With a residential population of almost 13,500, the town is also a popular tourist resort with numerous hotels, bars and restaurants. Shopping in Sliema is centred on Tower Road where there is a wide variety of local shops, international high-street and designer outlets and a choice of supermarkets. Many of the hotels and cafes line the harbour along a stretch of road known as The Strand.

The boats moored on the waterfront here offer a selection of excursions. These include harbour cruises, day and evening trips to Comino and The Blue Lagoon and days out sailing around Malta and Gozo. There is also a regular ferry service across the harbour to Malta’s capital city, Valletta.

The town’s motto is “Celer ad Oras Surgo” (hastily from the coast arisen), which refers to the fact that Tas-Sliema map grew rapidly as a residential area in the late 19th century. Once known as il-Qortin, the burgeoning town’s Stella Maris church was declared a parish in its own right in 1878, when it was separated from that of Birkirkara. Wealthy Valletta residents built summer houses in Sliema Malta around this time, and some survive to this day.

Accommodation caters for both the holiday and business traveller, with a variety of 3 and 4 star hotels including The Preluna, The Park and The Metropole. In addition there are two 5-star hotels, The Fortina Spa Hotel near to Tigne Point and the Palace next to St James Capua hospital. Both the 5-star and some of the 4-star establishments offer a range of gym and spa facilities, as well as massages, facials and other beauty treatments. All the hotels have good dining outlets; some have a wide choice of restaurants providing a variety of cuisines including Japanese, Thai, Indian and Mediterranean. Most Sliema hotels offer Sunday buffets, especially popular with families.

At Tigne Point, a large project is underway to build a luxury integrated leisure, retail and residential complex. Office space will also be available and this contemporary development will also ensure the restoration of Fort Tigne, built in 1792 and one of the few defences built by the Knights that attempted to block Napolean’s invasion in 1798.

Anyone who has visited this area in the recent years would find it hard to believe that St Julians was just a small, sleepy fishing village in the not so distant past.

All of its original charm is not lost as the picturesque Spinola Bay blends modernity with the traditional. One can find plentiful new restaurants and apartments all overlooking the fishermen’s traditional boats, which are housed just below. This blend makes Spinola Bay a popular venue for open air dining.

St Georges Bay is another popular bay in the St Julians area. Up to a couple of years ago this bay was just a small patch of sand surrounded by derelict buildings. However the government invested large sums of money to the enlargement and rehabilitation of the bay, which has made it one of Malta’s most loved and frequented beaches. It is now well managed and well maintained and has recently been awarded the Blue Flag which is an eco-label which is awarded to beaches which comply with strict criteria for sustainable development and water quality among other areas.

St Julians is also home to Malta first real sky-scraper.

Accommodation and dining in St Julians Malta

Needless to say as St Julians is one of Malta’s most popular tourist destinations, accommodation is definitely not lacking in this area.

All big names can be found in this locality such as the Hilton, Le Meridien, Radisson, Westin (part of the Starwood group), Corinthia (Maltese owned international hotel chain) and Intercontinental, amounting to 7 hotels in the 5 star category in just one small town. A number of 4 and 3 star hotels can also be found along with self-catering accommodation to suit everyone’s needs and budget.

Restaurants are also plentiful in St Julians with a wide range of cuisines to choose from. Whether you are looking for authentic Maltese food or something with which you are more familiar you will be spoilt for choice. In fact some of Malta’s and most frequented restaurants are found in this area.

Getting to St Julians

St Julians is probably Malta’s most accessible town since it is so popular among the locals and the tourists. There various bus routes, you can choose any of the following:

From Valletta: 64, 64, 67, 68, 70, 166, 667, 671, 662 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings only)

Direct routes:

From/To Zurrieq: 367
From/To Cirkewwa: 167, 645
From/To Bugibba: 70
From/To Rabat/Mosta/Naxxar: 65
From/To Ghajn Tuffieha: 652
From Bugibba to Marsaxlokk Via St. Julians: 627

Paceville Malta

Paceville is a locality within between Spinola Bay and St. George’s Bay in St. Julians famous for the leisure activities it offers among which one finds: cinemas, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, casinos, piano bars, jazz bars, bowling alley, cafes, beaches, diving schools, hotels, game arcades, fast food outlets, pubs, wine bars and many more.

If you like hustle and bustle and are keen on an active nightlife Paceville is definitely not a place to miss.

Some of the most popular clubs in Paceville Malta are:

Axis – Commercial/House
Club Sabor – Latino
Coconut Grove – Rock
Empire Bar & club – Commercial/80’s
Footloose – Commercial/80’s
French My Friday – House/Commercial
Fuego Salsa Bar – Salsa/Latino
Havana – RnB & Hip-Hop
Places – House
Plush – House/Commercial
Remedy – Hard Rock

The emphasis is on bars, pubs, discos and restaurants (mainly of the pasta, pizza and hamburger variety). A lively promenade offers bathing and a variety of water sports, including paragliding. On summer evenings the streets teem with people and music blares from late-night bars.

Daytime activities include boat trips to the islands of Comino and Gozo. Another popular tour is the Underwater Safari; as you steam around St Paul’s bay portholes below sea-level allow you to view the world of marine fauna and flora, as well as a couple of shipwrecks.

Qawra

Together Qawra and Bugibba now occupy almost the entire peninsula on the east side of St Paul’s Bay. More or less merging with Bugibba, Qawra is more restrained than its noisy neighbour, with a choice of slightly more superior accommodation. Hotels and apartments have been mushrooming here since the 1970s. Among the hotels here is the New Dolmen, named after the prehistoric remains which stand, somewhat incongruously, in its gardens. Like Bugibba, there are plenty of bars, caf’s and restaurants. The rocky beach as a restaurant and plenty of facilities for watersports enthusiasts. The Qawra Tower at the far end of the peninsula was one of the many fortress towers erected by Grand Master Martin de Redin in the 17th century.

