St Julian's (San Ġiljan in Maltese, sometimes written "Saint Julian's") is a seaside town in Malta that carries on from Sliema, around three bays: Balluta, Spinola and St George's Bay. Looking for things to do in St Julian's? By day, you can walk along the sea, swim at St George's Bay, the town's sandy beach, try a water sport or take a boat to Comino. In the evening, have dinner at Spinola Bay; Paceville, the nightlife district, is on the hill next door.
From Valletta, buses 13, 14 and 16 go there via Sliema; from the airport, the direct buses TD2 and TD3 run every 30 minutes. Allow one day, or two with a boat trip. Times and prices were read on official websites on 20 October 2026: check them before you go.
- Where: just after Sliema when you come from Valletta; Paceville is part of it, and Pembroke is next door.
- By bus: €2 a ticket in winter (from 18 October 2026 to 12 June 2027), €2.50 in summer, €3 on the airport buses.
- Beach: St George's Bay, a sandy one; from Balluta to Sliema, flat rocks.
- Sights: Spinola Bay and its "Love" monument, Spinola Palace, Balluta church, Portomaso.
- On the water, in season: water sports and boats to Comino and Gozo.
Things to do in St Julian's: the bays, from Balluta to St George's Bay
Balluta Bay: the neo-Gothic church and the rocks
On the square in Balluta, by the water, the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a neo-Gothic gem in a country full of Baroque churches, according to Lovin Malta. The Balluta Buildings, completed in 1928 and designed by the architect Giuseppe Psaila, are one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau in Malta, and they have the highest level of protection (MaltaToday, 2021).
From Balluta to Sliema, the coast is made of flat rocks, with steps and handrails in places to get into the sea, which is deep but generally clean and clear (Visit Malta). The coast is public, even in front of the beach clubs: see our guide to Malta's beach clubs.
Spinola Bay: fishing boats, Spinola Palace and the "Love" monument
Fishermen still use Spinola Bay: their boats are kept just below the restaurants, and the bay is particularly attractive in the evening, for eating outdoors (Visit Malta). Spinola Palace, built in the 17th century by an Italian knight, is the main historic building on the bay. The "Love" monument, a marble inscription, is the symbol of the bay; renovated in 2020, it lost its love locks (Lovin Malta).
At the end of August, during the feast of St Julian's, crowds gather here for the ġostra: competitors run along a greased pole 10 metres long to grab one of the three flags at the end (MaltaToday, 2019; TVM, 2022).
Portomaso and Dragonara
Portomaso, completed in 1999, is home to a yacht marina, with the Hilton hotel, restaurants and an office tower (MaltaToday, 2020). On the headland of St George's Bay, Villa Dragonara is now a casino (Visit Malta).
St George's Bay: the sandy beach
Visit Malta describes an enlarged, managed beach, with a bar, a café, toilets, facilities for disabled people, equipment hire and parking. In 2009, it was the first beach in Malta to get the Blue Flag (Malta Tourism Authority). The base of Sun & Fun, the operator of our water activities, is here, at the Corinthia Beach Resort.
Swimming in St Julian's: flags and water quality
The flags follow the Malta Tourism Authority's code: green, calm sea; yellow, medium hazard; red, high hazard; double red, water closed to the public; purple, stinging animals such as jellyfish. Look at the signs too: swimming is sometimes advised against for a few days when the water is polluted, as in June 2026 on part of Balluta, after a sewage overflow (Lovin Malta).
Water sports at St George's Bay
The Sun & Fun base opens every day in season, from 9am to 6pm for most activities, and closes in November (in 2026, after 31 October). Here is what its pages say, read on 20 October 2026:
| Activity | Length and departures | Who can go, rules |
|---|---|---|
| Pedalo, kayak, paddleboard | by the hour | stay inside the bay; kayak and paddleboard: children under 12 with an adult; pedalo: 4 people at most, some with a slide, minors with an adult |
| Towed inflatable (banana, sofa) | 10 minutes | shared with other riders; life jacket compulsory; children under 12 with an adult |
| Parasailing | one flight every 30 minutes | 2 or 3 at a time, from the boat, without getting wet; free photos and videos |
| Jet ski | 15, 30 or 60 minutes | over 18, ID; €100 cash deposit for one hour |
| Jet ski safari | 1 hour 30 minutes with a guide: south at 10am (Grand Harbour, St Thomas Bay), north at 1pm (Mellieħa, Blue Lagoon) | over 18, ID, €100 cash deposit per jet ski, 200 kg at most for two |
| Jet boat | 20 minutes, leaving at half past each hour, from 10.30am to 6.30pm | up to 24 people, you get wet; children under 12 with an adult |
Kayaks, paddleboards, towed inflatables and the jet boat are not allowed for pregnant women or for people with heart or back problems, and parasailing is not allowed for pregnant women. You can hire a jet ski without a licence: see our page jet ski hire and safari in Malta.
Staying in Sliema? If you have booked an activity, a free shuttle leaves Balluta (near the church) every hour from 9am, then stops in Sliema opposite the Preluna Hotel, at Sliema Ferries and in Gżira; show your booking to the driver.
