The southern part of the island

Mosta, where I live, due to its location, is both far from and close to everything.

The northern part of the island is perhaps the easiest to reach; rolling down to St. Paul’s takes 15 minutes, Mdina is also accessible after a short 'climb,' and Mellieha is more of a workout by bike, but still manageable.

The Valletta-Sliema-St. Julian’s area is more suitable for buses or taxis for several reasons.

The ‘longest’ bike rides or workouts usually head toward the southern or southeastern part of the island. In practice, this means Birżebbuġa, Marsaxlokk, and Marsaskala in my view, along with St. Peter’s Pool and Il-Kalanka (which might be the best at 2 a.m., though we’ll never know now :().

We had a long debate about the directions with our Hungarian friends vacationing here, so let’s instead look at what I mean when I look at this elongated, 'egg-shaped' island on the map and say, the southern part:

Of course, you could also argue that the Blue Grotto is in the south, but I don’t want to open up such debates here. =)

Returning to the cities listed. It’s worth knowing that most of the island’s shipping traffic and trade take place in this area. This means that if we go to the often beautiful sandy beaches, we’re also likely to enjoy a view of a shipping dock or port.

However, this doesn’t mean that this part of the island isn’t stunning and filled with places to explore, or charming restaurants and fantastic cafés.

Let’s take a look:

Marsaxlokk

I’ll start with the most famous and mainstream one because many places highlight that if you’re in Malta, you have to visit the Marsaxlokk (fish) market. But one might be in a bit of a bind if they don’t like, or even hate, fish. Or markets. Or both. Of course, the atmosphere is captivating—a long bazaar by a bay—but there has to be something more that makes it worth visiting. For example, a sandy beach.

And yes, there is such a beach, but what’s even more attractive is the nearby peninsula’s seaside, where you’ll find St. Peter’s Pool and Il-Kalanka, beaches sometimes teeming with jellyfish.

The latter is quite safe if you don’t realize the proximity of the jellyfish and only find out later that almost everyone was stung. This proves well that it’s not worth worrying in advance because we’re unlikely to face the problem we were afraid of…

Birżebbuġa

This small town 'under the airport' has intrigued me for a long time, mainly because of its distance. Getting there, especially if you take the (often deserted on weekends) main road, involves passing through mostly industrial areas—warehouses, docks, and an industrial landscape thanks to the proximity of the airport and port. And a sandy, pleasantly breezy beach. Behind it, my favorite local café chain, Coffee Circus’ China-named location, offers a brilliant lunch, kombucha and excellent coffee. A Chinese family runs the place, so when you ask for your noodles a bit spicy, be cautious. Everything was delicious, so after a well-deserved lunch post-cycling, I returned here after swimming at the beach. The return route led toward the Dingli Cliffs, circling the airport from the back, but I’ve written about that before.

It’s definitely worth coming here if you want a long bike ride, a healthy and tasty lunch, good coffee and kombucha, and a sandy beach—and if the sight of container ships doesn’t bother you.

Marsaskala

I saved this city for last because it was my favorite.

I visited here on the day I returned home in August, somewhat in a rush, so I wanted to spend a pleasant September day at the beach when people in Hungary were freezing in winter coats due to the sudden cold snap and rain.

In the middle of a 55 km bike ride, it doesn’t hurt to have some ‘light reward’ that makes the trip worthwhile. For me, this was provided by the already-tested Little Chief café and the local Coffee Circus. The Greek-originated Freddo Cappuccino, made with crushed and blended ice and milk foam, became my favorite this summer because of the Maltese heat, along with the always-refreshing espresso tonic. These two cooling drinks always hit the spot after a long ride.

In the city, several beaches are available—rocky and sandy—with many routes, even a bike lane, leading here. The seaside promenade is unparalleled, lined with various restaurants.

I can only recommend this town because it’s definitely worth spending at least half a day here.

In summary, I only have the opportunity to explore more distant parts on weekends , and since I’ve mostly discovered the cities, beaches, and places in this part of the island, I can confidently say that it’s worth spending 1-2 days in this area because you’ll experience a completely different atmosphere.