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Here I am, strolling along the promenade in Sliema – one of the busiest commercial and social hubs on the island of Malta. The promenade, called ‘the front’ by locals, runs for about 10 km along the north eastern coastline from Gżira to St. Julian’s.
Following it, I’ll eventually come to Tigné Point, at the entry to Marsamxett Harbour (to the West of capital city Valletta), where one of the fiercest battles during the Great Siege of 1565 was fought.
Originally a small fishing village, the present-day Sliema is home to thousands of residents. The small fishing village of days gone by transformed into being the home of British inhabitants during the 19th and early 20th century, looking for a quiet respite, yet being close to the then commercial hub of Valletta. Over the past 50 years or so, the town and the surrounding areas underwent another transformation of commercial development and saw the beautiful stately properties of its past inhabitants replaced by large apartment buildings and modern offices.
Its coastline extends towards Ta’ Xbiex and Gżira (South) on one side and towards St. Julian’s (North) on the other. The front, in fact, is a wide walkway that joins these three towns, where you’ll find crowds any time of day. Early in the morning and in the early evening there’ll be loads of people out for a jog on this same promenade while those less keen on exercising their leg muscles will be kick-starting their day in one of the numerous cafès overlooking the harbour.
Sliema still has a very distinct feel to it. A character found nowhere else and appreciated by locals and travellers alike. Offering various hotels as well as bars and pubs, Sliema can be a good choice for a holiday location for couples and groups travelling together. Neighbouring St. Julian’s, with its nightlife area known as Paceville is a stone’s throw away, while Valletta is nearby as well (and easy to reach with a short ferry trip across Marsamxett Harbour), offering plenty of culture, history and places of interest to appreciate.
The area is a popular tourist destination but is also a sought after residential area for local residents, with some of the most expensive property available in the country. Sliema is viewed as an elite area to live in and is loved by its inhabitants. With the rapid changes the town has seen in recent decades and the ever increasing problem of traffic congestion and parking, however, it’s undeniable that it’s lost a little of its friendly character and has fallen prey to highly lucrative property development.
Nevertheless, it’s one of the rare places in Malta that has a blend of hustle and bustle of city life, good food and recreation and a slight British tint with its pubs and easy going lifestyle.
Trying to figure out whether you should stay at Sliema for your holiday? Here’s my advice on the where to stay in Malta.
Malta’s national airport is 11 kilometres from Sliema. You can use the public transport by using the X2 bus. This will cost you €1.50 per person in winter, €2 in summer, or €3 when travelling at night.
Alternatively, you can get a Malta airport transfer or shuttle bus. From the airport to Sliema a private taxi transfer will cost you around €20 and the fare includes up to four persons and up to four suitcases. These prices apply all year round including holidays and include all taxes.
Shuttle buses will be a little cheaper but your jouney will likely be longer since you’ll be sharing the ride with other travellers.
Buses 15 and 21 run from Valletta on a frequent schedule. On average, a bus ride from Sliema to Valletta takes about 20 minutes when the traffic is normal. From the central bus station in Valletta, you can then visit pretty much anywhere on the island.
Other useful buses that go through Sliema are the X2 which takes you to the airport, and bus 222 that goes directly to Ċirkewwa from where one can get the ferry to Gozo.
Bus tickets for a single day cost €1.50 per person in winter, €2 in summer, or €3 when travelling at night. These prices allow you to travel anywhere on the island for up to two hours. You can also opt to purchase a block ticket costing €21 with which you get unlimited travel by bus all throughout Malta and Gozo for 7 days.
For as little as €1.50 per person (one way – €2.80 with return) you can catch the ferry from the Sliema waterfront to Valletta and back. The ferry runs straight across the harbour, which makes it quicker than public transport since the bus has to go around the coastal road. It also provides excellent opportunities for some great photos of the harbour. The trip takes just 15 minutes, however, it tends to be affected by weather conditions. The service runs only till 19:15 in winter, while in Summer it continues till after midnight.
