20 Beaches in Malta

Malta is a small Mediterranean island known for its rich history, warm climate, traditional food, culture and locations featured in popular film and TV productions. However, one of the things Malta is sought for, especially during summertime, is its many beaches. What’s so great about them is that you can easily visit most Malta beaches during your stay here as the island is so small you can rent a car and drive to all these beaches over a few days.

In this article, I have hand-picked (out of hundreds of possible places) twenty of the best beaches in Malta and Gozo, its sister island, which you simply must visit at least once when visiting. Find out why these are worth your time.

Best Beaches in Malta

St Julians Bay is home to well-known beaches in Malta.

1- Pretty Bay, Birzebbugia

Pretty Bay is a large, sandy beach situated in Birzebbuga, a town in the south of Malta.

The beach itself is ideal for swimming or just kicking back on the sand to relax.

It has a children’s playground and an area to play beach volleyball.

If you’re feeling hungry while enjoying your time at Pretty Bay, it’s the perfect spot because there are several bars and restaurants to grab a bite just a short walk away.

Also read: 17 Things To Do In Malta

2- Peter’s Pool (Kalanka), Marsaxlokk

St Peter’s Pool is one of the rocky beaches in Malta to visit.

St. Peter’s Pool is also called Kalanka by locals.

This bathing place is one of the most well-known in Malta, situated in a village close to Birzebbuga called Marsaxlokk.

It is especially famous for its flat rocks, which form a pool, giving the place its name, and there are several of these pools you can dip into.

St. Peter’s Pool is usually crowded with locals and tourists during summer, especially at weekends.

If you feel hungry while here, you can buy a traditional homemade hobz biz-zejt made by a small family-owned business or a juicy burger from a local small business.

During winter, the water is quite cold you can still go there to eat by the beautiful water (although you might need a thick jacket to keep warm from the chilly weather).

3- Delimara Bay, Marsaxlokk

The famous port of Marsaxlokk in Malta, with local boats known as “Luzzu “.

When travelling from St Peter’s Pool to the lighthouse in Marsaxlokk, you get to Delimara Bay.

It is a quiet, reasonably small beach which is perfect for swimming.

At the very end of this beach, there are a few salt marshes and fishing huts.

During high season, this is one of – if not the most – relaxing spots to swim in Malta thanks to its small size, which makes it peaceful to visit.

4- Golden Bay, Mellieha

Mellieha beach in Malta is a popular seaside vacation destination.

Near Manikata and Mgarr, on the west coast, there are three sandy beaches: Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, Gnejna Bay and Golden Bay.

The largest of these, Golden Bay, has naturally formed dunes and red sand.

It’s the most popular beach with tourists because there is a hotel complex right next to it.

Here, many water activities occur, such as parasailing and kayaking.

The sunset from Golden Bay is unobstructed, which is what I like about this beach.

5- Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, Mellieha

Ghajn Tuffieha Bay is a rocky Malta beach to swim and snorkel.

Ghajn Tuffieha is a bit further south than Golden Bay.

You can see the guard tower from the beach; the view next to this tower is breathtaking.

The rock formation across from the tower is a unique feature of this Malta beach.

If you have plans to stay on the beach for a while, you can also rent sunbeds.

This place is another perfect beach in Malta for those who enjoy watching sunsets with an unobstructed view.

6- Armier Bay, Mellieha

Looking for the best beaches in Malta and Gozo? Check out these.

This beach is close to the Ramla Bay Resort, next to an area known as L-Ahrax.

It is split into two: Armier and a smaller one appropriately named Little Armier.

There are a few bars and beach clubs for a quick bite to eat.

Just a street up, there are a few campsites ideal for travelling campers to stay at or if you’re on a budget.

Go for a walk near the cliffs and pay a quick visit to the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.

7- Paradise Bay, Mellieha

Enjoy sun and sand at the amazing Malta beach in Paradise Bay.

Just a short drive from Armier, across from the Paradise Bay Resort, is a small sand beach called Paradise Bay.

The beach is a few minutes from the Gozo Ferry terminal in Cirkewwa.

This bay is quite popular in summer, and you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas here.

There’s a restaurant nearby that is also open at night during summer.

Sunset is the best time, and I highly recommend going to the sunset spot around 15 minutes away to catch a beautiful sunset.

8- Gnejna Bay, Mellieha

Gnejna Bay has a stunning beach in Malta to enjoy the sunset.

Even though it is a short 20-minute walk from Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, the beach at Gnejna Bay is smaller and more charming.

This secluded beach is located deep within beautiful, natural limestone cliffs and is ideal for a post-hike dip with a beautiful view to compliment the hike.

Gnejna Bay is also great for families, people with mobility problems, sunsets and landscape photography.

9- Blue Grotto Creek, Qrendi

You’ll find a popular Malta beach in Il-Qrendi. The village spills down the hill to the bay.

This small creek in the south of Malta is a great swimming spot.

It’s also a lovely place to boat around its small cove.

As with most beaches around the island, there are several bars and restaurants where you can stop for a quick lunch between dips.

