Best Beaches in Malta 2027: 12 Sandy & Rocky Bays by Area

Best beaches in Malta's north-west: Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa and Ġnejna

Three sandy bays sit side by side on the west coast, all facing the sunset. They share the same weakness: on majjistral (north-westerly) days the swell rolls straight in and the red flag goes up, so check the forecast before the long bus ride out.

• •Golden Bay — the classic. A wide sandy beach with a hotel behind it, sunbeds and kiosks, and the easiest access of the three (a direct bus from Valletta and from Sliema/St Julian's; check the route in the tallinja app). The car park fills by late morning on summer weekends. Best for first-timers, sunset swims and anyone who wants facilities.
• •Għajn Tuffieħa — the next bay south, reached by a long staircase from the car park above. The steps filter the crowds, so it is noticeably quieter, with fewer facilities. Strong currents on some days: respect the flags and don't swim out far. Best for a calmer beach day and the photo from the top of the stairs.
• •Ġnejna Bay — further south again, with clay slopes behind it and a mixed sand-and-rock shore. The road runs down from the village of Mġarr in Malta (not the Gozo harbour of the same name) and there is no useful bus, so it is mostly locals and hire cars. Best for a late-afternoon swim away from the hotel crowd.

North Malta beaches for families: Mellieħa Bay and Paradise Bay

The north tip is the family end of the island: long, shallow and on the main bus corridor to the Gozo ferry. Armier and Little Armier, on the very tip, are two low-key sandy strips, more Maltese than touristy, with kiosks and calm water on most summer days; worth it if you have a car.

• •Mellieħa Bay (Għadira) — Malta's longest sandy beach and by far the shallowest: you can walk out a long way with water at waist height, which is why families with small children end up here. Sunbeds and kiosks line the sand; it is busy from June to September but big enough to absorb it. Buses 41/42 from Valletta and 222 from Sliema/St Julian's to Ċirkewwa stop right beside it (check the route in the tallinja app).
• •Paradise Bay — a small sandy cove just before the Ċirkewwa ferry terminal, down a flight of steps, looking across the channel to Comino and Gozo. It is pretty and clear but tiny, so it fills early in summer: go before 10:00 or after 16:00. Easy to pair with a Gozo day — take the same Ċirkewwa buses and walk the last stretch.

Blue Lagoon, Comino: the one on every list

The Blue Lagoon is a shallow turquoise channel between Comino and the islet of Cominotto, with a white sandy seabed that gives it the colour. It is not a beach in the usual sense: a few metres of sand, flat rock around it, kiosks only and no shade at all. Bring water, a hat and something to sit on.

From late morning in July and August the lagoon is as crowded as anywhere in Malta; the trick is to be in the water early and, when it fills, to walk ten minutes to the coves around the point. Crystal Lagoon and the Santa Maria Caves on the other side of the island are reached only by boat.

Comino has a mandatory government entry pass (QR). It is not included in any boat trip and operators cannot sell it — get it at blcomino.com/product/blue-lagoon before you go. Our full-day trip leaves daily at 10:00 from Welbee's Supermarket, Pendergardens, St Julian's (arrive 20 minutes early), costs €30 per person paid online with the return transfer included, and runs daily until 15 September.

Gozo beaches: Ramla Bay and Xlendi

Gozo is a day trip, but its beaches are worth it. The Gozo Channel car ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr takes about 25 minutes, with sailings roughly every 45 minutes by day; foot passengers pay on the way back at Mġarr, about €4.65 per adult and €1.15 per child aged 3–12 — check the current timetable and fares. The fast passenger ferry from Valletta takes about 45 minutes (around €7.50 one way). On Gozo the buses radiate from Victoria; a hire car or a quad covers far more in a day.

• •Ramla Bay — Gozo's big sandy beach, famous for its red-orange sand. Wide and gently shelving, with a kiosk or two; it faces north, so it is calm in a southerly and rough on majjistral days. Best for a proper beach afternoon after Ġgantija or the Cittadella; it is a drive or a bus from Victoria, then a short walk.
• •Xlendi — a fishing village at the head of a narrow inlet on the south-west coast. The sandy patch is small and busy, but the sides of the inlet have rock ledges and ladders into deep, clear water, and the restaurants sit right on the front. Best for a swim-and-lunch stop, not a towel-and-umbrella day.

South-east Malta: St Thomas Bay, St Peter's Pool, Għar Lapsi and Pretty Bay

The south-east has little sand but the clearest, deepest water on the island, and it is the side we know best. Swimming here is off flat limestone ledges, with ladders or a jump, and it is where many Maltese head in August.

