Gnejna Bay

Għajn Tuffieħa's neighbour to the south, Ġnejna is a small bay of sand and shingle at the mouth of a valley below Mġarr, closed on one side by the white clay slopes of Il-Karraba and on the other by a limestone headland with boathouses cut into the rock. It is popular with Maltese families rather than package visitors, and the walk over the ridge from Għajn Tuffieħa gives one of the better coastal views on the island.

Background

The bay lies about 1 kilometer from Mġarr, and its beach is mostly sandy. Its clay slopes and limestone cliffs frame Wied il-Ġnejna, a protected valley carrying one of the few perennial freshwater springs left in Malta, though illegal damming and tapping put the watercourse at risk. On a tall rocky outcrop above the bay stands Lippia Tower, also called Ta' Lippia, built in 1637 by Vincenzo Maculani for Grand Master Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, about 100m above sea level. Towers raised under Lascaris were smaller than those of Wignacourt, each with two storeys, a parapet and a flat roof. On the road down is Castello Zammitello, a fortified house in Norman style dating from 1675.

Source: Wikipedia, "Ġnejna Bay"

The main sights

• The clay slopes - the pale blue clay hillside closing the northern side of the bay.
• The rock boathouses - shelters cut into the limestone along the shore.
• The ridge walk - the path over to Ghajn Tuffieha with views along the coast.
• The valley - the cultivated wied running down to the bay.

When to go

May to October for swimming. Summer weekends and public holidays fill the small bay and the car park. Spring is good for the coastal walk.

Good to know

The bay is small and gets very crowded in summer. Parking is extremely limited and the road down is steep and narrow. The clay slopes are unstable and rockfall has occurred.

Nearby

Ghajn Tuffieha is north, and Mgarr village is inland.

Key facts