Malta with Kids 2027: Beaches, Boats & Things to Do by Age

Is Malta a good family holiday destination?

Yes, with two conditions: choose the season and accept a small, busy, mostly rocky island rather than endless sand. Distances are short (Valletta to Marsaxlokk is about 25 minutes by car), there are about 300 sunny days a year, summer is almost dry and children are welcome in restaurants at any hour.

The downsides are real: July and August typically hit 31–32 °C with humid spells, coastal buses fill up, Valletta is built on slopes with stepped streets, and Comino is crowded by late morning. For families, June and September are the sweet spot — 28–29 °C by day and a sea at 22–26 °C.

Things to do in Malta with kids, by age

Toddlers (0–4): Mellieħa Bay, the aquarium and short boat rides. Mellieħa Bay (Għadira) is Malta's longest sandy beach and stays shallow a long way out; the Malta National Aquarium in Qawra is indoors and takes 1–2 hours; our 28ft skippered boat has no minimum age, and 2 hours is the right length. A baby carrier beats a pushchair in Valletta and Mdina.

Ages 5–10, Malta's best age: Popeye Village in Anchor Bay (the 1980 film set, with a swimming platform and inflatables from May to October), the Playmobil FunPark in Ħal Far, Esplora science centre in Kalkara, the noon cannon at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, a double kayak at St Thomas Bay with a parent paddling, and the morning dolphin tour.

Teens: Comino and the Blue Lagoon, snorkelling at St Peter's Pool from a boat, the Fiat 500 boat with a parent at the wheel, the Grand Harbour and the Three Cities, and Gozo for a day — the Ġgantija temples are older than the pyramids and the ferry takes about 25 minutes. From 16 they can take a single kayak or a SUP out alone.

Family beaches in Malta: shallow, sandy and easy

• •Mellieħa Bay (Għadira) — Malta's longest sandy beach, very shallow, our pick for toddlers; kiosks along the back, busy at weekends.
• •Golden Bay — wide sand in the north-west with a hotel behind it; the car park fills on weekends and it faces the sunset.
• •Paradise Bay — a small sandy cove near the Ċirkewwa ferry, reached by steps; pairs well with the Gozo ferry.
• •Pretty Bay, Birżebbuġa — sandy and shallow in the south-east, rarely full of tourists; the port cranes are in view, which children like more than parents do.
• •St Thomas Bay, Marsaskala — our base: a sand-and-rock bay, shallow and sheltered, where kayaks, SUPs and boats leave from 09:00 to 19:00, April–October.
• •Skip with small children: Għajn Tuffieħa (a long staircase and strong currents on some days) and rocky spots like St Peter's Pool — no sand, no shade, confident swimmers only.
• •Bring your own shade: kiosks yes, trees no. The sea is typically 22 °C in June, 25 °C in July and 26–27 °C in August.

Popeye Village, the National Aquarium, Playmobil FunPark and Esplora

Popeye Village sits in Anchor Bay, about 5 minutes by car from Mellieħa: the wooden village built in 1979 for the 1980 film with Robin Williams, now a theme park with shows, a comic museum, minigolf and, from May to October, a swimming platform and inflatables in the cove. Tickets from €15, parking included, open all year, no drones. Count 2–3 hours, half a day with a swim — our separate guide has the details.

The Malta National Aquarium in Qawra is the answer to a rainy or too-hot day: 51 tanks, more than 250 species and a walk-through tunnel in 1–2 hours, from €17. The Playmobil FunPark in Ħal Far, in the south, and Esplora, the interactive science centre in Kalkara across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, are the local families' favourites — check opening times. Mdina, the car-free walled city about 30 minutes by car from Valletta, works from age 5 as a short walk on the bastions.

Both tickets are booked the same way: the “Book now” button opens our partner's booking page in a new tab, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before and a digital ticket on your phone.

Boat trips in Malta with kids: which boat at which age

The easiest way to show children the sea is a boat someone else drives. From St Thomas Bay our 28ft open boat with skipper has no minimum age: up to 15 people, skipper and fuel included, life jackets on board, and a south-coast route that reaches the sea caves, St Peter's Pool and the Blue Grotto from the water. €180 for 2 hours, €270 for 3, €400 for 5 and €530 for a full 8-hour day — prices for the whole boat, so shared between two families it costs little per head. Two hours suits small children; three if they are 8 or older and want swimming stops.

