5 Unique Swimming Spots in Malta & Gozo
If you’re looking for some of the most beautiful places to swim in Malta and Gozo then look no further. We found some of the most unique swimming spots in Malta & Gozo on our most recent trip and were so happy we did!
In this post, I won’t be covering any long, sandy beaches(although there are plenty of those in Malta). Instead, I’ll tell you about our favorite quiet beaches in Malta, gorgeous inlets, rocky coves, and even a beach only reachable via boat.
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Map of the most unique beaches in Malta and Gozo
*Use this interactive map to see some of the best beaches in Malta and Gozo (or maybe swimming spots is a better word!). Click on the full-screen icon in the top right corner to have this map open in your own Google Maps app or click on the arrow in the top left corner to see a pullout list of all points on the map*
5 Best Places to Swim in Malta and Gozo | Unique Hidden Gems
1. Ghar Lapsi
Price: Free
Location: Malta
Parking: Ghar Lapsi Parking
Facilities: Toilets, food, parking lot
We stumbled upon Ghar Lapsi and couldn’t have been happier about it. Ghar Lapsi is an absolute hidden gem in Malta. Everyone there seemed to be local and the setting was so unique.
Ghar Lapsi is a beautiful, secluded cove with stunning green and blue crystal-clear water. The water is calm as it’s sheltered by the surrounding rock making it an amazing place to float and relax. It’s one of the best places to swim in Malta & Gozo.
The short walk from the parking area leads you past colorful fisherman huts (my favorite). And the view from the water of the white building nestled in the cliff is amazing.
The area around the water on one side is a bit of a cave which gave us some much-needed shade and a cooler place to sit.
We felt like we were really experiencing Malta when we were at Ghar Lapsi. It felt like we were the ONLY tourists there (I’m sure there were others, but it seemed like a local hotspot).
You can enter the water via an old boat ramp, jump in from the surrounding rocks, or climb in on one of the pool ladders installed on the rocks.
The water is shallow around the edges and gets deeper as you get to the center of the cove.
Our kids loved floating in the water, playing on the rocks, and collecting moss/seaweed they found. If you’re looking to get away from the long sandy beaches in Malta and instead want a local experience, be sure to visit Ghar Lapsi!
2. Wied il-Ghasri
Price: Free
Location: Gozo
Parking: Wied Il-Ghasri Parking
Facilities: Dirt parking lot, maybe a smoothie truck
Wied Il-Ghasri is one of Malta’s hidden gems located on the island of Gozo. If you’re not yet planning on visiting Gozo while in Malta, I highly recommend it. The ferry to Gozo only takes 25 minutes and you can walk on or bring your car.
We spent a few nights on Gozo during our family trip to Malta and those nights were our favorite nights of the trip! Our Airbnb was almost a stone’s throw away from Wied Il-Ghasri with amazing views of the farms and sea. It’s one of our favorite places we’ve ever stayed- I highly recommend it.
Wied Il-Ghasri is a beautiful cove in Gozo with a small beach comprised of large river stones (water shoes of some sort will save you here btw). The water is bright greenish/blue and twists and turns its way out to sea.
I actually hesitate to talk about this beautiful quiet beach in Malta for fear that it will be ruined. If you choose to visit, please do so respectfully ☺️
The ‘beach’ at Wied-Il-Ghasri is quite small, however, it didn’t feel crowded. We sat on the water’s edge with our kids, swam in the water, and played with stones.
Others hunkered down next to the cliff’s edge or even sunbathed on the rocks overlooking the water. .
Depending on the tide, there could be small waves washing up on the beach, but it was quite calm just past the shore.
This is a great area for snorkeling because the water is so clear. There are also small little holes and caves along the cliffs you can peak into (depending on the tide).
There is a small dirt car park down a dirt road at the top of the cliffs. We parked on the slightly bigger road before the road to the parking lot because we didn’t know the parking lot existed.
The stairs leading down the cliffside to Wied Il-Ghasri are totally safe with a rock wall lining the steps. We visited with our 1.5-year-old and our 4.5-year-old and they didn’t have any problems navigating the stairs.
We lucked out with a fresh smoothie from a small, down-to-earth food truck after playing at the beach! It was parked in the dirt parking lot and only accepted cash. There was no way of knowing how often it’s there or what its opening hours are though. But bring cash just in case!
3. Blue Lagoon
Price: The price is determined by the mode of transportation you use to reach the Blue Lagoon
Facilities: Toilets, food, watersport rentals
Location: Comino
How to get there: An inexpensive but easy ferry, a 4-hour private boat trip with snorkeling and cave visits, or a super fun catamaran experience.
