Beaches in Malta – we checked them all #2

Why Malta? Sea, sun, historical monuments, wine and beaches. Some people say that beaches are the negative side of the island, some say opposite. Before going to Malta on holidays you have to know that local beaches are very different and very often things that Maltese call beach are far away from what an average tourist sees thinking about his or her seaside rest. To find out what the island really offers we drowe entire coast and checked all of them, from the smallest, rocky on the sidelines to those most popular sandy ones. Below all we have seen divided in two parts: the north-west part and south-east regions of the island. We advise going through our review before deciding about hotel for your holidays.

Today part two: SOUTH-EASTERN MALTA

1. Paceville Beach is located in St. George’s Bay in St. Julian’s, right in the middle of entertainment district of the city. This is a sandy beach divided in two parts, one of which, smaller, belongs to one of nerby located hotels. The bigger part is public. Water is clear, sand rather clean, whole impression is spoiled only by cars passing right next to. Neighborhood is full of bars, restaurants and entertainment offer.

OLA’S RATE: 6/10
PROS: sandy shore
CONS: paid parking in the area
INFRASTRUCTURE: toilets, water equipment rental, bars and restaurants around

2. Balluta Bay Beach is another beach located in St. Julian’s. It is in a bay but right above the heads of sunbathers there goes a busy road. There is not too much sand there because there are stairs on the shore. Stone blocks do not seem to be a good place to relax.

OLA’S RATE: 1/10
PROS: none
CONS: no sand, no space on the beach, no parking, just what you find on the streets around
INFRASTRUCTURE: forget about sunbeds or water equipment, city restaurants around

3. Buġibba Perched Beach – located in Buġibba at St. Paul’s Bay. It is few steps from full of bars and restaurants town center. The beach itself doesn’t impress, it’s rocky, here and there some stone blocks. In few places fine gravel. Higher located promenade gives a little shadow allowing to rest from the sun. And that’s it as for advantages of this beach.

OLA’S RATE: 3/10
PROS: none
CONS: rocky shore, uninteresting neighborhood
INFRASTRUCTURE: bars and pubs around, a small waterpark around

4. Salina Bay Beach is a place where water and land meet, we cannot call it beach. It rocky coast with some bigger, flat stones which allow to crouch at the wated, is located in Salina Bay. To enter the sea you need to use stell railings. Swimming here hardly can be called a pleasure and beware of this place when with children.

OLA’S RATE: 2/10
PROS: clear, calm waters
CONS: rocky coast, no sand at the shore,
INFRASTRUCTURE: none

5. Pwales Beach is a little part of the coastline in St. Paul’s Bay torn from the bay. Rocky-gravel beach at the busy road, nothing special.

OLA’S RATE: 1/10
PROS: nice view over the bay
CONS: location, neighborhood, no parking
INFRASTRUCTURE: none

6.  Blue Grotto are the caves considered to be the biggest attraction of the island. The best recognizable view can be admired from afar but without taking a boat and getting inside the caves you will miss the most important. Right next to “marina” you can swim in the water but this is actually not a beach, there are only some railings helping to get to the water.

OLA’S RATE: 3/10
PROS: easy access
CONS: lots of people, no sand
INFRASTRUCTURE: none

7. St. Thomas Bay is located south from the town Marsascala. There are at least three beaches in the bay, starting from the most beautiful, sandy one, through the one with big rocks and little sandy area accross the bay to the one, also with rocks, but also with an intersting story. Right at the beach there is an abandoned hotel and urban legend says that it is one of the former residences of Muammar Gaddafi, plundered after  overthrowing the dictator. Pleace only for hardy bathers, certainly not for children.

OLA’S RATE: 5/10
PROS: easy access to the places
CONS: no good access to water, no sand at those rocky ones
INFRASTRUCTURE: none

8. Pretty Bay has in fact couple of beaches in the bay in the town of Birżebbuġa. Coming from the north first you will come accross the rocky shore, which does not impress and doesn’t seem like a place for convenient bathing. Going accross marina on the other side of the headland you wil find another beach – this time big, nice and sandy man-made place. Common feature of both beaches is not rather romantic  view over the port but on the other hand there might be something in watching ships upcoming to the port… Despite the neighborhood of the port water is here clean and calm.

OLA’S RATE: 6/10
PROS: easy access, sandy part well maintained, gentle descent to the water, calm waters of the bay
CONS: view over the port, on the rocky beach no convenient access to water
INFRASTRUCTURE: on the sandy beach sunbeds and umbrellas for rent, playing fields not far away, in the neighborhood city restaurants and bars.

9. St. Peter’s Pool is the last bathing area, located in the southeastern part of the island. It’s a little fairytale looking natural pool, carved in rocks. Very interesting place, worth visiting, with azure and clear waters. Despite difficult ride by narrow dirt roads and than the necessity of taking narrow stairs down, quite a lot of people vitis it. Tough conditionc are compensated by amazing views. To get to the water it is the best to simply jump from the rock, it’s deep water everywhere so taking there a little baby will not be a good idea. We didn’t wake Ola up, she fell asleep on the way, as whe wouldn’t have been able to even wet her feets. But if you have no children it’s worth to get there and feel like in some wild place at the end of the world.

OLA’S RATE: 2/10
PROS: view, crystal clear, azure waters
CONS: inconvenient roads, difficult access on foot, no good access to water
INFRASTRUCTURE: none

 

10. Marsaxlokk beach is located in the town which is visited by tourists mostly on sunday because of the famous fish market taking place. At that time beach might be packed with people. Neighborhood hard to be appreciated – power station nerby, view over the port. However the shore is rather sandy, waters are clear and calm. From the coast one can admire luzzo boats coming and leaving the port and this is main reason  to spend more time there.

OLA’S RATE: 4/10
PROS: crystal clear water, gentle descent to water
CONS: surroundings, view
INFRASTRUCTURE: none