The best of snorkeling is that it is cheap: you can pick up a mask and snorkel from most corner and village stores here in Malta, and while not the most robust equipment, they’ll last you a holiday here. If you want to invest in something more durable, dive and water sports set-ups usually have shops. Golden Bay for example, or Marsalforn, Gozo, have well stocked dive shops with snorkel gear. Snorkel in shoulder and winter months and you’ll need a wet suit. Go beyond the swimming areas designated in the popular bays, and we advise you get a buoy to indicate your whereabouts to passing boats. Also, if doing more than a very casual shallow snorkel in the safe swimming zones on major beaches and close to shore, never snorkel alone. Take a friend along for safety’s sake.

Snorkeling safety tips, click here.

Top Snorkeling Sites
Five plus one actually; we’re sure to be adding to it on your recommendations.

Ħondoq ir-Rummien, Gozo (beyond Qala) – is popular with snorkellers because of its deep and clear water and the small caves at water level. Access to the sea is from bathing ladders. Beautiful, natural spot down a long track from Qala village. Generally quiet. Sadly, the area is under threat from development, we believe. So go there now.

Fomm ir-Rih, Malta (beyond Bahrija – a little trek down a slope). The beach itself is very pebbly, so best to wear rubber shoes. Only swim here if the sea is calm. Very clear water, generally very quiet, and a lovely natural location.

Wied il-Għajn, Malta, (Marsascala) / Zonqor Point, Malta (beyond Marsascala town on the tip of the harbour below swimming pool). There is a reef that goes out in the sea, more or less across the harbour mouth. It is very beautiful. Just mind the currents and passing boats.

Ghar Lapsi, Malta (beyond Siggiewi): a local beauty spot which can get busy in summer. It’s a small inlet below an impressive, craggy coastline used by a few local fishermen. Swim out of the inlet and along the coast – it’s very deep here and excellent snorkeling. Easy road down to inlet, parking and cafes.

Comino – all the coast, if you can get to it. Blue Lagoon on summer day trips is too busy to enjoy.

Gnejna Bay, Malta – this is more rocky than the other two north-western bays. Go along the outer sides, past boathouses on the right after the so called Chicken rock, nearer to the bay.

View Top 5 Snorkeling Sites in Malta & Gozo in a larger map

Photo: Canlasa

This other side to jellyfish – their allure as weird, brainless, even beautiful marine creatures – is something that has struck the Malta Tourism Authority too. The officials there know that all beaches, at some time over the summer, are going to be blighted by jellyfish. Rather than try to play down the prospect, they have come up with a new strategy – tackle the issue head on and celebrate the large variety of jellyfish along our shores. They’ve posted up a set of ‘Spot the Jellyfish’ boards at some 70 coastal sites to encourage us to identify species we come across. In fact, kids will love reporting any new species they think they’ve found on the Spot the Jellyfish website run by the International Ocean Institute (Malta).

The MTA is also supporting a Spot the Jellyfish Photo Competition with two categories of entry: one for scuba divers; the other for those with regular cameras.

So far this summer, I’ve not spotted jellyfish at my regular two sandy beaches in Malta – Golden Bay and Ghejn Tuffieha. But it’s early in the season. Jellyfish come and go, according to tide, winds, lunar pull, bloom rates, and so on. You may have a day with them (so go prepared with some vinegar or sting relief spray), but the next day on the beach could be fine. Generally, jellyfish volumes are not something to panic about. Last year, I swam the entire summer virtually jellyfish free. It’s hit and miss. If you aren’t lucky enough to miss them, you can always take up a new beach-combing pastime, and do your civic duty by reporting details of sightings – send an SMS to 7922 2278 or email: ioi-moc@um.edu.mt.

Jellyfish trends: There seems to be no clear data on jellyfish volumes, but in certain parts of the world (off Namibia for example) scientists have discovered that jellyfish biomass outweighs that of fish. Their arrival is seasonal, and related to sea temperatures and availability of food, or the lack of their predators (sea turtles for instance). They do thrive in oxygen-poor waters so sea pollution worldwide may have helped their blooming.

Treating stings: there’s a lot of information on this. See Wikipedia for a full low-down. But to treat a minor injury from a jellyfish sting in Maltese waters, you’ll probably only need diluted vinegar or a sting relief. Make sure you protect yourself when removing any stuck tentacles. If in any doubt, and especially if treating a child, do seek medical assistance. The levels of toxicity vary according to jellyfish type, and we can all react differently to a sting. Golden Bay has a lifeguard (from July onwards) who can assist; many other beaches have food kiosks nearby which can no doubt give you some vinegar. Ambulance service tel: 196.

