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Sliema In Vibrant Malta:
Sliema in vibrant Malta is the icing on the cake of this beautiful country. A lot of people, including yours truly, call Malta a concrete jungle. It is a fitting description, and nowhere is it more evident than in Sliema. This is where most tourists stay, along with neighboring St. Julian and Paceville, the party central. There is constant construction, and the skyline is usually dotted with cranes. All these make Sliema a must-visit in Malta.
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Best time to visit Sliema:
Malta receives visitors pretty much all year round, thanks to its great Mediterranean weather. I have seen people jumping into the ocean on Christmas Day and actually swimming. I suppose if you’re coming from a cold country, it might seem warm to you. Summer is of course the hottest time and peak time for tourism. There can be long waits for cabs, buses, service at restaurants, etc. Months straddling summer in my opinion are the best times to visit Malta. April, May, September through November will still give you warm weather and you can enjoy your visit with fewer tourists, and the weather is also cooler.
Visit Sliema:
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Sliema Malta Beach:
The beaches in Sliema and within the city are all rocky beaches, except for the small one in the St Julian – Paceville area with a bit of sand. To get sandy beaches, you would have to go towards the north to Mellieha for instance. One of the best things to do in Sliema is to find yourself on a bit of rocky beach, spread out your towel, and enjoy the amazing views of Valletta while sipping on a cold Cisk (the local beer) and then jumping into the warm water.
Why bother taking a one-hour (or more in the summer) crowded bus journey to a sandy beach from other parts of Malta when you can just walk out the door of your hotel, and within a couple of minutes, are laid out on a rock, tanning and swimming. You just need to watch out for the jellyfish as they are common in these parts.
Sliema the vibrant city in Malta: Where to stay in Sliema Malta:
- Fortina Hotel
- Palace Hotel
You are spoiled for choice. You can rent AirBnB lodging, or stay in some of the best hotels in Malta such as the Fortina with its gorgeous views and close proximity to the Tigne Point mall.
One of the best hotels in Malta for couples is The Palace Hotel. A 5-star luxury hotel in Sliema, it offers free WiFi, a breakfast buffet, a pool, and a restaurant.
Malta welcomes over a million visitors in the summer. Most take the bus to get around the island. €1.50 gets you an all day ticket. It is just not worth renting a car, especially if you are staying in Sliema. The fact that they drive on the opposite side like in the U.K also deters a lot of people, not to mention that the streets are quite narrow and takes a lot of getting used to. It certainly is not for the faint at heart. Restaurants in Sliema line the main thoroughfare, giving you the best sea views as well as of Valletta.
Click here to find the best hotels in Malta
Where to eat in Sliema:
- The Chophouse
- Surfside Malta Bar and Grill
My favorite restaurant in Sliema is called The Chophouse. Great selection of steak . The view is to die for and the service impeccable. I do miss its sister restaurant La Cucina del Sole next door which is now permanently closed.
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Surfside Bar and Grill also boasts an amazing view on the Sliema Front, you have gorgeous rocky beach views and festive atmosphere. Very popular and one of the most fun experiences in Malta. The food is quite good, and the prices reasonable.
There are also kebab stands where you can grab a gyros and eat at one of the outside tables. Make sure and try the Maltese specialty pastry Patstizzi. You’ll love it, pastry filled with peas, mushroom, cheese, tuna etc.
Sliema Malta things to do: (Places to see in Sliema)
A lot of the high street shops are located in Sliema. These include Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Next, and OVS. It also has one of the 2 official Apple stores called iCentre. The Fortina Spa Hotel is located here, and that is their pool you see in the picture. Nice view isn’t it?
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Promenade Walk:
A walk along the promenade in Sliema gives you gorgeous views of the sea and the wide walkway with benches along the way allows you to sit and people watch. At the end of the Sliema, promenade section is Balluta Bay with a cluster of art-deco townhouses with gorgeous terraces.
Related Reading: Valletta Capital City of Malta
Sliema Malta shopping at Tigne Mall:
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Tigne Point is the high end mall in Sliema. It has the usual suspects of stores like Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and Lacoste. It’s great for people watching and window shopping. There are also cafes to grab a bite or have some drinks.
Choose from a list of hotels in Malta here.
Visit Sliema for sun and fun:
Best things to do in Sliema Malta: (What to do in Sliema)
- Shop
- Enjoy the rocky beaches
- Eat at one of the many outdoor restaurants and cafe
- Take a Valletta Sliema ferry ride for a different view of the city
- Walk along the promenade
- Check out Manoel Island. It is located in the middle of Marsamxett Harbour by Sliema Creek. It is nowadays used as a yacht marina and you can get gorgeous views from there. Now though, it is mostly used for filming. Game of Thrones was filmed here for the GOT buffs.