For a more comprehensive list of ways to get to the Blue Lagoon, check out my guide to visiting the Blue Lagoon.
I have mixed reviews about the Blue Lagoon, however, it deserves to be on this list of unique swimming spots in Malta.
The 3 main islands of Malta include Malta, Gozo, and the smallest island between the two is called Comino.
Comino is mostly uninhabited but is home to the Blue Lagoon, a beautiful, crystal-clear blue area of water on the edge of Comino Island.
The area lining the Blue Lagoon is mostly rocky, however, there is one VERY small sandy beach (almost comically small).
We visited the Blue Lagoon in June and it was SO SO SO crowded (and we don’t usually complain about sharing a beach). I can’t imagine what it’s like in July or August.
Much of the beauty of the Blue Lagoon is lost by the hoards of people and kitschy food trucks. But with that being said, the Blue Lagoon was our 4-year-old’s favorite thing we did in Malta 😅.
She loved taking a boat out to the island, the crystal blue water and the small rocks along the sandy shore to jump off.
I can only imagine how beautiful and peaceful the Blue Lagoon is if you are visiting in the off-season or if you can arrive before 8 am or after 6 pm.
If I were to go again without young kids, I would walk on some of the dirt trails along the island’s edge to get to a more secluded rocky spot. There appeared to be some beautiful areas away from the crowds a short walk away.
We actually went to the Blue Lagoon on two different days at our daughter’s request. On the first day, we booked a 3-hour private boat trip which stops at a couple of other beautiful coves along the way with time to snorkel.
It was nice to have a small private boat just for our family, however, the kids were a bit too young to enjoy jumping from the boat so it felt like the price wasn’t worth it for us.
However, the first cove we anchored in was gorgeous and there were so few people there compared to the Blue Lagoon.
If your group is a bit older than us and wants to jump from the boat and play in the water the private boat trip could be great for you!.
The second day we visited the Blue Lagoon, we took the ferry from Cirkewwa which is super easy and much less expensive.
Another popular way to get to the Blue Lagoon is on a half-day catamaran trip that usually includes things like food, a slide, and/or snorkeling.
For a more detailed guide about how to get to the Blue Lagoon check out this post.
4. Xwejni Bay
Price: Free
Location: Gozo
Parking: Street Parking
Facilities: Toilets & food
We stumbled upon Xwejni Bay after visiting the Xwejni salt pans and the adorable Leli Tal-Melh Salt Shop (which is a tiny salt shop built into the cliffside and run by the family that farms the salt). To me, the salt pans were one of the most beautiful areas in all of Malta and one of my favorite things we did.
But anyway, back to Xwejni Bay. Xwejni Bay is located right next to the salt pans and has some of the most unique surrounding rocks I’ve ever seen.
There is a small beach or a dock with swim ladders.
We only had time to splash a bit at Xwejni Bay but we picked up a delicious, fresh lemonade from SaltSide, a cute cafe lining the road, and wished we had time to stay longer.
5. Popeye Village
Price: $15 – $27 per adult depending on the season. Check out ticket prices here.
Location: Malta
Parking: Popeye Village Parking Lot
Facilities: Parking lot, toilets, food & activities,
Of all of the beaches in Gozo and Malta, Popeye Village is one of the most unique ones for sure. Popeye Village is the film set for the 1980 Musical Production of “Popeye” starring Robin Williams.
The set is situated in a beautiful cove in Malta and is still intact today.
We spent a few hours on a shaded sunbed at Popeye Village and played on their huge inflatable water playground (which is way more difficult to do than it looks FYI).
You can walk around the film set and even partake in little tours and activities throughout the day. It’s an entire themed experience.
Popeye Village is a pretty kitschy experience, but the inflatable obstacle course pulled us in. I don’t think we’d go back if we visited Malta a second time because I prefer the more natural beaches, but it was a good time.
The water starts out shallow and is a great play area for younger kids but then gets deep towards the inflatables where adults can no longer touch.
Prices vary depending on the time of year, but you can check out Popeye Village prices and reserve tickets here.
And those are my favorite places to swim in Malta and Gozo! In my opinion, you really need to add (at least) a couple of these to your Malta itinerary-they are amazing! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about these places to swim in Malta & Gozo. I’ll be sure to get back to you!
Check out these other Malta & Gozo posts, I know you’ll love them:
- Is it Worth it To Visit Malta in June?
- 19 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Malta
- 23 Amazing Things to Do in Malta with Kids + Top Tips, Itinerary & Map
- 22 Amazing Things to do in Gozo with Kids + Places to Eat, Where to Stay & a Map
- 5 Ways to get to the Blue Lagoon in Malta + Things to Know Before you Go
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