🌍Where to stay in Malta

If you are organizing a trip to Malta, it will be useful to read this article, where we will see in detail which is the best area where to stay in Malta.

I say that the island is a very popular destination and suitable for everyone, singles looking for fun, couples looking for relaxation and romance or families who love the sea and culture. All at advantageous prices.

Choose the right location where to sleep in Malta it is very simple, and therefore depends on your interests, the type of holiday you are looking for and the budget available.

Where to Stay in Malta

Often those who decide to stay in Malta is looking for a place that combines sea, relaxation and culture during the day and a discreet evening life for the night.

In reality in Malta there is no place with evening life and a beautiful sea, so you will have to choose if stay near the beaches, North area (Mellieha, Ghadira Bay, St Paul's Bay) or near the most animated centers, zona Est (Valletta, Sliema, Gzira, St Julian’s, Paceville) where you will find the greatest concentration of hotels and the best connections to move around the island and the archipelago.

Keep in mind that the areas where there are beaches are very quiet, I would say too much, and are more than an hour by bus from the central and more touristic areas.

In my opinion the best place to stay in Malta is Sliema or the nearby villages (Gzira, Msida, San Gwann, St Julian's) you will find yourself in an excellent position and you can easily reach the main points of interest and the best beaches.

A good solution may be to do some day in Sliema, perfect for cultural visits and to tour the island and a few days in Gozo to enjoy the most beautiful sea in the archipelago.

Valletta, the capital of Malta is a very charming town, a UNESCO heritage site, so it is absolutely unmissable to visit its museums and palaces and the cathedral.

But for a stay in Malta I recommend Sliema, more lively in the evening and very close to Valletta, easily reachable by ferry, which leaves every 30 minutes and takes only 5 minutes, at a cost of 2,80 round trip. Alternatively there are several buses.

Let's see in detail the best areas to stay in Malta.

Sliema

If you are looking for a lively but at the same time quiet place, I recommend sleeping near Sliema. The town is pretty and well-kept, it is located in strategic position to get around the island, even by bus, as it is connected to the rest of the island by a good bus network.

So what is very important to underline is that if you are staying in Sliema you do not have the obligation to rent a private vehicle.

Sliema is particularly recommended for couples looking for a romantic holiday away from the hustle and bustle, or for families looking for rest and at the same time wanting to be in the center of transport.

The area has a very nice promenade full of restaurants, taverns and clubs for all tastes.

In Sliema and nearby there are no beaches but only an equipped cliff where you will still have the opportunity to swim in good sea conditions. To discover the most beautiful sea in the archipelago it is better to take boat trips, or go to Comino and Gozo, where you will be amazed!

St. Julian's

St. Julian's and Paceville are the areas where the under 20 nightlife is concentrated, very lively full of clubs and discos.

St. Julian's is the area frequented by young people, even “very young”, who come from all over the world for language schools, the average age is therefore quite low but there are also locals with a different target.

There is only one small beach in Saint Julian's which is very crowded in August, but you can easily travel by bus to other beaches or to Sliema from where the boat trips depart.

Mellieha

If the goal of yours holiday in Malta is the beaches, then you could stay in Mellieha, where there are also splendid villas for rent at very affordable prices.

Choosing Mellieha as a starting point, however, you will have to rent a car, in this way you can go to sea during the day and move in the evening to Valletta or Sliema to dine in some typical restaurant and have some fun.

Always with the car you can also visit the other beautiful beaches that are nearby.

Bugibba

Another option where to sleep in Malta it can be there Bigibba / Qawra area, a cross between Sliema and Mellieha, not too chaotic and noisy like St. Julian or Paceville but not too quiet, full of restaurants and shops.

In Bugibba there is the bus terminal of the island that take you to all the locations and to the main tourist attractions that Malta offers.

The sea is very beautiful, even if there are no beaches, but only flat rocks with easy access to the sea thanks to specially built ladders. The only beach is in Qawra, but it is not natural, the beach was imported.

The location of Bugibba is also excellent, it is about 20 minutes from the most beautiful beaches and 20 minutes from San Julian's de Sliema.

Gozo and Comino

If you are in Malta you cannot miss the Sister Islands, Gozo and Comino, two terrestrial paradises with clear and turquoise waters, dream beaches, just a few steps from Malta.

If you are looking for a fabulous sea, in Caribbean style these two islands are the place for you.

As we have said, the choice of the ideal location is subjective and depends on personal preferences, so in summary we can say:

Sliema: recommended for couples and families, a discreet evening life, perfect for strolls along the seafront among restaurants, clubs and pubs;
St Julian / Placeville: it is the busiest area of the island, ideal for young people looking for evening entertainment;
North Zone or Gozo: for a purely seaside holiday it is better to stay in the northern part of Malta, where there are the most beautiful beaches, or on the island of Gozo.