Boat trips from St Julian's
Three of our speedboat trips leave from St George's Bay every day in season (Sun & Fun pages read on 20 October 2026). Be there 15 minutes before. You stay seated, children under 12 come with an adult, and the trips are not allowed for pregnant women or for people with heart or back problems.
| Trip | Departure and return | Itinerary |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Lagoon by speedboat | 9.30am → 1pm, 12pm → 4pm, 2pm → 5.30pm; Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6.30pm → 9pm | 45 minutes along the east coast, free time at the Blue Lagoon, back past the Santa Maria Caves |
| Gozo and Comino day trip | 10.30am → 4.30pm | 2 hours on Gozo (Mġarr harbour), the Blue Lagoon until 4pm, then the Comino caves |
| Comino and Blue Lagoon (powerboat) | 10.30am → 4.30pm | the St Paul's Islands, the Blue Lagoon, back past the Santa Maria Caves |
To step ashore at the Blue Lagoon, you need a free timed pass (a QR code), which you book yourself: see our Blue Lagoon guide. Our trips are on the page Comino and Blue Lagoon boat trips. Without a tour, the ferries to Comino leave from Ċirkewwa and Marfa, in the north of Malta: see how to get to Comino, and how to get to Gozo for the Gozo ferries.
Drive a boat yourself, or go with a skipper
Sun & Fun hires out boats that need no licence, for up to 7 people, by the half day (3 hours 30 minutes) or the full day (7 hours): Valletta's Grand Harbour is 15 minutes away and the Blue Lagoon 45 minutes. You must be over 18, with ID and a €200 cash deposit; fuel is paid when you bring the boat back, and alcohol is not allowed on board. With a skipper, the boats pick up their passengers in St Julian's, Sliema, Buġibba or Mellieħa: see boat hire in Malta.
Walking: the promenade to Sliema and the Pembroke trail
From Balluta, the promenade follows the coast to Sliema; Visit Malta recommends it for long walks in winter and for strolling on summer evenings. At the end, read our article things to do in Sliema.
In Pembroke, the next locality (bus 13, 14 or TD2), the Pembroke Heritage Trail has about 2.5 km of walking and cycling paths, in the Natura 2000 site of the old British rifle ranges from the 1870s. The Maltese army still uses them: the site is open when there is no exercise, and red flags, on the site and on Madliena Tower, show that an exercise is taking place (Newsbook, 18 September 2025). If you see them, do not go in.
St Julian's in the evening
After dinner at Spinola Bay, the night goes on in Paceville, on the hill next door, Malta's main nightlife area according to Visit Malta: see our Paceville guide, our guide to St Julian's bars and the Malta party calendar. The N13 night bus links Valletta, Sliema and St Julian's every night (departures from Valletta from 11.10pm to 2.10am); the night ticket costs €3.
Getting to St Julian's and getting around by bus
- From the airport: TD3 (San Ġiljan, Spinola, Balluta, then Sliema) or TD2 (San Ġiljan, Pembroke, Paceville, Dragonara, Spinola), every 30 minutes, €3 on board in cash or contactless; the first TD3 of the morning takes 32 minutes to Spinola.
- From Valletta: 13, 14 or 16 via Sliema, Balluta and Spinola, with the 14 going on via Paceville to Pembroke; the first 13 of the morning takes 27 minutes to Spinola. Careful: the 21 only goes as far as Sliema.
- The ticket: cash or contactless on the bus, valid for 2 hours, changes included, free for children under 4. The same buses pass near the Sliema ferry to Valletta: see Sliema Ferries.
Times read on 20 October 2026 on the Malta Public Transport website: bus routes and timetables · direct airport buses.
A day in St Julian's
- 9am: Balluta and its church, then the promenade to Spinola Bay.
- 10.30am: St George's Bay, for a swim or a water sport.
- 2pm: the speedboat to the Blue Lagoon, back at 5.30pm, with an afternoon pass; or, from 10.30am, the Gozo and Comino day trip.
- 6pm: Portomaso and the Dragonara headland, then dinner at Spinola Bay.
- Out of season: the Pembroke trail in the morning, Valletta in the afternoon.
For the rest of your stay, read our guides things to do in Malta and things to do in Valletta.
FAQ: St Julian's
Should I stay in St Julian's or in Sliema?
The two towns are side by side, and our boats to Comino leave from both. Sliema has the ferry to Valletta; St Julian's has the sandy beach and the water sports, but also Paceville, which is noisy at night.
Is there a sandy beach in St Julian's?
Yes, St George's Bay. From Balluta to Sliema, you swim from flat rocks.
How do I get from St Julian's to Valletta?
By bus 13, 14 or 16, several times an hour, for €2 in winter (as of 20 October 2026), or by bus to Sliema and then the ferry.
What is there to do in St Julian's with kids?
The beach, the pedalos or parasailing, which is open to all ages according to Sun & Fun; on most activities, children under 12 go with an adult. More ideas: Malta with kids.
Where do the boats to Comino leave from?
Our speedboats to the Blue Lagoon leave from St George's Bay in season, at 9.30am, 12pm and 2pm. The ferries to Comino leave from Ċirkewwa and Marfa, in the north of Malta.
Is St Julian's noisy at night?
Around Paceville, yes: it is Malta's main nightlife area. For a quiet night's sleep, stay further away from Paceville.
What is there to do in St Julian's in winter?
You can walk the promenade, see the bays and do the Pembroke trail all year round; the water sports base closes in November, and Valletta is one bus ride away.
Jet ski in Malta: hire and safari
No licence needed, from St Julian's or Marsaskala
See jet ski hire →