Popeye Village

Popeye Village


This fantastical Film Set found at the shores of one of Malta’s most picturesque locations, has just turned 30, and there seems to be no way it ever loses its appeal. Anchor Bay hosts this pristinely kept ramshackle sea-side village which housed the 6 month shoot of the musical Popeye in 1980. The late Robert Altman helmed the entire location shoot directing amongst others, Paul L. Smith as Cpt. Bluto, Shelley Duvall of The Shining as Olive Oyl, and introducing on the Silver Screen, Robin Williams as the one-eyed sailor himself.

The story follows Popeye in his search for his lost father, Poopdeck Pappy. He stumbles upon Sweet Haven village, befriends an eccentric Hamburger eater, Mr. Wellington Wimpy and rents a room from Olive Oyl’s, his soon to be love of his life. Enter the brute pirate Bluto and things get somewhat complicated. To cut a long story short, without detracting from this entertaining effort from the Eighties, Popeye manages to find his father and also a little surprise along the way.

Popeye’s motto has always been ‘I Yam what I Yam’, and this rings true to this very day. After all these years this ‘way of thinking’ has swept the entire village and all those who visit the Film Set are transported back in time, when the simple things were those which matter most.

All the buildings are kept in their original state, save some for added safety since they were only constructed to offer a backdrop for the shoot. Detailed attention is undertaken on a daily basis and the maintenance team is on the go 24/7. All this coupled with the ever-innovative management and you have a Village that lives and gains more and more popularity as time goes by.

Popeye Village, as it is widely known amongst the islanders, has been offering Amusement Park services for many years, hosting ‘Private Functions’, ‘Dance Parties’, ‘Weddings’ and even ‘Corporate Events’. Amongst today’s activities on offer one can find free Boat rides around Anchor Bay, Silver Smith demonstrations, Wine tasting, open-air beach Lido with shower and Baywatch attendant, little kids areas where you can rest assured the little ones will be amused with hours of fun and much more. All the animators will make sure you have a fantastic time whilst back to back animation shows pack the Village with colorful characters roaming around, transporting you back in time.

Join the thousands of repeat visitors and experience for yourselves the magic to be had at Malta’s only Family Fun Park, Popeye Village.
Limestone Heritage

Limestone Heritage



One of Malta’s greatest natural resources is the distinctive limestone out of which the vast majority of its buildings are constructed.  The honeycomb colour of the stones tint Maltese structures with their unique shades of yellow that change subtly according to the time of day and the force of the sunlight.  Malta’s very first Megalithic temples, the imposing fortresses built by the Knights of St John, the towering village churches, and the modern-day five-star resorts are all built from limestone extracted from Maltese quarries.

If you would like to learn more about Maltese limestone and Malta’s architectural history, there is no better place to start than at the Limestone Heritage.  This place is particularly useful if you’re feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer volume of noteworthy buildings and don’t know where to start, as the Limestone Heritage provides a comprehensive background for many of Malta’s finest structural attractions, such as the Silent City of Mdina, the Mosta Dome, or the many prehistoric temples that dot the archipelago.

Situated on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Siggiewi, the Limestone Heritage is an impressive exhibition built within a disused quarry.  There you’ll glimpse into 5,000 years of history, starting with Malta’s earliest freestanding structures that predate the pyramids of Giza as well as Stonehenge.  A walk-through tour on what used to be the seabed 20 million years ago will display fossils still embedded within the rock and antique quarrying methods, including vintage vehicles and machinery as well as rare and original artefacts.  Apart from the open-air displays, visitors can also witness exquisite stonework being created in the adjoining indoor complex.  The permanent exhibition is accompanied by an ongoing programme of temporary exhibits.

The Limestone Heritage has easy access for people with special needs and also features a cafeteria and a gift shop
Marsa Racetrack

Marsa Racetrack





If you’re a horse lover or simply like to play the odds, then you’d be pleased to know that Malta also boasts a healthy horse-racing culture.  Every Sunday equine enthusiasts gather at the Marsa Racing Course to cheer on their favourite horse or put their money where their mouths are and place the occasional wager on the results.