• •St Thomas Bay (Marsaskala) — a sand-and-rock bay, shallow and sheltered, with a small sandy strip for families and rocky edges hiding caves and coves you can only reach from the water. This is our base: kayaks, SUPs, jet skis and boats from 09:00 to 19:00, April to October. Buses 91/92/93 from Valletta take about 40–55 minutes (check the route in the tallinja app); a ride-hailing car from St Julian's or Sliema takes about 25–35 minutes.
• •St Peter's Pool (Delimara) — a natural rock pool on the Delimara peninsula: flat ledges, deep clear water and a jumping spot that fills Instagram every summer. No sand, no shade, no toilets and no bus stop; it is a 35–45-minute walk from Marsaxlokk or a short taxi. Go early in the morning in summer. Il-Kalanka, the next cove, is the quieter version. By sea it is a classic stop on south-coast boat trips.
• •Għar Lapsi — a rocky cove on the south coast near the Blue Grotto, with steps into deep water and some of the best shore snorkelling in Malta. Easiest by car; check bus options in the tallinja app. When the Blue Grotto boats stay in port because of the sea, it is not the day for here either.
• •Pretty Bay (Birżebbuġa) — the south's one proper sandy beach: shallow, calm, with a promenade, cafés and a direct bus from Valletta. The view includes the container-port cranes across the bay, which puts some people off and leaves it pleasantly uncrowded for families who don't mind.

Which are the best beaches in Malta for families, snorkelling or sunset?

• •Families with small children: Mellieħa Bay first (the shallowest and longest), then Pretty Bay and the sandy corner of St Thomas Bay. All three have cafés close by.
• •Snorkelling: Għar Lapsi, St Peter's Pool and Il-Kalanka for rock and depth; the edges of the Blue Lagoon and Paradise Bay for easy, shallow starts.
• •Sunset: Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa and Ġnejna all face west; Golden Bay has the bars, Għajn Tuffieħa has the view from the top of the steps.
• •Water sports: St Thomas Bay — kayaks, SUPs, jet skis and boats without a licence, in a sheltered bay with clear water.
• •Fewest crowds: Għajn Tuffieħa (the stairs do the work), Ġnejna, Il-Kalanka and Għar Lapsi on a weekday.
• •Without a car: Mellieħa Bay and Golden Bay by bus from Valletta or Sliema; St Thomas Bay and Pretty Bay by bus from Valletta; the Blue Lagoon with our trip from St Julian's, transfer included. A single bus ticket is valid 2 hours with transfers (about €2.00 in winter and €2.50 in summer); fares at publictransport.com.mt.
• •Near Valletta or Sliema: there is no sandy beach in either. Sliema has rocky swimming ledges along the seafront; for sand, the nearest are Mellieħa Bay to the north (buses 41/42/222) or St Thomas Bay and Pretty Bay to the south.

Sandy beaches, Blue Flag and when to go

Malta has far more rock than sand. The sandy beaches that matter are Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa, Ġnejna, Mellieħa Bay, Paradise Bay, Pretty Bay, Ramla Bay and the small strips at St Thomas Bay and Xlendi. The Blue Flag is awarded season by season and the list changes; the big north-west sandy beaches and Mellieħa Bay are regulars, but if the flag matters to you check the current list rather than a blog.

The sea is typically 16 °C in April, 18–19 °C in May, 22 °C in June, 25 °C in July, 26–27 °C in August, 25–26 °C in September and 23 °C in October, so the comfortable swimming season for most people is late May to October. Air temperatures reach 31–32 °C in July and August with humid sirocco spells, which is when the rocky south-east coves and an early start pay off. Rain falls mostly from October to February.

Wind matters more than rain. On majjistral days the north-west beaches get rough and the Blue Grotto boats stay in port while the south-east is often flat; on a southerly the opposite happens. Our rule of thumb: pick the side of the island the wind is not blowing onto.

• •Water and shade: almost no rocky spot, nor the Blue Lagoon, has any shade; an umbrella is worth carrying.
• •Water shoes for the rock ledges and sea urchins at St Peter's Pool, Għar Lapsi and Xlendi.
• •Reef-safe sunscreen and a rash top in July–August: the sun on the water is stronger than it feels.
• •Cash for the kiosks and small change for the bus; card works on board too.
• •Respect the red flag: the currents at Għajn Tuffieħa and the swell on the west coast are real.

Reaching the best beaches in Malta by boat from St Thomas Bay

Several of the best spots on this list have no sand to lie on and no bus to get there, which is exactly why they are best seen from the water. From our base at St Thomas Bay (09:00–19:00, April–October) the coves of the bay itself are a kayak job: a single kayak is €8 per hour (16+), a double €15 per hour with no minimum age as long as an adult paddles, and a SUP €10 per hour (16+). Jet skis start at €50 for 20 minutes on the 130HP (driver 18+, passenger from 10, no licence needed).

If you want to reach St Peter's Pool, the sea caves and the Blue Grotto without the walk, the 28ft open boat with skipper runs the coast between Marsaskala and Żurrieq: €180 for 2 hours, €270 for 3, €400 for 5 and €530 for a full day (8 hours), for the whole boat up to 15 people, skipper and fuel included and no minimum age. The self-drive Hydra 530 (no licence, driver 21+, up to 6 people) is €120 for 2 hours, with fuel bought at the base. For Comino, the €30 day trip from St Julian's suits most people; a group of 8–15 can take the 28ft boat on the Gozo & Comino full day for €650 for the boat (May–October, departs around 09:00).

Most activities take a small deposit online and the balance at the meeting point on the day; the Comino trip is paid in full online. If we cancel for sea conditions you get a full refund or a free reschedule.

Frequently asked questions