Saint Paul's Bay

San Pawl il-Baħar, or St. Paul’s Bay, is Malta’s most populous municipality and, together with Buġibba and Qawra, one of the island’s major resort areas. A vacation in San Pawl il-Baħar offers seaside hotels, swimming spots on rocky platforms, and a history that reaches back to the Acts of the Apostles.

The Bay and Its Legend

According to tradition, the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked off this coast around the year 60 on his way to Rome. On the small St. Paul’s Islands at the mouth of the bay stands a statue of Paul from 1845, and on the shore the church of San Pawl Milqi and the chapel of Għajn Rasul, the Apostle’s Spring, commemorate the event. The old town center around the fishing harbor is quieter than the hotel districts; luzzu boats are moored here, and small restaurants serve the catch of the day. During World War II the bay was in the sights of the Axis powers, and bunkers and gun emplacements along the coast date from that time. Older still is the Wignacourt Tower of 1610, the oldest surviving watchtower of the Knights of St. John on Malta, now a small museum.

Buġibba, Qawra, and Surroundings

Buġibba and Qawra, on the peninsula at the eastern end of the bay, have been densely built up since the 1970s with hotels, apartments, bars, and restaurants. A long promenade runs around the tip of Qawra, where a watchtower from the time of the Knights of St. John stands. The Malta National Aquarium showcases the underwater world of the Mediterranean. For divers, the area is an important base, with several wrecks lying off the coast. Xemxija at the inner end of the bay has a cultural trail with Punic tombs and ancient cart ruts. To the north, you can reach the sandy beaches of Mellieħa Bay and the Għadira nature reserve in just a few minutes.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Buses connect San Pawl il-Baħar directly with the airport, Valletta, and the ferry to Gozo at Ċirkewwa. From May to October the sea is warm enough for swimming, though in high summer it gets crowded and hot. As everywhere on Malta, a parish festa with fireworks is part of the summer; in the cooler months the area is much quieter and cheaper.