A Day tour to Southern Malta
We are in Malta for a couple of weeks and staying in a Valletta Suite at the Phoenicia Hotel in Valletta. The hotel is an exceptional establishment, with old-world charm, attention to service, impeccable deference to guests, wonderful foods and positioned to maximise one’s time in the old walled city of the Knights of Malta.
Martin our Guide
After breakfast, we were picked by Martin (son of Nanna’s cousin Nina) and who took us for a “day tour” around the southern part of Malta.
We started out by visiting Golden Bay, the largest stretch of golden sand beach in Malta (by Maltese standard) and although it was a little cold, there were a number of people on the sand. We perched ourselves high on the cliffs looking down onto the beach and the glorious colours of the waters and coral in addition to the “ruggedness” of the surrounding cliffs. In the distance we could see Ghajn Tuffieha which “services” the beach requirements of Radisson Blu Resort….sadly, most of the islands are devoid of trees…. although attempts are being made at replanting in some areas.
Mellieha Sanctuary & Museum
Next, we visited the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha and Mellieha Museum (not the church itself). These were quite interesting as both are situated UNDER the main church of Mellieha.
As for the main church, it was built in the late 19th century. The church is popular for pilgrimages as well as for its courtyards offering magnificent views over Mellieha Bay, Gozo and Comino.
The crypt inside this sanctuary was in one of the natural caves found in the southern part of Malta. It is said that the Byzantine style fresco showing the Virgin Mary holding Christ was painted by St. Luke, when he was shipwrecked on the island of Malta together with St. Paul.
St Paul was shipwrecked on an islet about 80 mts. from Mellieha Bay in AD60. Subsequent to his “arrival”, St Paul converted the population to Christianity.
As for the museum, it holds numerous mementos of instances where “miracles” were granted by Our Lady Mary.
Mellieha is however better known for sandy Mellieha Bay beach, Popeye Village (film set for Popeye movie staring Robin Williams) and the natural caves just beyond the village.
Marfa Ridge, Mellieha
Moving to L-Ahrax Tal-Mellieha Chapel and L-Ahrax Cliffs, dedicated to The Immaculate Conception, this is situated at the end of the Marfa Ridge, Mellieha. This former 19th century chapel was completely rebuilt in the 1960s after the land the original chapel stood on, collapsed into the sea.
It is thought that the old chapel was built as a votive thanks to Our Lady by a fisherman who had survived a tragic ordeal at sea. He was apparently the sole survivor when a boat with several fishermen on board capsized. For years, the old chapel served as a navigational landmark to all fishermen out at sea.
At the cliffs we read about the tragedy of a 23-year boy who was blown off the cliff in a storm and sadly died instantly.
Selmun Palace
Next on the list was Selmun Palace which sadly is in a state of disrepair. It is government owned and no longer operating as a function center. It closed in 2011 but retained its status as a national monument! In 2018, plans were drawn to sell it but at this time no one has come forward.
As to its history, it was built in 1607 and initially was wanted by the Mount of Redemption of the Slaves to finance the ransom of Christians enslaved by Ottomans and Barbary pirates. Past this period however it has functioned as a hunting lodge for the Knights of Malta, a naval hospital and an early warning system during WWII.
Interestingly we found out that the Palace is haunted!…perhaps a rumour started to create some “marketing” interest?😊
St Paul’s & Bugibba
We then toured around St Paul’s Bay and ended up at Bugibba. Both of these towns are very tourist orientated with Bugibba being more so. Notwithstanding that Nanna and I are rural folk, the level of accommodation development catering for tourists is terribly overwhelming. Happy to visit briefly but frankly couldn’t wait to leave. Parts of Bugibba cater exclusively to “nightlife” with numerous bars, cafes, restaurants, etc. “Inserted” into this area is the Malta National Aquarium which we visited with the family the previous year.
Anyway, we had lunch at the Bayside Restaurant. Thanks to Martin (who happens to know the owner very well) our table was on the patio and had un-obstructive views of the waters: water views to die for. As for the food, it was standard café fare.
Bahrija Village, Malta
After lunch, we went to Mgarr Village: an area renowned for its strawberries. It also looks like it’s the vegetable heartland of Malta.
Onwards to Gnejna Bay: a quaint sandy beach with its many 1-room beach “houses/rock-hewn rooms” and finally to the Chapel at tal-Kuncizzjoni close to Bahrija village. While here we ventured to the cliffs nearby which offered us a breathtaking view across the three beaches we visited today and further out across to Comino and Gozo.
Sad footnote: at cliff’s edge, there’s a plaque in memory of a murdered housewife (murdered by her husband) who became very jealous of his wife and so he shot her, dumped her in a car and pushed the car over the cliff!!
Back at the Phoenicia Hotel
By this time, it was late afternoon and it was time to head back to our hotel. Martin obliged us and continued with his wonderful commentary as he drove us through Naxxar, Burmarrad and other towns. He is certainly a reservoir of historical knowledge about the Malta. We did invite him to have dinner with us but unfortunately, he was committed elsewhere. Instead of venturing out into the capital Valletta, we decided to dine in the hotel’s fine dining restaurant and what a grand decision it was. We dressed up for the occasion and we both looked quite stylish. We recapped the memories of the day and very glad to have visited all the places. I would highly recommend such an outing of discovery.