The racecourse was founded in the 19th Century by British Military and Naval officers along with some of the local gentry.  By 1929, the Marsa Racing Course was seeing regular races taking place thanks to the importation of expertly trained racehorses from North Africa.  However this hit a snag when most of these same horses had to be slaughtered during the Second World War. 

Race meetings recommenced in December 1945 although when the British Armed Forces left the island, there was a sudden depletion of both horses as well as jockeys.  Rather than put a halt to their newfound hobby, the Marsa Racing Club substituted the traditional horseback races for the new sulky races which saw drivers racing ponies while sitting on a lightweight two-wheeled cart reminiscent of the Roman chariot races.

The racetrack was reconstructed in 1981 and a grandstand for 2000 spectators was included as well as bars and shops to accommodate them.  Apart from the local races, the Marsa Racing Course is also occasionally called upon to host international events such as the European Championship for Professional Drivers in 1998.

When visiting the Marsa Racing Course, you’re sure to succumb to the sheer enthusiasm that permeates the air.  As you loudly cheer on your favourite horse amidst a crowd of screaming onlookers, you’ll be sampling a pure taste of raw Mediterranean passion.
Ggantija temple

Ggantija temple


If you think Hagar Qim and Mnajdra in Malta were the ultimate, wait until you cross over to Gozo where the oldest standing structure in the world – the Ggantija temples – awaits you. You are bound to wonder how busy and enterprising these Neolithics must have been.


Were they giants? The very Maltese name for the temples, Ggantija (derived from the word Ggant, meaning giant), says it all. Huge rocks cut and hewn into elaborate stone make up the temples, a feat difficult to do even with today’s technology. A civilisation that we may consider as too early for monumental thinking, let alone building, had nonetheless come out of the caves to create these wondrous constructions well before the Egyptians eventually gave us the pyramids.


How did they do it? What means did they use to carry those gigantic stones from the nearby quarries of the village of Xaghra? You will probably have more questions than answers, but it is this enormous gap in our knowledge of that early period in human life and civilisation that fascinates both the visitor and the researcher.


The Ggantija temples stir your senses and provoke awe and wonder, yet they testify to a humanity of early genius and, possibly, a greater material and spiritual awareness than we have hitherto dared attribute to it.


Take your time as you walk from one chamber to another, stop and ponder in front of the sacrificial stone, try and guess how the oracle worked and how these, your own ancestors, lived and loved. It means putting fun into archaeology, finding a sense of being in the very stone that seems to want to tell you a story, but somehow cannot.


In our opinion the Ggantija Temples rank up there with the other marvels of the planet like Stonehenge, the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. They just don’t enjoy the same marketing…


Obviously for this one you will need to be in Gozo first of all so a quick ferry trip will be in order if you are not going to be based on Malta’s sister island. Once there, you can either follow the signs to Xaghra, if you are in a car, or catch a bus to Victoria and then another – the number 64 or 65 – to Xaghra. Well worth the effort.
The Three Cities

The Three Cities



“Visit Naples and die” is the famous travel dictum. One hopes not, however, as there are many other beautiful places to visit all over the world. A visit to Malta’s historic “Three Cities”, also known as The Cottonera, would easily make you think back of Naples. It is the character of the people of Bormla, Birgu and Isla that triggers this assimilation. They tend to be jovial and helpful, outgoing and proud of the historical and cultural heritage that they live with everyday of their lives.

Imagine waking up and taking your first coffee of the day opposite the views of the palaces and auberges of the Knights, with the domineering skylines of churches and robust fortifications all around you. There is history at every step you take in Birgu, Bormla and Isla, known officially and in tribute as Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea.

For too many years the cities had been left to sadly rot away in their history as the early tourism drive chose to concentrate on the northern sandy beaches, the new hotels and holiday complexes and the shopping areas of Valletta, Sliema and Mdina. The Three Cities very rarely got a mention on the colourful brochures until recent years when the area finally got its chance….and grasped it.

Today, the Cottonera can be safely said to be the fastest-growing tourist area in Malta, following a major rehabilitation exercise that has seen the creation of new, specialised tours, the opening of numerous new restaurants and museums, a splendid yacht marina and a full calendar of events that vary from re-enactment shows to candlelight evenings that emphasise the beauty of those narrow, winding streets.

