Most of the beaches in the Maltese archipelago are rocky. That makes the sandy beaches all the more valuable. At Golden Bay you will find a sandy beach that is often considered the most beautiful in Malta.
Golden Bay It boasts fine golden sand, cleanliness and a relatively gentle entry into the sea. It is situated in a wide bay with nice surroundings, and snorkelling is good along the edges near the rocky shores.
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In the summer season, we recommend arriving at the beach before 9am, as you'll struggle to find a free spot after that.
Beach facilities
Golden Bay is the ideal place for those looking for beautiful scenery, a large enough beach and the necessary facilities in the form of several restaurants, toilets, showers and sunbed and umbrella hire.
At the same time, there is enough space on the beach for those who do not want to rent sunbeds.
A more natural alternative with fewer restaurants and visitors can be found about 1 km away at Ghajn Tuffieha Bay.
Accommodation on the beach
Right on the beach you will find a luxury hotel complex Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Malta Golden Sands. Prices per night in a double room here range from 180 eur to 250 eur depending on the season and availability.
Prices for sunbeds and restaurants
Renting two sun loungers and an umbrella per day costs around 17 eur. Lazy Carrot lockers can also be used to store personal belongings for 5 eur.
At several stands you can also pay for various water activities such as renting a scooter (65 eur / 20 minutes), renting a kayak (20 eur / 60 minutes) or perhaps riding an inflatable water banana (40 eur).
Food in restaurants is significantly more expensive than in less frequented places. For a normal lunch you will pay about 20 eur.
How to get there
The beach is located in the Mellieha area near the town of Manikata about 20 km from the airport.
By car
There are two larger car parks right next to the beach. The smaller parking lot is free (or with a traffic-correcting attendant who expects a small tip around 2 eur).
The larger parking lot is paid. The cost is 10 eur per day.
In the summer season, expect both parking lots to be completely full after 9am. After that, park along the roadside, but the roads are narrow and the risk of scraping your car is high.
By bus
In summer, we recommend using the bus service. About 50 metres from the beach you will find the bus stop "Ghajn Tuffieha", which is served by the following lines (on average 1-2 times per hour each).
Click on the line number to see the map and timetable.
- Line 44 from Valletta, Mosta, Mgarr and Birkirkara and Mosta (frequency 30 minutes)
- Line 101 from the towns of Mellieha, Cirkewwa, Mgarr, from Popeye the Sailor's Village and from the port by boat to Gozo or Comino (frequency 60 minutes)
- Line 223 from Bugibba (frequency 60 minutes)
- Line 225 from Sliema, San Giljan (Paceville), Pembroke and Bugibba (frequency 60 minutes)
For ticket prices and more information about buses in Malta, see the Transport chapter.
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