- Salesian Theatre was built in 1907 and is unique for its depression-era speakeasy. Art shows, classical music, and plays are held here.
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Sliema in vibrant Malta wrapup:
Sliema is a wonderful place to make your base for your Malta visit. There is plenty to do, lots of interesting things to see and it’s easily accessible to a lot of other places on the island since you would be in a central zone. I daresay you´re bound to enjoy this awesome part of the country.
Have you been to Malta? If so, did you visit Sliema? Do you agree that it’s Malta’s Beverly Hills?
I love learning about Malta. I’d love to learn about the general cost of living there…what the average prices for rent, homes, gas, food, etc are. And I don’t know if I read this or not, but what made you settle on Malta?
Hey Tonya, back in February, l did a cost comparison of our expenses here vs Houston. I also did one on the cost of general food items. I didn’t include house prices as most people rent. There are like 75,000 empty flats/houses, definitely a renters market out here. We chose Malta due to the lower cost of living compared to other E.U countries. It is also close to his family in Rome and for me, it is a shorter plane ride to Africa.
Malta looks crazy amazing! I want to go there now! Literally…RIGHT NOW!
🙂 Only because you love the beach and all!!! It is quite beautiful though..
Beautiful views. I’m so glad to hear you don’t have to rent a car. I would not be fond of driving on the opposite side of the road. I remember the post were you mentioned the tourists would be arriving soon. So what ended up being the summer song on all the cruises over there?
It’s weird looking down the other side to cross the street. Very confusing when we travel. I’m surprised we haven’t become road kill 🙂 ..oh yeah…we are very “happy” this summer. I called it!
haha, yes you did!
The Valletta´s Bay is very beautiful…..but for me Gozo´s island is the best (reminds me how Spain was 30 years ago)
Yeah, Gozo is pretty spectacular. Less spoiled, and so green. I wish l’d seen Spain 30 years ago 🙂 . Thanks for your comment.
Malta’s looking good. I love sea, river or water destinations. They’re just so charming!
I agree! As long as l don’t really have to get in the water 🙂 . Perfectly happy just seeing it.
I’ve stayed in Sliema back in 2011 and loved it. From our apartment we had a lovely view over the bay to Valletta. Such a great place full of life, lots of shops and restaurants 🙂
Sliema really is the center of Malta. Very hip and cool. Definitely worthy of a visit. So glad you had a lovely time. We lived in Msida overlooking the Marina. Loved the view too 🙂
Sliema is a beautiful area! It looks like is has a lot to offer for tourists and travelers.Thanks for all the wonderful pictures of some popular sites!
The British have long discovered it, and slowly, so are the Americans. We met a few while we lived there. It’s beautiful and worthy of a visit, but island fever does set in after a while. For us, it took over a year :-). Thanks for the comment and l’m glad you like the pictures.
We stayed in St. Julian, Hyatt Intercontinental where the only piece of sand beach is!!!
Yep! That is the only place that has a little sandy beach in the city. To get sand, you need to go to Melieha towards the north. Hope you enjoyed it!
I enjoyed visiting Malta especially because we split our time in the city and out on the opposite coast.
Nice way to get the best of both worlds. It’s a really pleasant place.
We spent a day on Malta on a cruise once and vowed to come back. This post has reminded me why and I wonder why we haven’t done so yet.
It is definitely worth going back. Malta is small, but chock full of history and beauty :-).
The suite at the Palace Hotel looks great, but what’s the deal with the drum set? Never been to Malta, but it’s on the list and now I know how to spend my time in Sliema. Looks like plenty to do and some delicious food to eat, too. I love enjoying dining al fresco in destinations in like this.
Haha! I thought the same thing :-). Perhaps for a budding rock star? Malta is really a beautiful place and worthy of a few days of holiday. I sometimes find myself missing the patzzizi, especially the ones filled with meat or tuna. I think you would enjoy it.
I enjoyed Malta, but didn’t like the mass tourism! For me, one of the best things to do was exploring the old town of Valetta – that would make a good day trip from Sliema.
Haha! Mass tourism is everywhere..and it can get overwhelming in Malta, especially in the summer. I wrote another post on that. It is definitely intense..and getting from Sliema to Valletta can take up to an hour, not because of distance, but because you end up catching the 4 or 5th bus that has any space in it :-).
I’m sad that i didn’t visit the beautiful city of Sliema on my trip to Malta, gonna make sure to do it next time!
Thanks for the amazing photos:)
Thanks for reading John. I think this means you must go back for another visit :-).