For more on Jellies in the Med, click here [an article from a few years ago but it's a good background read on why the Mediterranean has seen a surge in jellies. And shows Malta is not alone!]

Photo: Dragan Donkov

Pros: This rocky beach is located in central Sliema, just below a local playground and an old watchtower. It is easy to get to, by car or bus, and with some patience parking space can be found as well. The sea is very deep so it is ideal for divers and those of us less professional who still like to splash about in the sea. There is a Water sports centre located at the beach where you can get all the equipment and lessons necessary for scuba diving. At night you can also opt to take a blanket and a bottle of wine and listen to the sounds of the waves rushing in and gaze at the stars. This holds most for couples wanting some time away. The scent of the sea is the best appetite enhancer I have ever come across. Overlooking this beach you will find a beach bar/restaurant called Paradise Exiles. It is ideal for light meals, with a selection of salads and breads on the menu. To make the afternoon even more pleasant, there is also a good variety of wine to choose from. Music is played on a large juke box as well; this varies from reggae to soft rock, making the atmosphere light and social.

Cons: There used to be a ladder to climb in and out of the sea, however the strong tide tore it apart this winter and it still has not been replaced. Since the bay is situated in a natural port, it tends to be a bit windy and the sea can get quite choppy. So it might not be so ideal for families with young children. One also has to watch out for jellyfish which teem in their tens when the tide is in, however having been to this beach daily for the past month I am happy to say none have been sighted so far.

Verdict: Paradise Exiles and Exiles beach, in short, are one of my favourite summer hang out spots. In the afternoon lots of young couples with babies still in their strollers come there, it is a soothing scene with the soft music and the sun and waves nearby. As the afternoon turns into early evening more people show up and the bar can get quite crowded. For those who are looking for company it is ideal, as both locals and foreigners mix at the long wooden tables and benches.

How to get there:
See bus schedules on the new bus transport system operated by Arriva which should start on 3rd July 2011. Hopefully if you’re a returning visitor to Malta, you’ll find the new bus routes and system an improvement; unless you hanker for our characteristic, old orange and red buses – they’ll still be on some routes as vintage specials; perhaps the main Sliema one as well.

See also our Sandy Beach Guide to Malta & Gozo.

Photo: Leslie Vella

Today, I was at Golden Bay with friends and kids in tow and swimming very near the channel (hotel end) marked off with buoys for the power boats, pedalos and jet skis to get out into the open sea.  The ‘Big Mable’ floating bed and banana boats were moored in a nearby channel and were all too tempting for curious kids wanting a diversion.  One boy strayed into the boat channel without noticing. In a few seconds, we saw panicked parent,  boy retrieved and told off and an episode that ended safely.  But it was a harsh reminder that accidents are waiting to happen on our beaches, even when sea conditions are smooth and calm.  Here’s some useful, timely reading to cast your eyes over to help us all stay water safe this summer….

We ran an advice piece on water safety and kids a while back.  But there are less obvious ways we can be in difficulty in the water.  For instance, would you know how to recognise the signs of someone drowning. We are conditioned, probably by films, to think that people who are drowning wave their arms around, shout and look in distress in the water. If they are managing to wave and shout, then they are likely to be ‘in distress’ but not actually drowning; not at that point. Their noise will trigger our reaction, and lifeguards into action. But it’s those who are silent in the water we need to look out for…

I read a blog post by a guy who has 19 years of US Navy and Coastguard service and writes on all aspects of water safety. He said that drowning doesn’t look like drowning. Because people who are drowning are usually silent, unable to shout as their remaining breaths are for gulping air not voice production, and their arms and hands will be underwater paddling downwards in an attempt to propel their bodies upwards. Because they are silent and their movements underwater, we are less likely to notice their plight.

The article is an eye opener, and led me elsewhere to read about another possibility – ‘delayed drowning‘ which can happen hours after a person has gulped water into their lungs. As island folk with sea and pools the mainstay of our summers, we need to recognise the signs drowning and delayed drowning.

Now, I don’t write ths to shock you, but more to make us all realise we need to at least be aware of the signs of drowning and delayed drowning. Golden Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha beaches have life guards (10am – 6pm), but we leisure and pleasure swimmers are out there, and our alertness may save someone this summer.

So please click here and read the article I read. And let’s all hope for a safe summer in sea and pools.

Even when they swim like fish, you need to be vigilant

This article is aimed at giving you advice for a happy, safe holiday with kids on, in and around water in Malta this summer. Do take a moment to browse down. We’re rather like the flight attendant reminding you to listen to those safety instructions even if you’re a frequent flyer (or swimmer… in our case)!

