Close to Mellieħa Bay is the Għadira Nature Reserve, managed by BirdLife Malta volunteers. This area of shallow, reedy ponds surrounded by scrub is an important resting area for migrating birds (over 200 species have been recorded). The name, pronounced aa-dee-ra, means 'marsh'. Catch buses 42 and 49 from Valletta (90 minutes, half-hourly) to the Għadira stop. The entrance to the nature reserve is across the road from the beachfront Sundancer Kiosk.
Għadira Nature Reserve
Northern Malta
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
10.46 MILES
St John's Co-Cathedral, Malta's most impressive church, was designed by the architect Gerolamo Cassar. It was built between 1573 and 1578, taking over…
11.26 MILES
The Hypogeum (from the Greek, meaning 'underground') is a subterranean necropolis, discovered during building work in 1902. To visit is to step into a…
11.17 MILES
The megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim (adge-ar eem; 'standing stones') and Mnajdra (mm-nigh-dra) are the best preserved and most evocative of Malta's…
10.49 MILES
The stern exterior of the 16th-century Grand Master's Palace conceals a sumptuous interior. This was once the residence of the Grand Masters of the…
13.64 MILES
The reason to head to Birżebbuġa is to see the Għar Dalam Cave & Museum, 500m north on the main road from Valletta. Għar Dalam (aar-da-lam; the name means…
National Museum of Archaeology
10.39 MILES
The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the impressive Auberge de Provence. Exhibits include delicate stone tools dating from 5200 BC, Phoenician…
6.56 MILES
The cathedral is said to be built on the site of the villa belonging to Publius, the Roman governor of Malta who welcomed St Paul in AD 60.
-
6.93 MILES
Perched on the crest of the hill to the south of Xagħra, the awe-inspiring megalithic Ġgantija Temples command soaring views over most of southern Gozo…
Nearby Northern Malta attractions
0.28 MILES
The warm, shallow waters and soft white sand of Mellieħa Bay are easily accessible (via bus or you can park on the road that backs the beach), safe for…
0.45 MILES
The chess-piece-like Red Tower was built in 1649 for Grand Master Lascaris, as part of the chain of signal towers that linked Valletta and Gozo; the view…
0.79 MILES
Steep-sided, pretty little Anchor Bay was named after the many Roman anchors that were found on the seabed by divers, some of which can be seen in the…
4. Church of Our Lady of Victory
0.94 MILES
The Church of Our Lady of Victory sits prominently on a rocky spur overlooking Mellieħa Bay. It's attached to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa, which…
0.99 MILES
The Mellieħa air-raid shelters were dug by hand to shelter the town's population from WWII bombs. It's one of the largest underground shelters in Malta,…
1.02 MILES
Across the main street from the Church of Our Lady of Victory, a gate in the wall and a flight of steps lead down to the Grotto of the Madonna, a shrine…
1.23 MILES
Ramla Bay has a small, sandy beach, but it is overshadowed by the Ramla Bay Resort. To the east is Ramla Tal'Qortin, which has no sand and is surrounded…