Beach Rating - * to ***** Some facilities available Suitable for children Good for snorkelling May be on the wild side in places!

Beaches in Malta

~Sandy Beaches~

Mellieha (Ghadira) Bay, Mellieha.***** Malta’s largest sandy beach, facilities for bathers and watersports options. Can get very busy, especially weekends, June – September. Good for children.

Mgiebah Bay, Limits of Selmun, Mellieha.*** A small secluded bay set in stunning natural scenery. No facilities at all, good for snorkelling.

Golden Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha Bay.***** Limits of Mgarr. Two very attractive, adjacent beaches set within the cliff face. Some more facilities at Golden Bay but both beaches are very popular. Great for snorkelling, exploring the little inlets and coves at the sides. Although illegal, a small inlet at the far left of Ghajn Tuffieha Bay seems to be frequented by nude bathers, but you are unlikely to notice as this is out of the way and quite a walk or swim. There is quite a descent (and obviously ascent) to Ghajn Tuffieha Bay via stairs, which may be worth noting. Again can get very busy on weekends, you may have to park your car quite some distance away. Good for children.

Gnejna Bay, Limits of Mgarr.**** Possibly not quite as nice as Golden Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha, though you do get the option to choose a quieter spot at this beach. Again, a long and rough possibly dangerous walk along the right hand side of the beach takes you to an area popular with nude bathers. Good for children.

Paradise Bay, Cirkewwa.***** Limits of Mellieha.  Possibly the most attractively set beach in Malta, set within a natural cove, which more than justifies the name. Some facilities for bathers available. The actual beach is quite small however. Good for snorkelling.

Armier Bay and neighbouring bays.*** Limits of Mellieha. Quite small beaches, but with some well known lidos and facilities. Weekends can be noisy, and a hot tip is to avoid Mondays in summer – Typically Monday is the post-village-feast outing day, and Armier Bay is a hotspot for the revellers, of whichever village in Malta whence they carcade with much noise and fanfare to Armier. Good for children.

Fomm Ir-Rih Bay, limits of Rabat.*** If you really want half the beach to yourself, even though the beach may not be that large, then Fomm Ir-Rih is a good choice. Be warned that the reason for this is that the walk down to the beach is a good 15-20 minutes via a tricky and sometimes steep and slippery pathway, so you have to be determined – especially bearing in mind the return climb in 30-degree-plus heat and sun. Absolutely no facilities for miles, as might be expected. Very good for snorkelling.

Bahar Ic-Caghaq.***  Along the coast road from Qawra to St Julians, are a couple of very small sandy beaches. Never so busy and parking is usually available close by, thus convenient to escape to from St. Julians. Good for snorkelling. Good for children.

St George’s Bay, St Julians.**** A recent major improvement on the previous tiny patch of sand that used to be St George’s Bay, this beach is now larger and properly managed. Facilities are available, and one is less than a minute’s walk from the restaurants, etc of St. Julians. Good for children.

Rinella Bay, Kalkara.*** A very small sandy beach, pretty but not always recommended due to possible pollution from ships.

St Thomas Bay, Marsascala.*** This beach is listed under “Sandy Beaches” but the actual sandy area out of the water is extremely small, about 20 metres – however flat rock, concrete platforms and seating by both sides of the beach explain its popularity. Facilities available. Good for children.

St George’s Bay, Birzebbugia.**  A small, pretty sandy beach. No facilities on the actual beach, but in Birzebbugia proper. Good for children.

Pretty Bay, Birzebbugia.****  Considering the actual expanse of sand, if not the length, this could be classified as a “medium” sized beach by Maltese standards. Lots of facilites, it being situated at the busiest part of Birzebbugia. Attractively landscaped too. Good for children.

~Malta - Rocky Beaches~

Cirkewwa to Ahrax Point, Limits of Mellieha.***  Apart from some small sandy beaches, there are plenty of places where one may enter the water from the rocks or, in places, concrete bathing platforms.

Selmun, St Paul’s Islands.****  Accessible either strictly by Jeep or a 10 minute walk, thus no crowds guaranteed, and great view of St Paul’s Islands which are a few meters offshore. Excellent for snorkelling. No facilities, OK for families if you have vehicular access.

