Luzzu for charter

Luzzu in Malta

If one of the purposes of your vacation to Malta is to immerse in the culture and to experience the history, the scenery and the way of life in this Mediterranean jewel in ways that other people only dream of, then booking a charter on a luzzu in Malta is the perfect way to provide your trip with a little bit of everything that you set out to accomplish.

A luzzu, pronounced lutsu in Maltese, is the traditional fishing boat of the locals, relied upon for thousands of years to help fishermen get around the islands, and make their way to some of the best and most abundant fishing locations in the archipelago. Most luzzi in Malta are painted in bright shades of red, green, yellow and blue, and the bow of the boat is adorned with a shady pair of eyes. Many visitors wander the significance of the eyes painted on the bow of a luzzu in Malta, and it may be a symbol from ancient Phoenician tradition. Luzzi is believed to date back to Phoenician times, and their construction and design make this historical belief a possibility.

Luzzi are like many other bare boats in Malta, but they have a double-ended hull, which provides the boat with sturdiness and stability despite the weather. Before modern-day motorization, all luzzi in Malta were equipped with sails. Today, almost all of these vessels have been converted into motorized boats and diesel engines as part of the onboard equipment are the most common.

Some locals have converted the traditional luzzu in Malta into passenger carriers that ferry tourists from Malta to Gozo or Comino and back again. However, most luzzi remain as fishing vessels and these boats are one of the most popular choices for tourists visiting the small country on a fishing excursion.