MELLIEHA BAY

If you follow the coastal road from the Sliema/Valletta direction, it’s quite easy to get to the north of Malta … and that’s where the beautiful village of Mellieha Bay is situated.

This boat in Mellieha Bay will take you to the small island of Comino

There were a few reasons why we’ve chosen to stay here in Mellieha for the duration of our holiday in 2013, namely:

  • Seashell Dive Centre – Berto is a keen scuba diver and this dive centre is literally on the water’s edge and had great diving packages.
  • The largest sandy beach (600m) is here at Mellieha … an absolute bonus in summer time.
  • It was very close to the ferry terminal of Cirkewwa from where we could get easily (in just about 20 minutes) to Malta’s sister island Gozo.
A beautiful view of the ocean from our apartment

We’ve rented a self-catering apartment looking out on Mellieha Bay. It’s a bit out of the main village itself, but we prefer it that way (not being too much part of the hustle and bustle of everyday life). Instead, we had a small local shop close by (but with all the necessities) and a couple of no-frill café’s and restaurants. We never really went out for meals, but would visit Maya Beach quite often for a few drinks after a diving excursion or while watching the sun set.

Our view from Maya Beach …
… and our drinks at Maya Beach. Berto preferred the local beer, Cisk while I’ve enjoyed the ciders (particularly Woodpecker)

Our accommodation, booked through Holiday Lets MaltaGozo, was super nice! The self-catering apartment was on the beach front and on the third floor … which meant we had an incredible view. I mean … we could easily just stay right there for our entire holiday!

The view from our balcony and with safe swimming places right under our window
The calm bay of Mellieha

We’ve visited the village of Mellieha a couple of times – to pick up our rental car and just strolling through the streets. The main street is consisting of shops and restaurants and it’s quite a bustling community.

The town itself was founded in the 15th century and its pride is the parish Church of Our Lady of Victory which is high on the ridge.

The Church of Our Lady of Victory high on the hill of Mellieha
A closer look a the church which Pope John Paul II came to see in 1990

Now, remember that I’ve mentioned that Malta’s biggest sandy beach is in Mellieha? Well, what a wonderful place to be close by in the heat of summer!

The popular beach at Mellieha Bay
We’ve taken many strolls on the sandy beach

From our apartment’s balcony we could see boats going in and out of the bay, as well as some water fanatics doing some sort of water-sport … definitely the place to be if you prefer sun, sand and sea!

A local on his luzzo and some water-sports in the bay

As mentioned earlier in the post, we just loved our balcony! It’s great to have a sit-down meal in a restaurant every now and then, but since we like to prepare our own food (and with such a splendid view), we’d much rather spent our time, after a busy day of exploring, in our apartment.

Enjoying a glass of the local wine on our balcony
Chicken kebab and salad … voila, a healthy plate of food
While eating on the balcony, we had this wonderful sunset …
… and spectacular sunrises every morning

With Seashell Dive Centre a stone’s throw away from our apartment, we visited them almost every second day for a dive excursion. During this time, while Berto was diving, I had long walks on the beach and just enjoyed the Mediterranean sun.

Berto leaving with Seashell Dive Centre on one of his many dives (the Mellieha Bay Hotel is in the background)

It was while enjoying one of my walks on the beach, that I’ve noticed a prominent building on the high ground beyond Mellieha Bay. I’ve told Berto about this and we’ve decided to investigate this one afternoon.

The Knight’s Red Tower fortification

The Red Tower is one of seven watch towers built in 1649 by Grand Master Lascaris to protect the bay below.

The Red Tower

It is said that it was painted red in order to be more visible to the other guard posts in the surrounding area. Leading to the name of Red Tower which is used instead of its official name of Fort St Agatha.

Walking through narrow alleys inside The Tower
Taking the stairs to the top of The Tower

There are splendid views at the top towards the north west (seeing neighbouring islands of Gozo and Comino) as well as the channel that separates them from Malta.

On top of The Red Tower
Looking towards Mellieha Bay
Standing on top of The Tower
Lovely views towards the channel
The small island of Comino can be seen in the distance
A last look over Mellieha before taking the steps down and out of The Tower

We were very happy with our stay in Mellieha – it was the perfect place to escape from the busy streets of Malta.

The waters of Mellieha Bay

Our accommodation was a real treat and we’ve enjoyed our time here! That balcony gave us so many wonderful evenings and great memories!

Our last evening at Mellieha Bay

In our next post, we will still be close to Mellieha Bay. But this time we will take you to Anchor Bay where we’ve found Popeye Village … yes, the film set of the 1980 film Popeye. It promises to be fun and a real treat – see you there!

We have done these trips in 2011 & 2013