St Paul’s Bay, Bugibba, Qawra.*** The entire coastline boasts numerous places ideal for bathing, and is almost entirely open to the public. The inner harbour areas are less attractive however. Qawra Point (referred to as Ta’ Fra Ben) is particularly popular. Good for snorkelling.

Coast from limits of Salina Bay to St George’s Bay, St Julians.***  Again, the entire coast offers many entry points, which vary in suitability for families and ease of access. The sea water quality here also makes this a good area for snorkelling.

Paceville, St Julians.**** By the right hand side of the Casino, is a popular small rocky beach. Approximately 200 m offshore is a well known reef popular with divers, and thus the area is excellent for snorkelling. Facilities on the beach itself limited to the occasional ice-cream vendor, but you are never more than 300m from town.

Sliema.**** Sliema’s entire coastline with the exception of Valletta Harbour side is suitable for bathing. Sliema’s rocky beaches are very popular during the summer months, due to proximity to town and facilities available, easy access, plus plenty of flat space to lay down a towel. Sliema’s beaches have a wide appeal to all, you will find families with children, individuals having a dip during their afternoon work break, youths chilling out at a beach cafe’, and tourists from the nearby hotels. Suitable for snorkelling, too.

Valletta.*** Not that well known or popular, for this very reason, except with locals, Valletta Point beneath the bastions of Fort St Elmo is also a good place for bathing and snorkelling. Not very suitable for children, as there do not seem to be any shallow areas.

Marsascala – Zonqor Point to St Thomas Bay.**** Apart from the inner harbour area, all the area is suitable for bathing and snorkelling. Zonqor Point and the St Thomas Tower area are particularly good for snorkelling. There are some watersports facilites at the Jerma Palace Hotel, by St Thomas Tower.

Xrobb L-Ghagin Bay,****  a not very well signposted left turn from the road leading to Delimara Point, limits of Marsaxlokk, is a highly scenic area offering clear water of varying depth, a little island just 20 - 30 metres offshore, and the possibility for the more adventurous to go seriously off the beaten track. Access to the main beach is relatively easy, and families do frequent the place. Great snorkelling. No facilities at all.

St Peter’s Pool, Delimara,***** limits of Marsaxlokk, and nearby coves. Another area of natural beauty offering crystal clear waters. Popular, but never crowded and you can have as much space for yourself as you need. Also very good snorkelling, OK for families. No facilities.

Qajjenza – Limits of Birzebbugia, to Marsaxlokk,*** St Lucian Tower area. Some limited bathing areas available.

Zurrieq – Wied iz-Zurrieq (Zurrieq Valley).**** Just by the Blue Grotto (although the Blue Grotto is only accessible by boat), the area is quite popular with locals and visitors. Water is somewhat deep, therefore not so suitable for young children. Very popular with divers, thus also some excellent snorkelling. The bathing area is just a short distance away from the restaurants and snack bars and other facilities such as public toilets.

Ghar Lapsi (Lapsi Cave) – Limits of Siggiewi.****  A unique bay within a cave, OK for children, and clear water for excellent visibility while snorkelling. Facilites available, but not too much space in the main bathing spot so best to avoid weekends. Or walk a short distance and find your own secluded spot, but this option is not child-friendly.

Gnejna Bay.*** By the right side of the main sandy beach, there is also a stretch of flat rock ideal for bathing and sunbathing, if you prefer to avoid the sand. Some facilities available, and also watersports rentals.

Beaches in Gozo and Comino

~Sandy Beaches~

Gozo - Ramla Bay,***** Limits of Xaghra. Gozo’s largest sandy beach. Very attractively set within a valley, and still unspoilt. Called Ramla il-Hamra in Maltese, which means Red Beach, referring to the hue of the sand. Some facilities available, good for snorkelling and children.

Gozo - Marsalforn Bay.*** A small sandy beach in the heart of Marsalforn which is quite popular. Facilites to hand, good for children.

Gozo - Qbajjar Bay,*** limits of Marsalforn. A couple of small sandy beaches, pretty and never crowded. Facilities available, also good for snorkelling and children.

Gozo - Xlendi Bay.*** A small but attractive sandy beach, facilities available, good for children. Not much space though.

Gozo – Mgarr ix-Xini,**** Limits of Xewkija. A small bay within a creek and a steep sided valley. Very picturesque bay, a walk along the valley sides is also recommended. No facilities, but good for children and also snorkelling.