10- Ghar Lapsi, Siggiewi

Another small cove in the south (and a short drive from Blue Grotto) is Ghar Lapsi.

This beach isn’t usually busy for swimming – as opposed to dining – so you can escape to this beach for peace and quiet by the sea.

11- Mistra Bay, St Paul’s Bay

St Paul’s Bay is home to a lovely Malta beach.

Mista Bay is in St Paul’s Bay in the north of Malta.

This beach isn’t huge, and it’s not usually visited by tourists, which means it is an excellent spot to go to if you don’t like being around a lot of people and noise.

Its view and peace are what make this place so unique to visit.

You could also go for a nice boat trip around St Paul’s Bay from here.

Best Beaches in Gozo

One of the best beaches in Gozo is on the inland sea harbour (Il-Qawra).

12- Mgarr ix-Xini, Ghajnsielem

Mgarr ix-Xini is a small cove close to the city of Mgarr in the south of Gozo, Malta’s sister island.

Despite being a bit of trouble to get there due to the narrow road only allowing one car to pass, the journey down to the beach is worth it once you get there.

This place is also ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving.

13- Marsalforn Bay, Marsalforn

Marsalforn is a village on the northwest coast of Gozo, the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago. The village lies between the hill-top towns of Xagħra and Żebbuġ.

This beach in Gozo is divided into a small, sandy area near shallow water and another slightly rockier and deeper.

Near the sandy area are several seafood restaurants and cafeterias, while the rocky area has a few restaurants.

Also near the rocky area are the infamous Marsalforn sea marshes, attracting many visitors.

14- Ramla Bay (Ramla l-Hamra), Nadur

Enjoy the stunning view of Ramla Bay from the caves.

Known by locals as Ramla l-Hamra, this sandy beach is the largest in Gozo and ideal for anyone travelling with children.

It is also easily accessible and super popular not only by locals but tourists as well.

You can also practise water sports during summer.

I also recommend exploring Mixta Cave, which is 10 minutes away on foot (it is easily visible from the bay itself).

15- San Blas, Nadur

Although this beach is not accessible by car, you can get there by renting a quad bike.

There’s a steep road leading down to San Blas, and for an adventure, the area is worth going down to on foot.

The clear, turquoise water, sand and rocks add to the charm, and the view from above is fantastic.

This beach is perfect for snorkellers, and a snack bar is always open during summer.

16- Hondoq Bay (Hondoq ir-Rummien), Qala

This small pebbled beach is very popular with locals who live in the Qala area and the neighbouring city of Nadur.

It’s a few minutes away from the Mgarr ferry Terminal by car.

Hondoq Bay is the perfect place to refresh yourself after a day of sightseeing around Gozo.

You can rent sunbeds can during summer at an affordable price and buy snacks from the nearby cafeteria or the restaurant.

As with many beaches around the island, you can participate in some water activities.

I highly recommend taking a short hike from the beach to the panoramic viewpoint, where the view is incredible.

17- Dwejra Bay, San Lawrenz

Dwejra Bay and Fungus Rock in Gozo.

This bay became known in 2016 after the collapse of its most popular attraction, the Azure Window.

This is technically not a real beach, but you can still swim here.

From Dwejra, you can see the Fungus Rock, home to a parasitic lower plant that only grows on this rock.

The Inland Sea is a great bathing spot during the off-season because the water is warmer there than on any other beach.

An interesting fact about Dwejra Bay is that some scenes from the popular HBO series Game of Thrones were filmed there.

18- Xlendi Bay, Xlendi

The stunning cliff face at Xlendi in Gozo.

This is another popular place in the town of Xlendi.

It is well-known for its water activities like boat rides, snorkelling and diving, which allows you to see the reef formation of this place, and its promenade, which is usually busy in the evenings.

Xlendi Bay is also popular for its restaurants serving traditional Maltese and seafood dishes and its cliffs.

Hike up the cliffs for a scenic view.

19- Wied il-Ghasri, Zebbug

Wied il Ghasri is one of the hidden beaches of Gozo.

Wied il-Ghasri is a small cove about a 10-minute drive away from Marsalforn Bay.

This place is not very well-known because it is well hidden, making it very peaceful for those who discover this hidden gem.

Snorkelers and divers love it for its many underwater caves, as do smugglers, who once used this hidden cove to stash their goods.

If you choose to visit in spring or winter, when the water is not warm enough, Wied il-Ghasri is perfect for walking or hiking.

20- Blue Lagoon, Comino

One of the most popular of all the Malta beaches is the Blue Lagoon.

I had to leave my favourite to last, the famous Blue Lagoon.

This has to be the most beautiful beach in Malta, the entire Maltese archipelago.

The beach is not in Malta nor Gozo but on the island of Comino, which you can visit by boat.

You can rent sunbeds, and there are places you can buy food and drinks.

This place is my favourite place to swim because it has several attractions you can visit on foot, such as Saint Mary’s Tower and Comino Chapel.

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