Holidays are for relaxation, and nowhere more so than in Malta which promotes itself on its relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. However, as parents we can’t really relax when water and kids mix because…

Swimming pools pose the greatest risk of death and injury to children in a home or holiday setting. More British children drown on holiday abroad than in Britain itself, most of them in swimming pools. And if you take recent statistics from Algarve (Spain) and Greece, most drownings of young children are in pools, not the sea, despite the unpredictability of the sea and the crowds that beaches pull.

There is good news in all this though – research shows that most swimming pool drownings are preventable.

Swimming Pools & the Law
In 2008, a new European Union standard relating to the design and operation of swimming pools came into effect. It is a standard only, but both France and Spain have introduced laws based on it, and backed by hefty fines, to protect youngsters in both private and public pools. French law states that all privately-owned swimming pools should be equipped with a safety fence and gate with a self closing latch. This is not the case in Malta.

If you are renting a house with pool in Malta or Gozo this summer, do ask about pool safety equipment such as fences and gates if you have young children and are at all worried. Also, check about non-slip surfaces and ask if filters, reservoirs or infinity pools have sufficient safety barriers in place. Be aware that some houses for summer rentals have pools up close to the premises, or even fitted into courtyards; perhaps you can lock doors though this is rarely practical in summer heat.

Just be prepared to be vigilant. After all, however many safety devices are in place, accidents can happen so don’t rely 100% on anything other than your own eyes and presence of mind. If you really want to relax on holiday, swim with the kids!

Seaside / Poolside Safety Tips

Things to consider:
• Fencing round pools to avoid kids inadvertently wandering off to the swimming pool without adult supervision.
• Alarms that ring by the pool and in your house, as soon as wave action is detected, are also a good option.
• Another alternative is pool covers or shelters, though be aware that covers can hold enough water on top to pose a threat to toddlers.
• Be aware also of hidden dangers from drain or suction entrapments. Drains with broken, missing or faulty covers can entrap hair, the body, limbs, jewellery and clothing, or cause disembowelment/evisceration.
• Slippery surfaces. Nasty accidents can be avoided by wearing rubber swimming shoes, usually made out of wet-suit material. These can also protect little feet from sharp rocks and pebbles, sea urchins and other hazards by the sea.
• Swim Aids: armbands should be worn by young children at all times when in close proximity to pools or by the seaside. Modern versions are now available which do not have to be inflated. These swimming discs are quick and easy to put on, give your child better posture and more confidence in the water, and most importantly don’t puncture, so you have a lot less to worry about.
• Shade by the pool and even more so by the sea, is paramount in avoiding sunburn. Sea salt and sand mean sun block does not last as long at the beach, but these days you can find UV tents from most kids’ related outlets or online, which give the whole family a safe way to enjoy the sun.
• At the beach, avoid rough or choppy water. Be careful with inflatable boats and lilos, which can quickly and easily drift out to sea. Check the weather and the likelihood of jellyfish, before you head out.
• Have a medical or first aid kit with you to deal with jellyfish stings and accidents.
• Always have an adult present when kids are swimming. At gatherings, it is particularly important to appoint a strong swimmer to supervise kids by the pool or sea, to ensure there is a responsible adult watching at all times.

Additional reporting by Faye Camilleri Preziosi, who retails Delphin Disc armbands in Malta.
See also: Delphin website.

For more information on pool fencing in Malta, see: protectachildmalta.com

Photo: Anne Muscat Scerri.

Hang up the beach buckets. Take junior to the office for the day!

What do you do when you’ve got to take over childcare from your partner to look after a 7-year-old child on a normal working day in summer, and do some work yourself? And you don’t have that free, childcare service called parents or in-laws, which all Maltese use to the hilt to survive the three-month holiday if they are working parents themselves.

Well, this is what I did today:

1. Put junior in child booster seat and hit the road. Discuss your music collection. It’s a good way for your child to continue joining the dots about his parent. Mine now understands the important legacy of the Cure, Depeche Mode, Bowie and Joy Division. I need to get some more upbeat music in my car. And he wants a piano.

2. Sneak out for a morning swimming class. My son’s swimming progress has ground to a standstill on discovery of jellyfish. There are some great swimming instructors in Malta, like Miroslav who runs classes at the Fortina. You actually get an hour of peace while your child goes through the motions.

3. Pick up a book from Agenda if the child needs a reward for the effort. You get some air-conditioning relief and you can use the discount card.

4. Grab some mineral water to rehydrate on way back to the car. Sliema council has had this bright idea of turning most parking bays to residential parking, so you’re walking a fair distance, these days.

