunité de partager un moment de grande complicité avec une famille traditionnelle Maltaise.

Cette dégustation sera suivie d’une très jolie promenade dans la campagne. Profitez de cet instant pour respirer quelques bouffées d’air frais et prenez quelques minutes pour admirer le paysage qui s’étend devant vous. De nombreuses fleurs et plantes poussent à cet endroit. Agenouillez-vous et frottez entre vos mains le romarin dont le parfum de garrigue évoque le soleil et la mer.

L’excursion se poursuit vers Marfa. Hors des sentiers battus, notre guide vous conduira vers un site méconnu du grand public et peu connu des locaux.

Non loin de la tour rouge, vous profiterez d’une vue imprenable sur les îles de Comino et de Gozo. Vous serez transporté par la beauté de la mer méditerranée avec ses nuances de bleu. Vous poursuivrez votre balade vers un lieu que peu de gens connaissent. Situé à proximité de l’embarcadère pour Gozo, ce lieu regorge de surprises. Votre guide vous dévoilera l’histoire et les secrets de cet endroit.

C’est dans cette atmosphère fascinante que se termine cette expérience unique. Coup de cœur garantis pour cette journée riche en émotion, en découverte et surtout en rencontre.

Si vous souhaitez recevoir plus de renseignements sur nos excursions, n'hésitez pas à visiter notre site internet Merillecotours.com ou écrivez nous à notre adresse internet à info@merillecotours.com 

Retrouvez-nous sur Facebook et sur Twitter.

Vivez un rêve éveillé en explorant la Grotte Bleue

Grotte de Wied iz-Zurieq                                                   Photo de Sophie

Direction Wied iz-Zurrieq un petit village de pêcheur situé au sud de  Malte.

Surplombant la mer depuis le haut de la falaise, un panorama incroyable s’offre à vous. Un paysage côtier marqué par des falaises escarpées reflète la nature sauvage de cet endroit

En longeant la ruelle qui vous emmène au port, vous découvrirez un petit village  très animé grâce à ses restaurants, ses boutiques et son ambiance conviviale. Depuis la terrasse en pierre, ne manquez pas d’observer la mer méditerranée et son eau azur.

Port de Wied iz-Zurrieq                                                       Photo de Let2

Afin de profiter pleinement de l’exploration des grottes, un dédale de marches vous amènera jusqu’à l’embarcadère. La visite des grottes se fait de préférence le matin lorsque la mer est calme et quand la lumière du soleil éclaire suffisamment la flore sous-marine. A bord d’une barque vous profiterez de la nature sauvage qu’offre l’archipel Maltais. Le ciel azur se reflète sur la mer et un dégradé de bleu se dessine au fur à mesure de votre avancée. Du bleu roi au bleu azur, ces couleurs vous transportent au cœur d’un univers dont le seul but est de vous éblouir. L’exploration de la Grotte bleue est une expérience unique et surprenante. 

Si vous êtes à la recherche  d'un voyage authentique au sein de l'archipel Maltais, Merill Eco Tours vous fera vivre une expérience unique et inoubliable. Nous proposons un Tourisme participatif où locaux et touristes partagent passion et savoir-faire.   

Si vous souhaitez de plus amples renseignements sur Merill Eco Tours, rendez-vous sur notre site internet Merillecotours.com  ou écrivez nous à notre adresse internet à info@merillecotours.com 

Suivez-nous sur Facebook  et sur Twitter 

The real Malta

Traditional Biscuits - Photo by Jeanette Borg

Punic Tombs - Photo by Chrisitan Borg

Honey Buzzard - Photo by Chris Cachia Zammit

Barracudas - Photo by Sonia Silvio

Hello Malta lovers!

We can now say goodbye to "September" and welcome to "October". Autumn look busy at Merill...eco tours and local products are keeping us on the go. We're very excited working on the new Eco-Hampers catalogue which will introduce a new range of delicacies and eco gifts that are strictly local and fair-trade :) 

At the moment eco tours featuring the culinary aspects of Malta are going strong. Appreciation of the local landscape goes part and parcel with this gourmet niche. In the meantime we pray for some rain to irrigate the fields and replenish the aquifers after a long dry summer. 

I added some interesting photos to this blog article showing a range of eco items in Malta. The traditional biscuits, known as "Biskuttini tar-Rahal" are still baked in traditional bakeries where the ovens are managed by hardworking bakers who keep recipes alive. Following that is the photo of the rock-cut tombs. These are very particular as their architectural arrangement resemble a set of pigeon holes. 

Autumn is a great time for bird watching. This is why I've uploaded a photo of a lovely honey buzzard in flight. Photo is kindly shared by one of our expert birders. Today I was at the Lippija area with some foreigners and  came across two hunters. We kept our distances from them and went on. We always adopt this approach during our tours and never encountered any problems so far. When necessary we do change our itineraries to avoid conflicts. 

In principle we are against hunting and very much pro bird watching. However we strongly believe that it is only through mutual respect that we can achieve harmony between eco tourists and hunters during the hunting season.  It is of no use pointing out a hundred and one negative aspects of hunting without promoting the fun and excitement one can experience while bird watching in Malta. 

Enforcement officers are all over Malta, keeping poachers at bay. Enough damage has been done to Malta's reputation because of poaching. Very few, if any, give credit to hunters when it comes to environmental stewardship. How many out there would spend money and time to irrigate trees and keep rubble walls in good shape? In my humble opinion there are only two active categories of stewards in Malta, whether people admit it or not: farmers and to a lesser extent hunters! All those that are not into agreement with this must bear in mind that tourism, especially ecotourism,  goes hand in hand with all stakeholders in rural areas. 

