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Sliema, St Julian’s & Paceville

Malta's cool crowd flocks here to eat, drink, shop and party, and if you're looking for a base that mingles cosmopolitan sparkle with quiet backstreets, this is the perfect choice. Connected by a lovely seafront promenade, with shimmering Mediterranean views, this collection of districts merge into one another, and are packed with shops, restaurants and bars.

St Julian's was once a pretty fishing village, but now five-star hotels and apartment complexes dominate its scenic bays. It adjoins the small nightlife enclave of Paceville, which springs to life at night after a couple of shots. This is also where many of Malta's English-language schools are located.

More exclusive-feeling Sliema has long been associated with the Maltese upper classes, and makes an enticingly peaceful base, just far enough from the action. Gracious townhouses sit along backstreets, while burgeoning apartment blocks line the seafront, which is blessed by rocky beaches and swimming spots.

Explore Sliema, St Julian’s & Paceville

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Manoel Island
Manoel Island, which can be accessed via a short bridge from Gżira, is largely taken up by boat-building yards and the partly restored Fort Manoel. The…
S
Sliema Beach
The Sliema waterfront is edged by flattish rocks, with stepped access at various points. It's a good place to swim from, though the water tends to be deep…
T
Tigné Point (The Point)
Tigné Point, a promontory east of Sliema, was one of the sites where the Turkish commander Dragut Reis ranged his cannons to pound Fort St Elmo during the…
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Portomaso Apartment & Marina Complex
The glitzy development of Portomaso is overlooked by the towering Hilton Hotel, and centres on a marina ringed by restaurants and bars. It's a popular…
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Villa Dragonara
Villa Dragonara, an aristocratic residence that became the Dragonara Casino in 1964, is dramatically set on the rocky southern headland of St George's Bay…
P
Palazzo Spinola
Once St Julian's was rural, with just a few grand houses, of which this was one, built for the Italian knight Rafael Spinola. It is surrounded by a walled…
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St George's Bay
Most of the beaches around St Julian's are of the bare rock or private lido variety (the five-star hotels offer beach clubs and water sports), but at the…
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Lazzaretto di San Rocco
A 17th-century plague hospital on the south side of Manoel Island. More recently, the hospital served as an isolation hospital during WWI and was last…
S
Sacred Heart Church
Built in 1872 by Paul Vella, a Valletta priest. During WWII, the church's Franciscan friary was bombed and 23 people were tragically killed.

M
Manoel Island
Manoel Island, which can be accessed via a short bridge from Gżira, is largely taken up by boat-building yards and the partly restored Fort Manoel. The…
S
Sliema Beach
The Sliema waterfront is edged by flattish rocks, with stepped access at various points. It's a good place to swim from, though the water tends to be deep…
T
Tigné Point (The Point)
Tigné Point, a promontory east of Sliema, was one of the sites where the Turkish commander Dragut Reis ranged his cannons to pound Fort St Elmo during the…
P
Portomaso Apartment & Marina Complex
The glitzy development of Portomaso is overlooked by the towering Hilton Hotel, and centres on a marina ringed by restaurants and bars. It's a popular…
V
Villa Dragonara
Villa Dragonara, an aristocratic residence that became the Dragonara Casino in 1964, is dramatically set on the rocky southern headland of St George's Bay…
P
Palazzo Spinola
Once St Julian's was rural, with just a few grand houses, of which this was one, built for the Italian knight Rafael Spinola. It is surrounded by a walled…
S
St George's Bay
Most of the beaches around St Julian's are of the bare rock or private lido variety (the five-star hotels offer beach clubs and water sports), but at the…
L
Lazzaretto di San Rocco
A 17th-century plague hospital on the south side of Manoel Island. More recently, the hospital served as an isolation hospital during WWI and was last…
S
Sacred Heart Church
Built in 1872 by Paul Vella, a Valletta priest. During WWII, the church's Franciscan friary was bombed and 23 people were tragically killed.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Sliema, St Julian’s & Paceville.

See
Manoel Island
Manoel Island, which can be accessed via a short bridge from Gżira, is largely taken up by boat-building yards and the partly restored Fort Manoel. The…
See
Sliema Beach
The Sliema waterfront is edged by flattish rocks, with stepped access at various points. It's a good place to swim from, though the water tends to be deep…
See
Tigné Point (The Point)
Tigné Point, a promontory east of Sliema, was one of the sites where the Turkish commander Dragut Reis ranged his cannons to pound Fort St Elmo during the…
See
Portomaso Apartment & Marina Complex
The glitzy development of Portomaso is overlooked by the towering Hilton Hotel, and centres on a marina ringed by restaurants and bars. It's a popular…
See
Villa Dragonara
Villa Dragonara, an aristocratic residence that became the Dragonara Casino in 1964, is dramatically set on the rocky southern headland of St George's Bay…
See
Palazzo Spinola
Once St Julian's was rural, with just a few grand houses, of which this was one, built for the Italian knight Rafael Spinola. It is surrounded by a walled…
See
St George's Bay
Most of the beaches around St Julian's are of the bare rock or private lido variety (the five-star hotels offer beach clubs and water sports), but at the…
See
Lazzaretto di San Rocco
A 17th-century plague hospital on the south side of Manoel Island. More recently, the hospital served as an isolation hospital during WWI and was last…
See
Sacred Heart Church
Built in 1872 by Paul Vella, a Valletta priest. During WWII, the church's Franciscan friary was bombed and 23 people were tragically killed.

Guidebooks

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