Mellieha

Mellieħa sits on a ridge in the north of Malta with the island's longest sandy beach in the bay below it and the Gozo ferry a few kilometres beyond. The parish church stands at the top of a long flight of steps, and beneath it is a much older rock-cut sanctuary of the Virgin with a fresco said to be very early. A large network of wartime air raid shelters cut into the rock under the town is open to visitors.

History

The name comes from the Semitic root for salt, after the Punic-Roman salt pans in the bay. Local tradition says St Luke painted the figure of Our Lady on the rock face of a cave here, consecrated as a church in 409 AD and now the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa, and Saint Agatha's Tower was finished on Marfa Ridge above the bay in 1649 (Wikipedia, Mellieħa).

What you'll find

• The rock sanctuary - a cave church beneath the parish church with an early fresco.
• The air raid shelters - a large tunnel network cut under the town in the war.
• Mellieha Bay - the island's longest sand beach in the bay below.
• The ridge position - the town and its churches on the crest above the bay.

When to go

April to October for the beach; the town works year round. Summer weekends fill the bay completely. Spring is best for walking the surrounding countryside.

Good to know

Mellieha Bay is crowded and commercialised in summer. The town is steep and the climb from the bay is hard work. Parking near the beach in season is very difficult.

Nearby

Ghadira is at the bay, and St Agatha's Tower is northwest.

Key facts