5. Head for the office and raid the stationery cupboard. There’s nothing like unexpected goodies – writing pad, coloured pencils and a gleaming new sharpener – to make a boring office look human. Kids this age also enjoy feeling grown-up and important. Just ensure they don’t end up locking themselves in the toilet.

6. Find a kids’ site with podcasts. Today’s choice was a great site called Storynory. Hook up junior to your laptop via your iPod headphones and you get to keep working. We got as far as chapter 7 of Alice in Wonderland. Just in time for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party to kick in and remind us of food.

7. My office is in San Gwann on an unremarkable industrial estate, except for the excellent Golden Harvest bakery shop that serves anything from fresh ciabattas with whatever you want to ice-cream. And it’s open from 7 am to 7pm weekdays, and closes at 13.00hrs on Sundays. It’s worth remembering if you are looking for a good value pitstop with a hungry kid in tow, and need to collect some provisions for the evening. They also sell beer.

8. Second office shift. Your child needs some time to digest, so either switch back to the podcast, get cracking on the new book or do some drawing. People in the office can be inspirational for a portrait. In ou case, it was the opportunity for Mr Malta InsideOut to start to take shape (see below).

9. Visit a grandparent. Grandparents in Malta are often used as temporary or permanent child-carers by new parents. It’s not a service normally available to me as my father is luckily too busy living his own active life to provide this type of diversion.

10. Plan an event. My son’s birthday is next week. A child can get totally absorbed when it comes to selecting a potential present.

11. If you’re getting towards late afternoon, the sun is now gentle. Use whatever space you have for a run-around or story-telling. My son is a Playmobil fan: they acquire different personas with every loss or addition of a head piece or suit of armour.

12. Get the child to prepare tea. It helps with making sure that the food gets eaten later.

13. Settle down with a ‘feel good’ DVD. ‘Night at the Museum’ in our case, though we were going to go for ‘Flushed Away’. Kids love watching the same script, time and time again.

14. Shower and off to bed. Bed time reading – anything from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to a couple of Jack Prelutsky poems.

Survived, quite well, managed some work, and junior surprisingly not fractious, irritable or bored – despite being in the office with me, and having no particular mega activity planned. Just shows that kids can be obliging and adaptable. Not all offices would allow this, but it might be worth asking. After all, we’re never going to get summer holidays shortened here as our teachers like three month or more off. So something has to give…

An office drawing today: Mr Malta InsideOut

Ghajn Tuffieha: a natural beach, that's unnaturally empty for Malta.

Just next to Golden Bay is Ghajn Tuffieha Bay (also known as Riviera) – which has always been my preferred of the two. The fact that there is a quite steep flight of steps to descend to get to the beach means that the location doesn’t attract the same volume of people as Golden Bay. However, since Ghajn Tuffieha is a lot smaller, in peak summer it gets crowded that much quicker. I also have the impression that the sandy area of the beach has shrunk considerably over the past few years, with the constant pounding of the waves making it even smaller than it was. In rougher weather, with larger waves, you’ll be hard pushed to find much sand at all!

Pros: Location-wise, I consider this to be the most beautiful sandy beach on the island of Malta (Gozo has my other favourite sandy beach, Ramla Bay). The fact that it is slightly less accessible gives the beach a particularly natural atmosphere. The Gaia Foundation runs the hillside behind as a ‘national park’ and they have made efforts to stop erosion by planing tamarisk trees and samphire. A derelict hotel perched on a cliff overlooking the beach adds to the beach’s more secluded atmosphere of the area. On less hot days, it is lovely to hike around the cliffs surrounding the bay and, in spring, the beach is surrounded by flowers and greenery which, sadly, all but dries up in the hot summer months. A watch tower from the time of the Knights stands on a cliff at one end of the bay; and a fascinating rock formation on the other. A walk further inside the beach towards the rocky section can provide some (relative) privacy which is hard to find on Maltese sandy beaches in summer. An ideal place to take a book to, lie down on the sand in, and just relax.

Cons: The undercurrents in this beach can be extremely strong. Therefore it is not advisable to swim here when the sea is rough. Some people have ignored this in the past and a few have even lost their lives. There is a flag system now, giving various info on swimming conditions, and a string of buoys and lifelines out in the bay. But unlike at Golden Bay, there are no lifeguards on duty. Then there are those STEPS! I know many people hate them (especially on the way back after a day at the beach). The sandy space on the beach is rather small. It is not the most suitable of beaches if you are accompanied by small children. You also have stones to negotiate to enter the water, and a few nasty underwater rock. So keep eyes peeled, especially with kids in tow. There is just one (largish) kiosk on the beach with patio seating, which is good for those looking for something a bit less intrusive. Those looking for more action, music and fun should probably look elsewhere.