Open top buses are a great way to explore Malta and visit the most interesting places. Buses leave from Sliema Ferries Terminus every half hour from 9:00h to 15:00h on weekdays and from 9:00h to 14:00h on Sundays. A full day ticket costs €20.
Traffic is chaotic especially during rush hours and finding a parking slot is like looking for diamonds in the desert. You can find larger paid parking garages near the shopping centres at The Point (Tigné Point) and nearby The Plaza at the Sliema multi-storey car park – but be aware that the rate is quite costly (thanks to the high demand). Between 6:00h and 20:00h you’re charged €1.10 every 30 minutes at the multi-storey car park, for a maximum of €10 per day.
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Apart from shops, cafès and restaurants, there’s something else that’s abundant in Sliema – Hotels. And there’s a whole range to suit everyone’s needs and budget.
Read my full article on recommendations for Sliema accommodation here.
Have a look at two of Tony’s apartments in Sliema and rent direct from owner. He’s one of the few holiday let owners in the area I recommend:
No availability at Tony’s? You can find a number of good options in the Sliema area on Airbnb.
Being a popular destination for tourists with different budgets, you can find a variety of Airbnb accommodation options in Sliema. Although mostly apartments, you can also find a few traditional Maltese houses in the heart of town.
You can find the full list of Sliema Airbnbs here, and the following are a few quick recommendations for great choices in terms of location and value.
Get my best recommendations here and book in advance!
There are too many restaurants and bars in Sliema to name them all. So here you’ll find a selection of the most popular. It’s always advised to book a table for dinner, especially on weekends.
Have a look at another one of my articles for more recommendations for restaurants in Malta.
But what is there other than visit restaurants, bars, cafés and walk the promenade? Well, plenty more! For starters, those who love shopping can knock themselves out because retail outlets of all kinds are in abundance:
If like me, you’re a fan of swimming in the sea, Sliema offers a very popular piece of rocky coastline on the Northern side of the town where you’ll find people bathing almost all year round. The locals call it Għar id-Dud. Although it’s not a sandy beach (in fact, there are no sandy beaches around), there are several points with easy access to the sea and the rocky surface is smooth so sunbathing is perfectly possible here.
Another particularly popular spot alongside the coast for bathing is referred to by the name of Exiles. It attracts locals and tourists alike, with easy access to the sea and clear and clean waters.
If you prefer sandy beaches, you could take one of the direct bus routes to Golden Bay or Mellieħa Bay, but it’s quite a drive – over an hour usually. If spending time at the beach is one of your top priorities there are better places to stay in Malta.
And as you lie there on the quiet, rocky beach, listening to the soft sound of the waves splashing gently against the rough dark coast of Għar id-Dud you might feel inspired to grab yourself a harbour cruise to explore the area.
These cruises depart right from the Sliema sea front (on the Southern part of its coastline, referred to by the locals as The Ferries) and takes you from Marsamxett harbour into the Grand Harbour for a complete tour of the three cities. The harbour cruise takes about 2 hours and costs around €15. Other itineraries are offered as well.
Take a walk to Independence Garden (on the Northern side), an area that used to be a farm until 1990. Along the way you can look out for the few Victorian and art nouveau houses that still stand along the shoreline. A group of six houses with traditional Maltese balconies has survived remarkably intact at Belvedere Terrace.Tigné Point offers a quiet, traffic free, kid friendly walk along the coast, with views of Valletta. Along the way you can visit Fort Tigné, a five-pointed star-shaped fortification built by the Knights of St. John in 1793. Its purpose was to defend Marsamxett Harbour from attacks. It is one of the oldest polygonal forts in the world and has been recently restored.
Between Sliema and Gżira, one can find Manoel Island, a very small island connected to the mainland by a bridge. In its centre lies Fort Manoel, built in 1725.
More info on sightseeing tours and excursions here.
Sliema offers a good variety of bars and pubs, and a handful of nightclubs spread alongside the coastal promenade over the St. Julian’s side of Sliema as well as the Gzira side. For the club hoppers, Paceville (part of St. Julian’s) is pretty close and easy to reach by (night) bus, or on foot if you don’t mind a 15-minute walk.
