Swimming in Malta
Malta, Gozo and Comino have little sand: much of the swimming is from rocks, ladders and flat limestone shelves, with the sandy bays mostly in the north of Malta and on Gozo. The sea stays warm into November.
- Spots9
- Cities and towns7
- Water in Nov21°
- Free to enter9
Every spot in Malta
Typical water temperature in November.
Blue Lagoon (Comino)
Cove, Comino · Boat access only; free timed landing pass from the Malta Tourism Authority in the summer season
A strip of clear water over white sand between Comino and the islet of Cominotto, inside a Natura 2000 site.
21°NovFreeGħajn Tuffieħa Bay
Beach, Mġarr · The whole area is a Special Area of Conservation for its geological features; the hillside behind is a designated natural park.
Għajn Tuffieħa is a sand beach below hills and an unusually shaped promontory, reached only down a steep flight of steps or a gravel track.
21°NovFreeGolden Bay
Beach, Mellieħa · Part of Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park and a Natura 2000 site.
Golden Bay is a sand beach on Malta's north-west coast, set in countryside inside Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park and a Natura 2000 site.
21°NovFreeMellieħa Bay (Għadira Bay)
Beach, Mellieħa
Mellieħa Bay, also called Għadira, is a long sand beach between two headlands at the north end of Malta, shelving gently into shallow water.
21°NovFreeParadise Bay
Beach, Mellieħa
Paradise Bay is a small sand beach at the northern tip of Malta, beside the Ċirkewwa landing for the Gozo ferry.
21°NovFreeRamla Bay
Beach, Xagħra · Natura 2000 site with a protected sand-dune habitat.
Ramla l-Ħamra is a beach of deep reddish-gold sand below terraced hills on Gozo's north coast, protected as a Natura 2000 site for its rare sand dunes.
21°NovFreeSt Peter's Pool
Cove, Marsaxlokk
St Peter's Pool is a rock inlet with no sand on the Delimara headland, across Marsaxlokk Bay from the fishing village.
21°NovFreeWied il-Għasri
Cove, Għasri
Wied il-Għasri is a narrow sea inlet at the end of a gorge cut into Lower Coralline and Globigerina limestone on Gozo's north coast, with a small pebble beach reached by steps cut into the cliff.
21°NovFreeXlendi Bay
Cove, Xlendi
Xlendi Bay is a deep inlet at the end of a ravine on Gozo's south-west coast, flanked by steep cliffs, where most bathing is off the rocks down ladders into deep water.
21°NovFree
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Questions about Malta
Can you swim in Malta in November?
Yes. The sea around Malta and Gozo is typically about 21 °C in November and 24 °C in October, after 25 to 26 °C in September. The swimming season runs from May to November on Malta and from June to November on Gozo and Comino.
How do you get to the Blue Lagoon on Comino?
Only by boat, since Comino has no cars. Passenger ferries run to the Blue Lagoon from Ċirkewwa on Malta and from Mġarr on Gozo, and Ċirkewwa ferry terminal is the end of bus routes 41, 42, 101, 221 and 222. In summer, landing at the lagoon needs a free timed pass from the Malta Tourism Authority, booked in advance.
Which beaches in Malta and Gozo are sandy?
On Malta, Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa and Mellieħa Bay are sand beaches, and Mellieħa Bay shelves gently into shallow water. On Gozo, Ramla Bay has deep reddish-gold sand. St Peter's Pool has no sand at all, Wied il-Għasri is a small pebble beach, and at Xlendi most bathing is off the rocks down ladders.
What does a red flag mean at Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa?
Bathing is limited to shallow water. Both bays on Malta's north-west coast are prone to strong currents when the wind is from the north-west, and both have lifeguards in season.
What is the water quality like in Malta?
In the 2025 EEA bathing season, 6 of the 7 places listed here with a monitoring site were classified excellent. Xlendi Bay was classified good.