Gozo – Hondoq ir-Rummien Bay,*** Limits of Qala. A small sandy beach directly opposite excellent views of Comino Island. Some limited facilites, good for children and snorkelling.

Gozo - Dahlet Qorrot Bay.*** A very small sandy beach (a few metres) but very tranquil and you can bathe off the concrete platform if there is no space on the sand. Good for snorkelling. No facilities however.

Gozo – San Blas Bay.**** A small secluded sandy beach situated in a beautiful natural location. A short but steep walk to the bay, so not ideal for taking any umbrellas or other heavy items. No facilities, OK for children unless they need to be carried and good snorkelling.

Gozo – Inland Sea.**** A beach which is more pebbly than sandy, but a very unique bay being more like a little lake connected to the open sea via a natural tunnel. Facilities available, good for children. Popular diving entry point, but visibility inside the actual bay unlikely to be good enough for snorkelling.

Comino – Santa Maria Bay.**** A small sandy beach, not far from the Comino Hotel. Facilities limited to the Comino Hotel. Good for families.

Comino – St Nicholas Bay.*** Two small sandy coves, may be reserved for hotel guests during the summer months.

Comino – Blue Lagoon.***** Strictly speaking this might not be a sandy beach, in that the sea bottom is sand but there is very little sand outside the water. However the water is very shallow in places and Blue Lagoon is uniquely beautiful bay. In a way you get the sand where you want it, under your feet in the water, but none on land where your belongings are. OK for children, facilities limited to what the cruise boat you probably arrived on, provides. Snorkelling a must!

~Gozo and Comino - Rocky Beaches~

Gozo – Dwejra Bay and Azure Window area.**** Apart from the dramatic scenery, good for bathing off the rugged rocks, and excellent for snorkelling. Unsafe in rough seas. Facilities available, unsuitable for children or unfit persons.

Gozo – Marsalforn Bay to Qbajjar Bay and nearby.**** This stretch of coastline offers the possibility of bathing from a number of locations, access tends to get more difficult the further west one travels. Apart from the Qbajjar sandy bay area, not suitable for young children as the water is deep. Very good snorkelling, and facilities at Qbajjar and Marsalforn.

Gozo – Hondoq ir-Rummien Bay.*** Limits of Qala. Apart from the small sandy beach, bathing off the rocks is possible. Some limited facilities, good for snorkelling.

Gozo – Xatt l-Ahmar Bay.*** Limits of Ghajnsielem. A popular bay with Gozitans, access is via a bumpy road. Good for children, snorkelling, etc, but no facilities.

Comino, Blue Lagoon.***** Access to Comino’s Blue Lagoon is off the rocks, even though the seabed is sandy. A very beautiful bay featuring a number of islets just offshore within easy reach of swimmers. OK for children, facilities limited to what the cruise boat you probably arrived on, provides. Snorkelling a must!

Comino, General Coastline.***** There are plenty of places where you may bathe off Comino’s rocky coast, varying in difficulty of access. Where you choose will also be dependent on how you got to Comino – Cruise boats normally set anchor at Blue Lagoon, while the small ferry boats servicing Comino usually tie up by the Comino Hotel.

Beach Lidos and Fun Parks

Beach Lidos will be defined as those beaches having restricted access but open to the general public (against payment, or where usage of facilities such as umbrellas and deckchairs is against payment) where a minimum of facilities available would comprise the aforementioned umbrellas and deckchairs, showers, and a basic food/drink outlet. Excluded are those lidos exclusively for use of a particular hotel’s guests, and deckchair/umbrella rental sites on fully open public beaches, i.e. where you can freely set up your own.

Sliema – Pebbles Lido, Qui-Si-Sana.

Sliema – Surfside Lido, Fond Ghadir

Sliema – Preluna Hotel Lido

Sliema – Fortina Hotel Lido, Tigne’

Sliema – Torri Lido, Exiles

St Julian’s – Dragonara Beach Club Lido

St Julian’s – Cornithia Marina Hotel Lido

Qawra – Sunny Coast Lido

Qawra – Suncrest Hotel Lido

Qawra – Qawra Palace Hotel Lido

Qawra – Luzzu Lido

Mellieha (Limits of) - Ray’s Lido, Armier Bay

Bahar Ic-Caghaq, Limits of St Julians - Mediterraneo Marine Park