MaltaExpat

Malta Beaches Map: Every Swimming Spot

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Malta and Gozo pack 96 swimming spots into 27 kilometres of island. Most of it is not sand: only about 27 of these are sandy or pebble beaches, while 59 are rocky platforms, the deep, clear, ladder-access swims that locals actually use most of the year. The map above plots every one, coloured by type, so you can answer the real question, "where can I swim near me, and what will I find when I get there?". Tap a marker for its surface, access, facilities and directions.

Sandy beaches versus rocky swimming

If you want to lie on sand, Malta's options are concentrated in the north and northwest: Golden Bay, Ghajn Tuffieha, Mellieha Bay for families, and on Gozo the red sand of Ramla Bay. They are the busy, facility-heavy picks, best early or late in summer. Everywhere else, you swim off rock: platforms like Exiles in Sliema or St Peter's Pool near Marsaxlokk, sheltered coves, and a couple of natural pools. For the ranked shortlist with the full story on each, see our guide to the best beaches in Malta.

Getting there and what to check first

Most sandy bays are reachable by bus, but many rocky spots realistically need a car and can be a scramble down steps, so the access rating on each marker matters. Parking is the other catch: doable off-season, brutal at the big bays after 11am in July and August. If you are working out which part of the island to base yourself in, the neighborhood map shows where you would live, and the transport guide covers buses, the Tallinja card and driving. Planning a wider trip? The things-to-do map puts beaches alongside the sights.

Every swimming spot on the map

Malta 75
Il-Kalanka

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️
Near Sailing Club 🐕 Dogs

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · poor snorkelling

🅿️
Rinella Bay

Beach · sand · easy access · poor snorkelling

🅿️
Salini Street

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️
Sliema Pitch

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🍽️
Żonqor Street

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
Armier Bay North

Beach · sand · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️🚻🚿🍽️🏄
Ċirkewwa North

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️🏄
Daħlet Xmajjar 🐕 Dogs North

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Fekruna North

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🍽️
Imġiebaħ Bay 🐕 Dogs North

Beach · sand · moderate access · good snorkelling

Mistra Bay North

Beach · mixed sand & rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️🏄
Paradise Bay North

Beach · sand · moderate access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🚿🍽️🏄
Ramla tal-Bir North

Beach · mixed sand & rock · fair snorkelling

🅿️
Tunnara North

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · fair snorkelling

🅿️
Veccja Wharf North

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
White Tower Bay 🐕 Dogs North

Beach · sand · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Xemxija North

Rocky platform · rock · poor snorkelling

🅿️🍽️
Balluta Bay North East

Beach · sand · easy access · poor snorkelling

🍽️♿
Exiles Bay North East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🍽️
Fond Għadir North East

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · good snorkelling

🅿️🛟🍽️
Near Wilga Street North East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · poor snorkelling

🅿️🍽️
Pembroke Pool North East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Qui-Si-Sana North East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
Salina Bay North East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️
Spinola Bay North East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · poor snorkelling

🚻🍽️♿
Anchor Bay North West

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
Ġnejna Bay North West

Beach · mixed sand & rock · moderate access · good snorkelling

🅿️🍽️
Golden Bay North West

Beach · sand · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🚿🛟🍽️🏄♿
Ferretti South

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️
Pretty Bay South

Beach · sand · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️🚻🚿🛟🍽️🏄♿
Qajjenza South

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️
St George's Bay South

Beach · sand · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️🚻🚿🛟🍽️
Fajtata South East

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · good snorkelling

🛟
Jerma Bay South East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️
St Thomas Bay South East

Beach · sand · easy access · fair snorkelling

🅿️
Xgħajra South East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Żonqor South East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️♿
Żonqor Point 🐕 Dogs South East

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Għar Lapsi Closed South West

Natural pool · rock · easy access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
Wied iż-Żurrieq South West

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
Gozo 18
Gorgun Beach 🐕 Dogs

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Daħlet Qorrot Beach North Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · difficult access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
Għar Qawqla North Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · excellent snorkelling

Marsalforn North Gozo

Beach · mixed sand & rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🚿🍽️🏄♿
Qbajjar Bay North Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Ramla Bay North Gozo

Beach · sand · easy access · good snorkelling

🅿️🚻🚿🍽️🏄♿
San Blas Bay North Gozo

Beach · sand · moderate access · good snorkelling

Xwejni Bay North Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️
Ħondoq ir-Rummien South East Gozo

Beach · mixed sand & rock · easy access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️🏄
Xatt l-Aħmar South East Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · good snorkelling

🅿️
Żewwieqa Bay South East Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · fair snorkelling