Waiting to be picked like the idiomatic cherry on the cake, there is the charming village of Kalkara, a suburb of the Three Cities, from where you can get breath-taking views of the bastioned cities and Valletta from across the water. Happily, you don’t have to die after.

Getting to the Three Cities is relatively easy by car but do consult a map to be sure. By bus you will need to get yourself to Valletta first and then catch the appropriate bus from there. Buses 1, 2, 4, and 6 take you to Bormla and Birgu while bus 3 takes you to Isla.
Fort Rinella

Fort Rinella



Sitting like a tired dinosaur on top of Fort Rinella, limits of Kalkara, is the world’s largest cannon – a 100-ton Armstrong gun – originally built by the British in Malta to safeguard that part of the coast and to protect naval shipping in the area from the newest generation of Italian battleships of the time.

Luckily, it was never fired in anger, but an amusing legend about its first test still does the rounds much to the chagrin of military experts and local conservationists who have done a wonderful job restoring and up-keeping both the cannon and the fort.

The persistent legend says that when the gun was first fired, the 2000-pound shell fell just a few metres down into the nearby sea. If told, Queen Victoria cannot have been amused. Because a single shell cost, in those days, as much as the daily wage of 2,600 soldiers. In fact, so costly was it that the gun was only fired twice a year for practice.

The cannon and the fort that has housed it for so many decades are certainly worth a visit. When installed, the massive cannon was state-of-the-art, equipped with a steam powered hydraulic system that traversed, elevated and depressed the gun. Fort Rinella, sometimes also referred to as Rinella Battery, was built between 1878 and 1886, standing above the shore east of the mouth of Grand Harbour, between Fort Ricasoli and Fort St Rocco, in the same region of the island.

Today you can visit the museum and even attend, on the 5th of May of every year, the firing of the gun by volunteers. They use black powder only, of course, so you can’t really prove or disprove the legend.

Every afternoon the same dedicated volunteers, dressed as 19th Century British soldiers, provide a tour of the fort that combines lectures, demonstrations and live re-enactments. A Victorian-era muzzle-loading fieldpiece is fired, again without shot, but sorry, there is no legend about that……

Fort Rinella is one of the most fascinating things you will see in Malta with its authentic re-enactments and quite spectacular cannon. To get there by car you need to head in the general direction of the three cities and then follow the signs to Rinella. By bus you need to be catching the bus in the direction of Kalkara – the number 4. 
Mosta Dome

Mosta Dome



In Malta you’ll find a different church for every day of the year.  These range from windswept cliff-top chapels to lofty city-centre cathedrals, and from gothic fortress-churches with an adjoining graveyard, to ultra-modern structures that wouldn’t be out of place in the Starship Enterprise.  In Malta you’ll also find an underwater chapel although admittedly it started out as one of the aforementioned cliff-top chapels that got a little too windswept. 

In short, the Maltese like their churches and one of the examples that gives them the most pride is the magnificent Mosta Dome.  This architectural masterpiece is distinguished by the grandeur of its 67 metre high cupola and neo-classic façade embellished by iconic columns, closely based on Rome’s Pantheon. 

The Mosta Dome is the third largest unsupported dome in Europe.  Also known as the Rotunda of Santa Marija Assunta, it is dedicated to the Assumption.  It was built between 1830’s and 1860’s around Mosta’s previous parish church.  When the Mosta Dome was completed, the old church, which was now inside the new church, was demolished.  This ingenious method was established so that the pious villagers would never be bereft of a church to attend.  The diameter of the dome measures 37 metres across and the structure was designed by the Maltese architect Giorgio Grongnet.

The church escaped destruction in the Second World War when an afternoon air-raid on the 9th of April 1942 saw a 200kg bomb piercing the dome and landing squarely in the middle of the church where 300 people were gathered in prayer.  The bomb failed to explode and everyone escaped harm.  A replica of the bomb is now on display in the church.