Last but not least, I added a stunning photo taken by our expert diver and underwater photographer, Sonia. This amazing shoal of Barracudas seems to be coming from a different world. Diving is such an eco-friendly activity for all nature lovers and photographers. 

Stay in touch for more news about eco stuff: follow us on Twitter (@merillecotours) and visit our website www.merillecotours.com to keep updated.

Summer is here! What to do in Malta when on holiday

The weather can't be better. Tourists who come to Malta at this time of the year have the opportunity to enjoy the sun and sea but also enjoy other activities as it is still quite cool. In the morning, outdoor activities are simply great. Our eco tours can show you the very best of the islands... nature, agriculture, and traditional food. 

Some prefer walking while others opt for more comfortable ways to tour around Malta. There is always something exciting going on in Malta. Visiting villages, swimming in secluded beaches and relaxing at magnificent view points are some of the activities included in an eco tour. Wildlife photographers can feast their eyes and spoil themselves taking close ups of the wide variety of local flora. 

Wild Thyme turns landscape purple

Wild thyme dominates some of the garigue habitat in Malta, Gozo and Comino. It spreads all around an ecosystem that looks barren and yet is very rich in biodiversity. The sun and sea are valid reasons to come to Malta. How about visiting the islands to enjoy nature? Yes we do have nature here in Malta. The diving industry has been going strong for years. Activities on land are picking up and since we started up Merill Eco Tours people ask us, "but what can one do on barren land". Our answer would be "Believe us, there is so much we can offer!!"

For those nature lovers who want to experience the heart of the Mediterranean, I strongly suggest you follow one of our eco tours! The way the nature merges with history and traditions is amazing. The photos in this post portray Wild Thyme, an aromatic herb. Bees forage on such plants to create excellent honey. Walking is not the only activity one can do and let's face it...we won't be doing ecotourism if we would organise just walks! Ecotourism is about conservation and bringing about positive experiences even for the hosts, in this case the farmers, who are always pleased to accept us on their land to directly witness their passion.

We are offering packages with fresh ideas for various tourism sectors. Do not hesitate to contact us on info@merillecotours.com for further details.

Hidden treasures in Malta and Gozo

Romeo Romano Garden - Santa Venera

Today I happened to visit a garden that is right in the middle of Santa Venera, an urban area in Malta. This locality together with Hamrun, Qormi and Birkirkara are villages that have merged into one big city. Traffic is quite chaotic in main roads, from early morning till late afternoon.

To breath some fresh air and enjoy the chirping of birds...I strongly recommend you visit one of the many gardens around Malta and Gozo. Most of them are pretty landscaped patches in the heart of villages, while others are unfortunately quite abandoned.

Our eco tours often feature gardens depending on the nature of the tour. Guests might have a particular interest in botany, and therefore gardens with a wide variety of endemic species are chosen.

Others might be interested in gardens for their intrinsic historical background and architecture. That is where we're spoiled for choice since the most important gardens have been established by the Knights of St. John. We're so lucky  to  have such treasures that we feel obliged to give them due importance during our tours. 

Insightful tasters of Nature Walks in Dingli

Yesterdays Agrarian and Traditions fair was visited by thousands of locals and tourists. A large number of stands, folk music, and exhibitions gave the fair a varied perspective of what can a rural village offer. The Dingli Local Council organised this event with the aim to involve the local people in activities that keep traditions alive.  

Both the stand and mini tours gave a taster of how nature walks can be informative and fun. During the short walks, the Verdala Palace surrounded by Buskett could be viewed from a distance. The guests following the tours asked lots of interesting questions, especially about the tale of the two tailed lizard living on the uninhabited island of Filfla. We're proud about the level of awareness being created. The richnesses that our tiny islands offer are to be proud of. 

What's next? Temperatures are rising and more exciting eco-tours are being planned. For more updates about Nature Tours in Malta contact us on info@merillecotours.com.

Nature Walks in Dingli - next Sunday 15th May 2011

Verdala Palace as seen from Dingli Cliffs

The preparations for the yearly Agricultural Fair at Dingli are almost ready. People from Dingli (in Maltese "Dinglin") are proud of their rural village and promote it's beauty amongst locals and foreigners alike. This event, organised by the Dingli Local Council, and will feature the very best of agriculture practices, produce and traditions. The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene will be the landmark for this activity, as it's parvis and surrounding area will be all nicely set up with stands, livestock and exhibitions. We are glad that this year we're part of this initiative. 


An information stand will be present all day long and we're looking forward to meet visitors and provide them with information about the variety of places of interest within Dingli. At around 1.00pm short nature tours will start. Small groups will be accompanied by one of our knowledgeable licensed guides to areas close by. Items such as geology, biodiversity and archaeological sites in Dingli will be explained. 

Other items that are not to be missed are: 

- Milking of sheep and goats

- Sheep sheering

- Demonstrations showing the making of cheeslets

- Renactments

- Band and Parade of Dingli Scouts

- Antiques show

- Local wine tasting

- Fruit and vegetable displays

- Traditional local food and pastries

- Tombola and other local games

Thumbs up to the Dingli Local Council for taking such an initiative and investing in the promotion of local nature, culture and tradition!

Malta is heading towards Summer - it's already feeling nice and warm

A cloudless blue sky and warm temperature will characterise the weather for the next days...or months!

Malta is an ideal destination for those who want to escape the cold weather that still persists in many parts of the world!

Here are some activities that one can enjoy during this month;

- nature walks
- agri-tourism experiences
- evening chill out dinners
- horse riding
- diving

Our excursions are eco-friendly and we suggest you follow this guide to help us preserve our lovely island - Eco-friendly Guide for Tourists visiting Malta

5 day weather forecast as at 7/5/2011