🅿️🍽️
Mġarr ix-Xini South Gozo

Cove · pebble · moderate access · excellent snorkelling

Xlendi Bay South West Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · easy access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️🏄
Dwejra Bay 🐕 Dogs West Gozo

Rocky platform · rock · moderate access · excellent snorkelling

Dwejra Inland Sea West Gozo

Lagoon · rock · easy access · excellent snorkelling

🅿️🚻🍽️
Comino 3
Blue Lagoon Comino

Lagoon · mixed sand & rock · moderate access · excellent snorkelling

🚻🚿🍽️🏄

Durable facts (coordinates, surface, facilities, monitoring codes) compiled from Malta's Environmental Health Directorate Bathing Water Programme, the public beaches.mt directory and MaltaExpat editorial research. Known official closures are flagged with their source and check date, but real-time conditions (sea state, jellyfish, live water-quality readings) are not shown here, so always check the latest official report before you swim.

🐕 Dog-friendly beaches in Malta and Gozo

Malta has 16 officially designated dog-friendly beaches, 12 on Malta and 4 on Gozo. They are mostly rocky stretches set apart from the main swimming zones, so your dog can get in the water without anyone complaining. Keep the dog on a leash until it is in the sea, and bring bags. Outside these spots, dogs are not allowed on sandy beaches, and many other bays have their own restrictions, so check the signs when you arrive.

Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, behind Splash & Fun Malta Rock Easy Yes
Bay next to the Sailing Club, Birżebbuġa Malta Rock Easy Yes
Daħlet ix-Xmajjar, Armier Malta Rock Easy Yes
Imġiebaħ Bay, Selmun Malta Sand Moderate No
Ir-Ramla ta' Wied Musa, Ċirkewwa Malta Rock – Yes
L-Ilsien, Żonqor Point Malta Rock Easy Yes
Ramlet il-Qortin, Mellieħa Malta Rock – No
Ramlet it-Torri, Mellieħa Malta Sand Easy Yes
Rinella Bay, Kalkara (rocky section) Malta Rock Easy Yes
St Thomas Bay, Munxar side Malta Rock Moderate Yes
Tigné Point, under the pedestrian bridge Malta Rock Easy Yes
Xatt is-Sajjieda, Marsaxlokk Malta Sand Easy No
Dwejra, San Lawrenz Gozo Rock Moderate No
Il-Bajja ta' Gorgun, Mġarr Gozo Rock Moderate Yes
Qbajjar Bay, Żebbuġ Gozo Rock Moderate Yes
Ras il-Ħobż, Għajnsielem Gozo Rock Moderate No

Official list of designated dog-friendly beaches, last expanded in June 2023. Surface, access and parking come from the same dataset as the map. Click a column to sort, or a beach to find it on the map.

Malta beaches: common questions

How many beaches and swimming spots does Malta have? +

This map plots 96 swimming spots across Malta, Gozo and Comino: 31 sandy or pebble beaches and 59 rocky platforms, plus a handful of coves, lagoons and natural pools. Malta officially designates 87 bathing waters, and 93 of the spots here carry an Environmental Health Directorate monitoring code.

Which Malta beaches have lifeguards and full facilities? +

Only a handful. Lifeguards are posted in summer at the large sandy bays like Mellieha Bay, Golden Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha. Most of Malta's swimming is at rocky platforms with no facilities at all, so use the filters and facility columns on this map to find parking, toilets and showers before you go.

Can you swim at rocky spots in Malta? +

Yes, and locals often prefer them. Around two thirds of Malta's swimming spots are rocky platforms with deep, clear water and good snorkelling, reached by ladders or steps rather than sand. They stay usable outside peak season and are far quieter than the sandy bays.

Which beaches in Malta are dog-friendly? +

Malta has 16 officially designated dog-friendly beaches: 12 on Malta, including Imġiebaħ Bay in Selmun, Tigné Point in Sliema, Rinella Bay and Żonqor Point, and 4 on Gozo, including Dwejra and Qbajjar Bay. Dogs stay on a leash except in the water, and are not allowed on the other sandy beaches. Switch on the dog-friendly filter on the map to see them all.

How is this different from your best beaches guide? +

This map is the full directory: every monitored swimming spot on the islands, filterable by type, access and facilities, to answer "where can I swim near me?". Our ranked guide to the best beaches in Malta is the opinionated shortlist, with the top ten explained and how to reach each one. Use the map to explore, the guide to decide.

What do the water-quality codes on this map mean? +

A monitored spot has an official bathing-site code from Malta's Environmental Health Directorate, which samples designated bathing waters through the season and publishes weekly results. A code means the site is officially tracked; it is not a live safety reading, so always check the latest EHD report before swimming after heavy rain.