The church also has the largest mechanical organ ever installed in Malta.  It was built in Italy by the famous organ builder Pacifico Inzoli.  It was installed in 1885 and contains around 2000 pipes.
The Inland Sea

The Inland Sea



The most exciting thing ever to happen in what is known as the Inland Sea in the limits of the dormant village of San Lawrenz, Gozo, occurred some years ago when a lone Mediterranean dolphin got lost, found itself inside this cute little patch of water and was unable to find a way out of the small, restricted cavern carved out by Mother Nature.

The rest is complete quiet and an ambience of serenity broken only by the odd fisherman, like the poor dolphin, trying to paddle his way out into the open sea. Created out of almost nothing and surrounded by sheer high cliffs all around, the Inland Sea, known in Maltese as Id-Dwejra, is like a time warp on the Gozo tourist map.

 It will capture you at daytime as you stroll on the pebble beach to watch the next school of young divers eagerly listening to their instructor’s last-minute strict rules and regulations. They know what awaits them – just off the Inland Sea, once you’ve managed to navigate a way out of it, is perhaps one of the most beautiful diving zones anywhere in the Mediterranean.

Then, by sunset, as darkness falls and the last tourist coaches have left, an eerie atmosphere grips the area. You hardly want to talk as the pebbles under your feet now sound more like gunfire, and the lights on the ancient boat-houses flicker wildly around you.

Suddenly, there is a bit of music, muffled and controlled. It is almost sacrilegious. A small group of young men and women are enjoying a quiet barbeque. The sound of the wine being poured into ample glasses synchronizes well with the sound of the lapping water.

You almost wish the dolphin is back, having been joyously helped to find its way out by the well-wishers of yesteryear. Then, a sound. Is it back? No, it is only the amorous couple trying to cool down their body temperatures. Dolphins certainly know better…

The best way to get to the Inland Sea is by bus which leaves regularly from the main terminus in Victoria. If you have a car then driving there is pretty uncomplicated as the area is well signposted. 
The Azur Window

The Azur Window



The Azure Window is another spectacular natural landmark in Dwejra, along with The Inland Sea and Fungus Rock. The Azure Window at the end of the cliff, is a giant doorway, through which one can admire the blue expanse beyond the cliff. It must be one of the most photographed vistas of the Islands, and is particularly spectacular during the winter, when waves crash high inside the arch. The sea around is very deep and of a dark blue hue, which explains why it is called the Azure Window. The rocks in this area are encrusted with fossilized crustaceans, evidence that most of the island was once covered by water. In front of the Azure Window is the Blue Hole, and The Chimney, two of the most popular dive sites in Gozo. 
St. Julian Bay

St. Julian Bay


Taking in Spinola Bay, Paceville and St George's Bay, the district of St Julian's is Malta's playground. This entire 3km stretch is Malta's pulsing heart and contains the highest concentration of bars, clubs and pubs to be found anywhere on the island. Step out of your hotel on a summers evening and you might be forgiven for thinking someone forgot to tell you about the street party, but you'd be wrong. St Julian's promenade is the ritualistic meeting place for the locals to get together and parade up and down, catching up on news and gossip, seeing and being seen.


If it weren't for the recently erected ugly high-rise apartment blocks, Spinola Bay would be the picture of a Mediterranean fishing village. Many wooden 'luzzuz', the brightly painted traditional fishing boats, complete with the Eyes of Osiris to ward off evil whilst the men are at sea, clutter the bay and lend a distinctly local flavour to an increasingly tourist-orientated spot. However, although much fishing does still go on, many of the boathouses have been turned into restaurants to accommodate the ever-increasing tourist numbers.


Paceville is Malta's nightlife capital and the buzzing centre of St Julian's. During the day, Paceville looks shabby and run down, only to come alive after dark, when the streets pack with cars and throngs of young people hit the bars and clubs. High-rise apartment blocks rise out of what becomes a mass of alcohol and testosterone; great to roll home to at the end of a late night but not so great if you want to hit the sack at a decent hour.


If you want to be close to the action without partying every night away, you might want to choose accommodation in the quieter part of town. St George's Bay is just a stroll away from the main drag, but the scene is far more bowling and cinema than DJs and heavy drinking.