• •Fiat 500 boat — a real Fiat 500 body on a hull, self-drive, up to 4 people; driver 21 or older, passengers any age. €55 for 30 minutes, €80 for 1 hour, in and around St Thomas Bay.
• •Double kayak — €15 per hour; no minimum age for the passenger when an adult paddles, basic swimming ability for both. Single kayak (€8/h) and SUP (€10/h) are 16+.
• •Self-drive Hydra 530 — 17ft, up to 6 people, no licence, driver 21 or older; €120 for 2 hours plus fuel bought at the base.
• •Jet skis — driver 18 or older, passenger from 10; from €50 for 20 minutes. Not a toddler activity.
• •Booking: most activities take a small deposit online and the balance at the meeting point on the day; if we cancel for sea conditions you get a full refund or a free reschedule.

Dolphins and Comino with children

Dolphin spotting is the trip children ask for. Our tour leaves St Thomas Bay at 09:00 (arrive 08:45), lasts 1 hour, costs €120 per person with a maximum of 6 per boat and runs May–September only, when calm morning seas give the best chances. Around Malta you may see bottlenose, striped and short-beaked common dolphins; they are wild, sightings are never guaranteed, and if none are seen you get a full refund. It suits babies and children — the pace is calm — but explain beforehand that nobody swims with or feeds them and the boat keeps its distance.

Comino is for older kids. The Blue Lagoon is shallow and turquoise over white sand, but there is no shade, only kiosks, and it is crowded from late morning in summer. Our day trip is €30 per person paid online, departs daily at 10:00 from Welbee's Supermarket, Pendergardens, St Julian's (arrive 20 minutes early), includes the return transfer and runs until 15 September; there is no guide, just the crew for the crossing. The Comino entry pass is a mandatory government QR, not included in any boat trip, only at blcomino.com/product/blue-lagoon — one per person, before the day. Pack an umbrella, water and water shoes.

Practical tips: heat, buses, pushchairs and meal times

• •Sun: in July and August do beaches and boats before 11:00 or after 16:00; the middle of the day is for the aquarium, a long lunch or the pool. The sun bites even in May and September.
• •Water: carry more than you think — the Blue Lagoon, St Peter's Pool and the north-west beaches have kiosks at best.
• •Buses: a single ticket is valid 2 hours with transfers, about €2.50 in summer (mid-June to mid-October) and €2.00 in winter, paid on board in cash or by card; a 7-day Explore card is about €25. Folded pushchairs are fine when there is room, but in July–August the coastal routes are standing room only — go early. Route numbers change: check the route in the tallinja app.
• •Apps and taxis: ride-hailing apps work everywhere and are the sane option with a sleeping child; St Julian's or Sliema to St Thomas Bay is about 25–35 minutes by road.
• •Hire car: useful for the north-west beaches and Gozo, pointless in Valletta, where parking is hard. Malta drives on the left and roads are narrow — request a child seat.
• •Steps: Valletta and Mdina mean slopes, stairs and cobbles. The Upper Barrakka lift and the Sliema harbour ferry (a crossing of a few minutes) save the steepest climbs.
• •Meal times: restaurants welcome children, but a good number of kitchens take an afternoon break until about 19:00; beach kiosks and cafés fill the gap, and a 19:00 dinner gets a table without a wait.

A 4-day family plan for Malta

• •Day 1 — Valletta, lightly: harbour ferry from Sliema (a few minutes, check times), the noon cannon at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, an ice cream on the ramparts, then the aquarium in Qawra or the pool.
• •Day 2 — North: Mellieħa Bay early, Popeye Village from late morning (2–3 hours, swim platform May–October), back to Għadira for the end of the day.
• •Day 3 — Our south coast: the dolphin tour at 09:00 from St Thomas Bay (May–September), a 2-hour skippered boat trip to the caves after a break, lunch on the Marsaskala seafront, and an hour in a double kayak if there is energy left.
• •Day 4 — Comino (teens and strong swimmers) or, with small children, Pretty Bay in the morning and the Playmobil FunPark in the afternoon.
• •A fifth day: Gozo by ferry from Ċirkewwa — about 25 minutes; foot passengers buy the return ticket at Mġarr on the way back, about €4.65 per adult and €1.15 per child aged 3–12, check the current timetable and fares — for Ramla Bay's red sand and the Ġgantija temples.

Frequently asked questions