Ghar Lapsi

Għar Lapsi is a small inlet below the cliffs on Malta's southern coast, sheltered by a rock outcrop that makes a natural pool of calm clear water between the shore and the open sea. Boathouses are cut into the rock around it and a couple of restaurants sit above. It has long been a local swimming and snorkelling spot and a shore-entry dive site, with the Filfla reef and the underwater topography off the cliffs within reach.

What you actually see

• The natural pool - sheltered clear water behind a rock outcrop.
• The rock boathouses - shelters cut into the limestone around the inlet.
• The dive entry - shore access to the sites along the southern cliffs.
• The cliff setting - the southern cliffs rising directly behind the inlet.

When to go

May to October for swimming. Winter swell from the south closes it entirely. Weekends bring local crowds and the small car park fills.

Honest expectations

There is no sand and entry is over rock and concrete steps. Southern swell makes it dangerous in winter and even in summer when the wind turns. Parking is very limited.

Nearby

Siggiewi is inland, and the Blue Grotto is east.