There’s a very particular kind of smugness that settles over you when you’ve lived somewhere long enough to watch tourists make the same mistakes you once made. I’ve been in Malta, a small, heat-bleached archipelago with hidden beaches, for more than a decade now. Every summer, I see fresh arrivals pile onto the ferry to Comino and queue for a sun lounger at Golden Bay. They return to their hotels slightly pink and thoroughly bewildered, having missed half the good stuff entirely.
Malta may not be known for the endless white stretches of sand found on its island neighbours, Sardinia and Sicily, but its craggy coastline has no shortage of places to dive into that sparkling Mediterranean sea.
So, let me save you some time.
Start with Golden Bay, but don’t stop there
Yes, Golden Bay is as beautiful as the photographs suggest. The arc of amber sand and the sea shifting from jade to deep navy is breathtaking on a weekday morning in late May or early September. But arrive on a Saturday in August and you’ll be sardined between parasols, queuing for an overpriced spritz. The beach itself isn’t going anywhere, so go early, go late or visit during the shoulder season to avoid peak midday in midsummer.
The real move, though, is to head to Golden Bay’s neighbours. Scramble over the headland to Għajn Tuffieħa (also known as Riviera beach). Before you head down, take a moment near the top of the cliffs to track down the famous wooden swing. You’ve probably seen it on Instagram a hundred times, with the simple wooden seat framing the drop, the striking clay cliffs, the old watchtower and the turquoise sea spreading out behind you. It is just as spectacular in person as it looks online, and the panoramic vista from up there gives you a true sense of the rugged coastline you’re about to explore.
No hotels loom over this bay and no roads run to it. You earn it via a long staircase cut into the cliff, which is enough to deter the masses. What you find at the bottom is wilder and deeply authentic: a sweeping red-sand beach, clay slopes, and the faint sound of a radio drifting from an offshore fishing boat. On a long Tuesday afternoon in October, I had this beach almost entirely to myself.
If you don’t fancy the climb back up, or your knees have strong opinions about staircases, keep driving. Around the headland, a little further down the road and slightly less signposted, sits Ġnejna Bay. This is the spot most short-term visitors completely miss. A wide, sheltered scoop of sand and flat rock backed by limestone hills and rustic boathouses, it has an atmosphere that is quintessentially local. Families gather here with cool boxes and folding chairs. Traditional fishing boats sit on the shore between trips. Nobody is performing a holiday here. After more than ten years on this island, Ġnejna remains my answer when someone asks where I actually go.
North Coast Secrets
Mellieħa Bay (Għadira)
Expats often write off Mellieħa Bay as nothing more than a family beach, which is fair enough, but misses the point. Granted, it is massive, shallow, warm and packed to the brim with pedalos for hire and the heavy scent of suncream. But if you happen to have toddlers or elderly relatives in tow, those exact traits become its biggest selling points. As Malta’s largest sandy beach, it has no illusions about being a hidden paradise and it does it brilliantly.
Mġiebaħ Bay
What most visitors never find is Mġiebaħ Bay, tucked further along the north coast near Selmun. To get here you need proper shoes with a good grip, not flip-flops or sandals bought at the airport. The trek down a rugged, narrow cliff path requires a bit of footing.
The reward is a secluded, untouched cove of soft sand and idyllic snorkelling waters where the marine life seems entirely unbothered by human presence. There are no facilities whatsoever, no sun beds, no kiosks, no loos. Bring everything you need and carry out everything you brought. On a clear evening, it offers one of the finest sunsets on the island I’ve ever seen.
The South & Southwest
Għar Lapsi
Any other summer, I’d send you to Għar Lapsi without hesitation. It’s a rocky cove on the southwest coast with a series of natural swimming pools. The water is so clear it looks implausible and there’s limestone ledge that draws both nervous first-timers and absolute show-offs. I’ve spent many long afternoons there over the years, usually finishing at Carmen’s Bar for whatever fresh catch came off the boat that morning.
However, nature has a mind of its own. Following severe damage from Storm Harry earlier this year, which wreaked havoc across coastal infrastructure, parts of Għar Lapsi have faced ongoing closures and safety restrictions. Keep it on your bucket list for the future, as this crater-like coastal indentation feels like the surface of the moon and deserves a chapter of its own.
St. Peter’s Pool & Kalanka Bay
In the meantime, redirect yourself to the southeast coast. St. Peter’s Pool is a sheltered natural lagoon surrounded by giant, sea-carved limestone ledges. It’s a different kind of beautiful, less intimate than Għar Lapsi but vastly more dramatic, making it a hotspot for cliff-diving. It is also famous for its legacy of Instagram-viral diving dogs. While the legendary Jack Russell, Titti, has sadly passed on, her successor, Tina, can still be seen acing synchronised cliff jumps with her owner to the cheers of the crowd.
If you want to escape the masses that pack the main ledge, wander a little further down the Delimara peninsula to Kalanka Bay. It features the same stunning, horseshoe-shaped rock formations but the tourist crowd thins out considerably, leaving you to swim alongside local families.
Cross the Water
Don’t make the mistake of treating Gozo as a mere day-trip optional extra. It is a slower, greener, sleepier island and its swimming spots have a completely different character. If you make the crossing, you will find Ramla Bay, famous for its striking, fiery-orange sand that slopes gently into warm, shallow water. Meanwhile, high up on the opposite cliffs, the area near Tal-Mixta Cave offers a gorgeous viewpoint that puts the entire valley in perspective. Further along the coast lies Wied il-Għasri, a breathtaking narrow canyon with in-land sea snakes between towering cliffs. The canyon ends in a tiny pebble beach reached via a hidden cliffside staircase that is an absolute dream for snorkellers.
For something remarkably peaceful, visit the steep-sided gorge of Mġarr ix-Xini. Once a main harbour for Gozo, it delivers a peaceful shingle beach and sheer rock faces. It is famously beautiful enough that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt used it as the exclusive backdrop for their film “By the Sea”. It remains home to a wonderfully relaxed, no-frills beachside restaurant serving incredible fresh seafood across just a few shaded tables.
The Blue Lagoon problem
The Blue Lagoon on Comino is real. I can confirm that the neon-cyan colour of the water is not an Instagram filter or a lie.
Floating in it makes you feel, if only briefly, like you’re starring in a luxury perfume advert.
It is also absolutely crammed in high summer. Boats moor ten deep and the rocky shoreline churns with thousands of day-trippers and selfie sticks. If you want paradise, you have to play it smart by visiting in May or October. If you must go in the summer, take the earliest morning ferry out of Ċirkewwa or Marfa and plan to leave by noon just as the massive tour boats arrive.
Ten years in, I still come back to all of these places. That, probably, tells you everything you need to know. Timing is everything.
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Read more about the best beaches for your summer vacation here in Dispatches’ archives.
See more from Dayna here.
Dayna Camilleri Clarke
Dayna Camilleri Clarke is an award-winning writer, editor, and leading media voice from Malta, recognised for her contribution to the islands’ cultural and editorial landscape. Having held prestigious editorial roles, including editor of Air Malta’s in-flight magazine and the Malta Business Weekly, she is now a contributor to Oh My Malta and is widely regarded as a destination expert on Malta, Gozo and the wider European landscape, known for her elegant storytelling and astute editorial voice.
