Saint Julian's

San Ġiljan, known internationally as St. Julian’s, is the tourist hub of Malta: hotels, language schools, restaurants, and bars crowd a coastline of small bays. A vacation in San Ġiljan combines beach days and nights out with short trips to Valletta and Sliema.

From Fishing Village to Nightlife District

As late as the 19th century, San Ġiljan was a fishing village where wealthy families from Valletta built summer homes. Around Spinola Bay, colorful luzzu boats still lie at anchor today, and behind them stands the 17th-century Palazzo Spinola, built by a Knight of St. John. At Balluta Bay, the neo-Gothic Carmelite church and the Art Nouveau Balluta Buildings apartment block are popular photo subjects. To the north lies Paceville, the island’s party district, where clubs and bars stay open until the early morning. St. George’s Bay has one of the few sandy beaches in this part of Malta. Otherwise, you swim from rock platforms and ladders straight into the clear water, for example at Balluta Bay or below the hotels. Since the boom in language-study trips, many young people from all over Europe have settled here, along with workers from the gaming and finance industries, who have given the town an international character. The result is constant construction and heavy traffic, but away from the main streets you can still find old Maltese houses with colorful wooden balconies and small chapels.

Sights in and around San Ġiljan

The waterfront promenade runs uninterrupted from San Ġiljan to Sliema, with views of the bastions of Valletta. High above Spinola Bay, the Portomaso tower shapes the skyline, and new hotel and residential projects are going up behind it. In summer, the town celebrates its patron saint’s feast in honor of St. Julian with fireworks and a procession. Dining options range from fish restaurants at the harbor serving lampuki and octopus to international cuisines; pastizzi, flaky pastry pockets filled with ricotta or peas, are available on every corner.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

From Malta Airport, it takes roughly 25 to 40 minutes by bus or taxi, depending on traffic. Ferries connect neighboring Sliema with Valletta. The best times to visit are spring and fall, when it is warm but not oppressively hot; July and August are crowded, especially on weekends in Paceville.