Is Malta the best place on earth to retire?

A recent international study listed Malta as the best place on earth for Brits to retire. Patrick Cooke spoke to three Britons who made the move to see whether their Maltese dreams had come true. Some people might be daunted by the prospect of starting over in a new country as a pensioner, but not Reg Fitzpatrick. Having moved to Gozo from England aged 60, Mr Fitzpatrick fully agreed with the Yahoo Finance and Castle Cover study that listed the Maltese Islands as the best place for Brits to spend their twilight years. “Gozo in particular and Malta in general has come up with everything we wished for and lots more besides,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. He and his wife Lilian decided to leave England for the Mediterranean in 2003 after growing weary of the British lifestyle and weather. They considered Cyprus and Gibraltar – “We wanted an English-speaking place” – before settling on Gozo and buying a villa in Xlendi in September 2005. The former RAF serviceman found his new community in Gozo to be very similar to where he was raised in rural Ireland. “We truly felt we had come home,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. “I believe our move will result in us living perhaps 20 or 30 years longer due to the...