Few of you probably don't know the legendary hero of comics and movies, the strongman and spinach lover Popeye the Sailor. The character was even made into a movie in 1980, with actor Robin Williams taking on the role of Popeye. And the film sets of Popeye's Village were created in Anchor Bay, near Mellieha, Malta.
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Popeye' sVillage has survived to the present day and is open to the public in the form of a film studio museum and a small amusement park. You can stroll among the colourful curvilinear houses, admire the film artefacts or take a dip in the sea on the adjacent pier. The village is designed to keep both children and adults entertained.
What can you find inside?
The grounds of Popeye's Village are actually very small and can be walked through in 5 minutes. At the same time, it is so interactive that you can easily spend the whole day here.
Actors in film costumes walk among the visitors and there are guided tours of the film studios every hour, which you can join for free.
You can peek into most of the houses at no extra charge. What houses from the film will you see here?
- Olivia's House
- The Mayor's House
- The Post Office
- The bakery
- The Mill
- Fire Station
The film scenery is complemented by souvenir shops, restaurants, bars and a cinema showing excerpts from the film "Popeye the Sailor".
Beach and deck chairs
At the bottom of the village, there is a concrete pier by the sea with steps directly into the sea. There are comfortable sun loungers all around where you can spend the whole day.
More sun loungers ideal for sunbathing can be found in the upper part of the complex.
The sun loungers are already included in the basic entrance fee and their availability depends on how early you arrive in the village. In the summer season, they can be completely full by around 11am.
Children can be entertained by mini golf or several playgrounds.
Entrance fees and opening hours
Popeye Village is open every day of the year. The official website of the village can be found at: popeyemalta.com.
- July - September: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- April - June + October: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- November - March: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission to Popeye's Village is as follows.
| July-September | June + October | November-December | January-May | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | 24 eur | 18 eur | 14 eur | 15 eur |
| Children 3-12 years | 16 eur | 14 eur | 9 eur | 10 eur |
Ticket prices may be slightly higher during Christmas, Easter or Carnival.
The ticket price includes a free postcard, which you can pick up in the gift shop, as well as popcorn. This is available in the cinema building.
Tickets can be bought online on the official website: popeyemalta.com or at the door without surcharge.
Popeye's Village is bursting at the seams in the summer season, we recommend a visit outside of summer, or at least during the working week when it's a bit less crowded.
View of Pepek's village
The lookout on the cliff above the bay is free to visit 24 hours a day, all year round.
You can see the whole village from here and park for free in a small parking lot right next to the viewpoint (location on google.com/maps).
How to get there
The film set of Popeye the Sailor's Village is located in Anchor Bay about 23 km from Malta Airport and 2 km from the resort of Mellieha.
By car
The turn off is clearly signposted at all junctions in the broad vicinity of the village. There is a free car park on site, which in the summer season will be a problem to park in after 10am.
In this case, cars are parked along the verges and generally there is very heavy traffic in the summer period.
By bus
The village is also served by bus number 101 once an hour. The bus runs from the resort of Mellieha, from the ferry port to Gozo or from the beaches of Ghaine Tuffieha or Golden Bay.
You can also take advantage of the "Popeye Village Shuttle" line of red "City Sightseeing" tourist buses with a return ticket for 12 eur. Boarding points and information can be found on the website: citysightseeing.com.mt/popeye-village-shuttle.
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