Retaining a little of its original character, Sliema, like many other villages around Malta and Gozo celebrate their local festa to honour and celebrate their Patron Saint – a cornerstone of Maltese culture.
Read more: Maltese village feasts or festa
Sliema is one of Malta’s most densely populated towns with over 17,000 residents – but it was not always so. A jump of just a few hundred years into the past would take us to a small village with a few fishermen and their families.
In fact, Sliema started gaining popularity in the second half of the 19th century when wealthy Valletta residents started investing in the area to build their summer houses. Influenced by the British who ruled Malta at the time, they built Victorian styled villas and townhouses along a three kilometre stretch of coast – most of these properties have disappeared when the aggressive development of the area started in modern times. Few of the prestigious, Victorian and art nouveau residences remain in the inner streets and only a handful remain on the seaside. A few of these older seafront residences remain intact and untouched, now protected by law. A small cluster of such residences can be found on the Gzira side of Sliema, opposite the bridge towards Manoel Island. In the 1950’s, development of properties in the area really kicked into high gear as tourism in Malta increased, making the town the first tourist resort on the island.
If we go farther back in time, to the period that has shaped the future of the island, we would find Sliema occupied by Ottoman Turks during the Great Siege of 1565. In fact, the Turks used the area known as il-Qortin as a base of operations from where they shot one canon ball after another at the fortifications of Fort St. Elmo.
On that exact spot, Tigné Fort was built in 1792 by the Knights of St. John to add security to the harbour. After decades of neglect, the fort has been largely restored, financed by a property development company that’s building (and has partially completed) a large residential complex right behind the fort.
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Hi Edward We are staying at the waterfront Hotel in Sliema for 7 days from 23rd April. My Husband is disabled so we are thinking of hiring a Mobility Scooter. What is the territory around this area like –Good Footpaths , low kerbs, Coffee shops , Restaurants etc. with accessibility.
Thank you
Anne
Hi Anne, I’m sorry to say that the pavements in Sliema are pretty poor in places, so although most people with limited mobility manage, it’s not easy and straightforward here and there. Coffee shops, restaurants etc are easily accessible usually.
Thank you for the excellent information regarding Malta. Verry heplfull for my 10 days vacation which starts in 15-th September, (hotel in Sliema promenade).
Doina
You’re welcome Doina, I hope you have a trip to remember!
Great article! Do the rocky beaches for swimming have beds/parasol for hire please? We only want a splash in the sea once or twice, so don’t want to stay near a sandy beach. Sliema seems a good location to base ourselves for access to Valletta as well.
Thanks Julie! I haven’t seen any sunbeds/parasols for hire along the coastline in Sliema, although on the North-facing side there are plenty of spots where the surface is smooth enough to lie down on a beach towel. Alternatively you could visit a lido and swim in a pool (but that’s not quite the same of course). That’s right, it is a good location to hope over to Valletta by ferry. Although it’s not a big village it’ll be easier if you stay closer to the Ferries part of town.
I’m going to Malta the first 10 days in July with my 12-year-old daughter and after reading all the information, tips and ideas on where to stay on your website, I have decided to stay in Sliema. I would have opted for somewhere like St Paul’s Bay or Mellieha but changed my mind after reading up on your website as from what I understand it is easier to reach other places from Sliema. We are planning on visiting a few places and Sliema seemed like a good place to stay. I hope I’ve made the right choice.
Hi Nicoletta, if sightseeing is your main priority Sliema should do just fine. If beaches are important, however, Sliema isn’t the best place to stay but you’ve probably read that in the above.
We stayed in Sliema 3 years ago and loved the night life and the buzzing of people around at night access to transport accessible loved Malta but would choose to stay by the beach next time to swim as that is what we love to do swim in the beaches
Excellent unbiased information. Thank you so much
You’re welcome Sarah, thank you for leaving a quick note! 🙂
Glad I found this wonderful website, great information here, I can’t wait to visit Malta in May.