Iâll start this guide to the best beaches in Malta with a cold hard premise: if youâre planning a trip to Malta just for the sea and beaches, you might also want to consider other destinations.
Letâs be clear, Iâm not saying that the beaches in Malta are bad, but you shouldnât expect the Caribbean either; going just for the sea might not be the best choice since the truly beautiful beaches in Malta arenât that many, and overall in the Mediterranean (Italy, Spain, Greece…) you can find better ones. If, on the other hand, youâre heading to Malta to visit a bit of everything including the beaches, then go for it! đ
With that said, letâs dive into what the best beaches in Malta are â as we go through the guide, youâll better understand what I meant. đ
Beaches of Malta – Guide to the best beaches and how to get there
In this guide Iâll list what I consider to be the best beaches in Malta starting from the most beautiful and then going on with the others, so you can begin at the top of the list and work your way through as time allows.
Map of the best beaches in Malta
As always, letâs begin with a map of Malta and its beaches to get oriented. The yellow markers indicate the beaches covered in this guide, while the blue markers indicate some of the most practical and convenient areas to stay in Malta, which I explain in more detail in this other guide. The brown markers indicate the main areas or venues of the islandâs nightlife.
Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon, located on the small island of Comino, is an destination you can’t miss and is what I consider to be the most beautiful beach in Malta.
Need more words or is this photo enough to show why?
Actually yes, more words are needed because getting there requires a bit of prior planning.
How to get to the Blue Lagoon
Unlike all the other beaches, the Blue Lagoon can only be reached via a ferry excursion like this, so to see it you need to plan at least 1â2 days in advance. In this other article I explain everything about how to get to the Blue Lagoon.
Ghadira Bay
Located in the north of the island, this is the largest sandy beach in Malta. Fully equipped with all services, bars and restaurants, it is also easily reachable by bus lines from the islandâs main towns.
Itâs very popular and suitable for those with children, as the seabed slopes gently and there are no dangerous rocks.
If you particularly like Ghadira Bay, you might even consider staying in the area, allowing you to discover other smaller and lesser-known beaches nearby.
You might also be interested in: Where to stay in Malta – best areas
Some activities you may like, before going on with the article:
Ghadira Bay is definitely recommended for those who love especially warm waters: relaxing in the water here without worries and without feeling cold is easier than ever!
How to get to Ghadira Bay
Located in the north of the island, this beach in Malta can be easily reached by bus 222 if youâre staying in the Sliema area; if youâre coming from Bugibba, both 222 and 221.
The stops to get off at are right on the wide road in front of the beach, impossible to miss even without a map.
If on your return journey you notice too much crowd at your stop during peak hours, consider walking to the previous stop heading north, so you can board early and avoid getting left behind if the bus is too full. In Malta, once the human limit is reached, the driver says stop and just keeps going!
Before boarding the bus, however, I recommend reading about how the lines and tickets work in the Malta bus guide!
- Pelican Court â budget apartment for 5 people with sea view, wifi, balcony, and kitchen;
- Riu SeaBank Malta â 4-star hotel on the south side of the bay, with sea view, gym, spa, wellness center, pool, restaurant, body treatments, sauna, babysitting service, and excursion organization;
- Mellieha Bay Hotel â 4-star hotel on the north side of the bay with sea view, gym, pool, restaurant, private beach, massage and babysitting services;
- Villa Neptune â if budget is not a concern, an entire modern 1200sqm villa for up to 8 people with garden, pool, bay view⊠and everything you could wish for!
Saint Paul’s Bay
St. Paul’s Bay or Baia di San Paolo, whose name actually refers to the combined area of two neighborhoods, Bugibba and Qawra.
The beach in Malta Iâm referring to, however, is the one located on the rocky corner at the far northeast of the district, a short walk from the Malta National Aquarium, also known as Qawra Point Beach.
This beautiful beach in Malta is almost entirely rocky and features a small islet in front, connected by a kind of natural pool that is actually only half natural, as the other half is artificial.