Verdict: Good for those fit and active enough to walk down the steps to get to the beach! Ideal for couples seeking some seclusion; not ideal for families with young kids. Great for late afternoon-evening swims, BBQs, and sundown -so photographers, get that camera ready!

How to get there:
From Valletta: Buses 47 or 52 – every 30 mins from 6.00am till 7.30pm.
From Bugibba: Buses 70 or 652 – every 20 mins from 8.00am till 9.00pm (Winter till 7.10pm).

Map: it’s the middle bay on the map.

View Malta Sandy Beach Guide in a larger map

Photo: Andrew Galea Debono

Pretty much an eyesore Bay. Nice sand, shame about the view.

This is the only sandy beach in the south of the island. Like St. George’s Bay, this is an artificially sandy beach – once upon a time it was a large rocky beach.

This rather sizeable beach is surrounded by the little town of Birzebbugia and would really live up to its name of ‘pretty’ if it were not for the huge Freeport right in front of it. In fact, it came into being as a result of the Freeport – probably a kind of recompense to the locals for the blot on the landscape.

Pros: Close for those living in the South or who are visiting some of the temples and other historical sites in the area. Easy access to all the necessary facilities available in town, including a couple of decent and cheap fish restaurants. There is a 5-a-side football pitch for those wishing to play some ball. Very close to the bus stop.

Cons: It has a very urban feel to it, being close to a road, town and huge Freeport. Much less beautiful than the options in the North.

Verdict: Hard to call this one. If you’re Maltese and not living in the South, I doubt you’d go out of your way to go to swim here. But I’ve met visitors who’ve spent happy times on Pretty Bay, hardly moving elsewhere. It is probably worth a stop if you’re touring the South (temples, fishing village of Marxalokk) or been to Playmobil with the kids and need a dip after.

How to get there:
From Valletta: Bus 11 – every 15 mins from 5.30am till 10.30pm.

View Malta Sandy Beach Guide in a larger map

An August Sunday on Golden Bay - and still space at midday!

Golden Bay is the most developed and popular of a trio of sandy beaches in the north west of the island (the others are Ghajn Tuffieha and Gnejna).

Some of its pros can also be its cons – such as the large hotel, the Radisson Golden Sands, on a cliff overlooking the beach; some think it’s an eyesore, while others love the good value beach restaurant which is part of the complex.

Golden Bay has seen quite some visitor-friendly improvements this year, such as ample litter bins, a lifeguard, and a colour-coded flag system indicating for instance rough seas/dangerous swimming conditions, ‘pests’ (aka jellyfish), calm sea, currents and so on. Go early, and you’ll notice the beach is ploughed every morning to give fresh, smooth sand, and bins are emptied!

Pros: Facilities are at hand: you’ll find everything you need for a day’s stay, such as food kiosks, umbrella and deckchair rental and even a rather good restaurant close by. Public toilets in the car park. The bus stop is not too far off from the beach (a short downhill walk on your arrival – though in peak summer, perhaps a less pleasant 5 minute walk uphill at the end of a day at the beach). You can rent out jet skis and other water sports gear. It’s the only beach in Malta that has a lifeguard – overall, it’s one of the most kid-friendly beaches in Malta. And if you’re still hanging around by late evening, you’re likely to catch some very fine sunsets.

Cons: The five-star hotel dominates part of the sky-line and can be over-powering. It can also get very busy by late morning, as coachloads of young students are deposited on the beach. Fine if you’re one of them, but if not….it can get noisy – so it’s definitely not for those seeking a romantic day out away from the madding crowds. Sometimes, the beach hosts events like beach volleyball contests or chill out MTV gigs (both were held in early-mid July this year), which can take up quite some space and generate noisy music.

Verdict: Great amenities. Easy to get to if you have a car; kid-friendly; and always busy with the exception of the odd weekday – though the depth of the sandy beach means that you generally find space.

How to get there:
From Valletta: Buses 47 or 52 – every 30 mins from 6.00am till 7.30pm.
From Bugibba: Buses 70 or 652 – every 20 mins from 8.00am till 9.00pm (Winter till 7.10pm).
From Sliema: Bus 652 – every 30 mins from 8.45am till 6.15pm.

Parking: small carpark right next to beach which is already full peak summer by 08.30. Pay the resident parking guy a euro or two when you leave. Other on road parking but with a longer walk to the beach.

View Malta Sandy Beach Guide in a larger map