St Paul’s Bay

Several sites around this bay recall stories of St Paul’s sojourn in Malta, among them Ghajn Rasul (Apostle’s Fountain) on the coastal road which is said to be the spot where St Paul struck a rock which promptly spouted water; and the parish Church of St Paul Our Lady of Sorrows) which is supposed to be the site of the spot where St Paul shook off a viper into the fire. St Paul’s itself sprawls inelegantly along the main coastal road. Though it is not as blatantly tourist-orientated as Buggiba, it has lost its former fishing-village charm and its older buildings look somewhat forlorn. The prettiest spot is the harbour, though even here the view of fishing boats is gradually giving way to one of construction.

It is a busy shopping center with more character than the sprawling resorts to its east. The steep main street, lined with grocery shops, small bars and restaurants, caters for local residents as well as holidaymakers.

Besides hosting the largest sandy beach in Malta, Mellieha has a range of self-catering accommodation, including luxury villas (one area with sea views is known as The Millionaire’s Valley).

Popeye Village, (or Sweethaven) at Anchor Bay was built as the set for Robert Altman’s 1980 film, Popeye. The uninspiring ramshackle village by the sea consists of 17 houses, all made of wood imported from Canada and the Netherlands. Amenities include a souvenir shop, snack bar, beach facilities, a small fun park and a film about the making of Popeye. Boat trips are available during the summer at no additional charge.

Today the capital of Malta, Valletta is still the island’s richest repository of art, architecture, history and culture. It is also the main shopping and business center. Sightseeing could occupy two or three days, but equally rewarding are the streets, many of which are still flanked by handsome balconied houses.

The main thoroughfare is Triq ir-Repubblika (Republic Street) which is full of shops and, during the morning and early evening, free of traffic. In recent years it has seen the arrival of several fast-food outlets, bringing in more visitors by night. The street cuts through the city before dropping down to Fort St Elmo on the trip of the peninsula. Leading off are numerous back streets forming a rectangular grid that has altered little over the years. Some of the narrowest slope very steeply down towards the harbour, and a glimpse of brilliant blue at the end of many streets reminds you that this is a very small city, almost entirely surrounded by water.

The Auberges

The Order of St John was divided into eight languages (or nationalities), each one having its own auberge. Literally translated as an inn or hostel, this was more akin to an Oxford or Cambridge college, with a chapel, dinning hall and accommodation ranged around a courtyard. Of the original auberges, five have survived and only two are open to the public. The exteriors alone, however, give you a good idea of the lifestyle enjoyed by the Knights.

Churches

The knights of St John who combined the careers of monk and soldier, were responsible for most of Valletta’s churches. the greatest being, St John’s Co-Cathedral.

Grand Masters’ Palace

The 18th-century traveler, Patrick Brydone, noted that ‘the Grand Master (who studies conveniency more than magnificent) is more comfortably and commodiously lodged than any prince in Europe, the King of Sardinia perhaps only excepted.’ Behind its inappropriately severe façade, and in spite of the malicious pillaging by Napoleon’s troops following the French occupation in 1798, the palace still conveys an impression of the splendor to which the Grand Masters were accustomed.

Armoury

Only about a quarter of the arms and armour belonging to the knights has survived, but it is still a formidable collection, with around 6,000 pieces in all. Among them are daggers, rapiers, halberds, cannon, pistols and some stunningly decorated suits of armour. In one room rows of Knights in armour stand to attention, while the special suits of armour individually made for the Grand Masters are displayed separately. The most splendid of these is the suit inlaid with gold made for Grand Master Wignacourt in 1610-20. among the weapons and armoury of the Knights’ adversaries are Turkish battle axes, helmets, gilded shields and a sword said to have belonged to the corsair, Dragut.

Manoel Theatre

This gem of a theatre is said to be the third oldest in Europe. It was built in 1731 by the Portuguese Grand Master, Manoel de Vilhena ‘for the honest entertainment of the people’. The religious life to which the Knights were committed did not stop them indulging in theatrical pursuits. Watching or participating in pageants, operas, comedies and tragedies was very much part of their lifestyle.

National Library

Also known as the Bibliotheca, this imposing arcaded building dominates Republic Square. Built in the late 18th century, it is the repository of a large number of original documents recording the administration of the Order of the St John. The original library was built by the Knights in 1555. from 1612, the sale of any book belonging to deceased Knights was forbidden, hence this vast collection of valuable leather-bound tomes.

National Museum of Fine Arts

This art collection occupies three floors of a fine baroque palazzo that was built by the Knights in the 16th century and remodeled in the 18th century. For many years the building served as the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British fleet, during which time it was commonly known as Admiralty House. The collection here begins with medieval Italian works and takes in all periods up to modern Maltese art. The highlights are the baroque paintings by Mattia Preti and the sculpture an the first floor by Antonio Sciortino (1879-1940).

The George Cross

The George Cross was instituted by King George VI ‘ for acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger’. Malta is the only nation to have been awarded the medal. The award of the medal is explained in a letter of 15 April 1942 sent from Buckingham Palace to the Governor of Malta: ‘To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the award Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Malta in 1992.

Valletta Environs

Close to Valletta is the town of Birkirkara, Hamrun, Qormi, Floriana, Sliema and St Julians. Sliema is considered to be Malta’s number one tourist area. It is also the island’s most densely populated town. A century ago this was a quiet area, then the wealthy Vallettans came and built their elegant art nouveau residences along the promenade. Today it is the largest and most expensive residential area in Malta.