Rocky Beaches

For those of you who love a day by the sea but are not overly enthused by the idea of extracting sand from every bodily crevice afterwards, Malta is definitely the place to be. That’s because this wonderful island resort has an abundant supply of beaches of the sand-free, rocky variety.

These abrasion-less places, which are genrously scattered around the island, are ideal locations for taking your daily dip, toweling off and relaxing without the worry of sand getting into those places where you’d really rather it didn't.

Of course, it is all a question of personal preference - the sandy beach vs rocky beach dilemma, and visitors to Malta are spoilt for choice because it has both.

Some of the top rocky beaches in Malta are Anchor Bay, Ghar Lapsi, Marsascala Bay, Marsaxlokk Bay, Mistra Bay, Salina Bay, St Thomas Bay, St Paul's Bay and on the Sliema sea front.
Here you’ll be forgiven for thinking the island’s inhabitants got their name from the appearance of the rocky shore because it looks just like the insides of the chocolate sweets, Maltesers.

There are also great rocky beaches at Marsalforn Bay and Xlendi Bay in Gozo, while Comino, that strange, barren, little island caught mid-sea between Malta and Gozo, boasts, in its Blue Lagoon, perhaps the clearest water off a rocky beach anywhere in the Mediterranean.

Most rocky beaches have very good facilities for showering, dining and relaxing. You can't build sand castles, which comes as a blow to younger visitors, but you can hire boats and go water skiing. Some of the top diving clubs also operate from the rocky shores at very reasonable rates.

In the evening, it is a joy to go back there and watch anglers hooking some interesting-looking fish from the very spot you were swimming in a few hours earlier. The late-evening barbecue parties come next with their heavy cases of cool beer and enough food to feed a regiment.

It is a completely different scene from the daytime, one that openly dictates the tempo of life in the Mediterranean - allegro andante. It will be difficult switching back to that other tempo you left behind ... if you can even remember it.


While sand may not be Malta’s strong point, rocks are something we have in abundance. So finding a rocky beach is generally as simple as stepping outside your front door.

Be warned though that those with delicate feet might want to bring some kind of flip-flops or sandals to protect them as in some cases the rocky bits can be quite sharp. This footwear helps you avoid the distinctly uncool “Oooh! Ow!” tippy-toe stagger back to your towel, as if walking on drawing pins, when you climb out of the sea.

The vast majority of Malta’s shoreline is open to the public and you will normally find people swimming from just about every available rocky outcrop during the summer months. It’s safe in the majority of places but be careful of any warning signs that may be in place before you take the plunge.