It still deserves at least half a day of visit, and especially inside the “pool” where the water is calmer and warmer, you can soak without worries even better! đ
The seabed here descends in steps, so much so that there are multiple steel ladders to get into the water. Be careful when climbing up and down the ladders, the rocks underneath might hold unpleasant surprises.
How to get to St. Paul’s Bay
By bus 212 if you are coming from Sliema from the south or by 221 if you are coming from Cirkewwa/Mellieha from the north.
St. Peter’s Pool
This beach in the southeastern corner of the island of Malta, not far from the village of Marsaxlokk, represents an evocative destination for a tour of at least half a day, better if you have your own vehicle.
St. Peter’s Pool is a rocky beach with truly incredible shapes, with the rock deeply hollowed out by the action of the water.
Moving away from St. Peter’s Pool, we then find two more rocky bays until we reach St. Thomas Bay, to visit another beach in case you’re tired.
How to get there
There are no direct buses from the central or northern areas of the island to these beaches. You might try a combination of buses from Sliema to Marsaxlokk such as 81, 85 or TD10 from Valletta, and then continue with 119 to the Delimara stop, which is the closest at less than 1 km from St. Peter’s Pool.
Needless to say, itâs a risky combination and having your own vehicle is the best way to reach these beaches.
- Fisherman’s Cove Guesthouse – guesthouse with private rooms for 2 or 4 people, modern and colorful interiors, free wifi;
- Quayside – budget but well-maintained apartments for up to 4 people with a traditional look, wooden beams, stone slabs and hand-painted tiles;
- Marigold Penthouse – entire 200 sqm apartment with balcony view, pool, 4 bedrooms for up to 8 people, hot tub, kitchen and wifi.
Golden Beach and Ghajn Tuffieha
These two beaches in Malta located in the northwest of the island are relatively close to the districts of Bugibba and Mellieha.
They are two fairly large sandy beaches, practically adjacent to each other, where you can enjoy an interesting sunset view over the water, since they face west.
To reach the second one, Ghajn Tuffieha, you descend a scenic staircase which can be quite charming in the late afternoon hours.
However, these two beaches in Malta did not impress me particularly. The water quality, at least when I visited, was far from acceptable: murky water where you couldnât see half a meter down and full of small algae to the point of being annoying.
I hope it was just a case, but I can’t recommend going there on purpose if you’re staying far away or on the other side of the island. Drop by if you have your own vehicle and/or you’re already at Ghadira Bay or St. Paul Bay and want to enjoy the sunset. If you’re traveling by bus or in a hurry, feel free to skip it.
How to get to Golden Beach and Ghajn Tuffieha
If you’re coming from Sliema, take 225, if you’re coming from Bugibba/Qawra either 225 or even better 223. By car itâs not very difficult as there are parking spaces at the end of the road and you just need to walk down the final stretch.
A little further south of these two beaches we also find Il-Gnejna beach. I havenât been there personally, but from the photos it looks very similar.
Ramla-Bay Beach
Ramla Bay Beach is a beach located in Gozo, the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago.
This wide sandy beach is the most famous in Gozo for its orange-tinged sand, and for the “capital” with the little Madonna built right in the middle of the beach.
How to get to Ramla-Bay
Reaching this beach is therefore more challenging and to do so you need to take a ferry to Gozo, or rather, plan a one- or multi-day excursion to the island, since going there and back in a single day can be exhausting (unless you’re staying in the northern part of Malta).
If you donât want to sleep in Gozo but already have accommodation in the north of Malta in the Mellieha/Ghadira area, you could go to Cirkewwa (by bus 222) where the ferries to Gozo depart, and once in Gozo take bus 322 which in 20 minutes takes you to Ramla-Bay, getting off at the “Mgarr-Marsalforn” stop. And the same in reverse to return.
Now that weâve seen what the best beaches in Malta are, itâs essential to also find the best area to stay in Malta so you don’t risk ending up in a place that doesnât suit your tastes and ruining your vacation!
Lastly, remember that Malta is not just beaches, there is much more to visit!
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