The best things to do in St Julian’s include walking from Balluta to Spinola, exploring Portomaso Marina, swimming at St George’s Bay and trying a watersport. In the evening, Paceville has clubs and late bars, while Spinola and Portomaso offer quieter places for drinks. For something different, we’d recommend a night harbour cruise departing from nearby Sliema.
What we enjoy about St Julian’s is how different each bay feels. Balluta has its square, church and apartment balconies overlooking the swimmers. Spinola has small boats in the harbour and restaurant terraces around the water. Portomaso brings yachts and a modern marina, while St George’s Bay has the sandy beach and plenty happening nearby.
You might be here for a swim and lunch, a walk with plenty of photographs or a night out with friends. You don’t need to do everything to enjoy the area. Below are the activities we’d recommend to our friends and family, with a little help choosing between them.
Walk the waterfront and landmarks
The walk between Balluta and Spinola is one of the simplest ways to get to know St Julian’s. There are buildings to admire, boats to look at and cafés where you can stop whenever you fancy a break.
It’s a good option if you’re visiting for the first time, travelling on your own or looking for something everyone in the group can enjoy without a booking.
Coffee and architecture in Balluta
Balluta is a lovely place to begin if you enjoy cafés, old buildings and being close to the sea. The square, promenade and church sit around the bay, so you can have breakfast or coffee before taking a look around.
The church overlooking the water is Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Nearby, the Balluta Buildings are an Art Nouveau apartment block with an ornate façade. If you enjoy architecture, it’s worth looking closely at the balconies and decorative details rather than passing straight through on your way to Spinola.
We like Balluta for the way everyday town life carries on beside the water. People walk along the promenade while swimmers head into the bay just below. You can enjoy the buildings and waterfront without needing to turn the visit into a formal sightseeing tour.
Spinola Harbour and the LOVE sculpture
From Balluta, the waterfront continues towards Spinola. Here, small boats sit in the harbour, buildings curve around the bay and restaurant terraces overlook the water. The harbour retains something of the fishing village around which St Julian’s developed.
Spinola is particularly enjoyable if you like taking photographs or watching the boats. It’s also an easy stop with children: there’s plenty to look at without committing to a long visit.
The LOVE sculpture beside the harbour is worth finding. Its letters are upside down so that they read correctly in the reflection. When the water is calm, you can try to capture both the sculpture and the reflected word in the same photograph.
You could continue walking after a look around, but we’d happily stop here for a coffee or lunch. A table overlooking the boats is a lovely excuse to stay a little longer.
A look around Portomaso Marina
If you enjoy looking at boats, it’s worth continuing to Portomaso. The yachts, modern marina and Hilton hotel make quite a change from Spinola’s smaller harbour. Restaurants and cafés nearby give you somewhere to stop for a drink.
We’d include it in the same outing as Spinola rather than make a separate trip just for the marina. Couples might enjoy a drink overlooking the yachts, while anyone interested in photography will find a different setting from the older buildings around Balluta.
Continue towards St George’s Bay or Sliema
From Portomaso, you can continue towards St George’s Bay if you fancy a swim or want to explore the beach area. Some of this route takes you through town, so don’t expect an uninterrupted promenade all the way.
For a longer coastal walk, you can head in the other direction from Balluta towards Sliema. The promenade links the two areas, making this a good choice if walking is something you particularly enjoy.
If you’re already planning activities around St George’s Bay, you can save the Sliema stretch for another visit. There’s no need to walk both directions simply to say you’ve covered the coast.
Swim or try a watersport
St George’s Bay and Balluta offer different swimming experiences. One is a sandy beach where you can spend several hours; the other is a smaller bathing spot beside the square and promenade.
If you’d rather do something more active, there are watersports at St George’s Bay and Spinola, plus diving experiences from Portomaso.
A morning swim at St George’s Bay
If you enjoy a swim at the beach, we’d recommend coming to St George’s Bay in the morning, before the midday crowd.
The beach is compact, with hotels, restaurants and entertainment nearby. You can swim, have lunch close by and return to the sand if you fancy another hour by the water.
This is useful for families because you don’t have to pack everyone up and travel elsewhere when it’s time to eat. For friends and couples, it’s an easy place to spend a few hours without organising a trip across the island.
You can make the beach the main reason for visiting or fit a swim around another activity. We’d choose it over Balluta if you want more time on the sand.
A shorter swim at Balluta
Balluta will appeal if you enjoy a smaller beach beside cafés and interesting buildings. What surprises many visitors is how close the sandy section is to the square and promenade. It is the perfect spot if you want to combine a quick dip with breakfast or a walk.
We’d come here for a shorter swim rather than plan to spend the whole day on the sand. If you’re already exploring Balluta and fancy cooling off, having the water so close is part of its charm.
Watersports and diving in St Julian’s
If you’d like to do more than swim, St Julian’s has options for every pace, from parasailing and jet skis to paddleboarding and an introductory scuba dive. St George’s Bay and Spinola are the main places to look for watersports, while Portomaso is a convenient starting point for diving experiences.
Parasailing and jet skis
If you fancy a thrill, parasailing gives you the chance to see the bay and coast from the air. Jet skis are another option if you want something faster and more energetic than a swim.
Sun & Fun Watersports operates from the Corinthia Beach Resort at St George’s Bay and offers both activities, alongside guided jet-ski safaris and other water experiences.
These are worth considering for friends who want some action during the visit. If the group has different ideas, you don’t all have to book the same thing: some can choose a watersport while others enjoy the beach.
For a group looking for a laugh together, Sun & Fun also lists banana and sofa rides. Happy Dayz offers similar rides from Spinola, so you can choose according to where you’ll be spending time.
Paddleboarding and kayaking
If you’d rather try something without an engine, Sun & Fun offers paddleboarding and kayaking at St George’s Bay. Happy Dayz also lists stand-up paddleboard hire at Spinola.
These are options for people who enjoy being on the water and don’t mind putting in a little effort. You can paddle rather than join a fast ride, with more time to look around and enjoy the panoramic views of St Julian’s from the water as you go.
If it’s your first attempt, let the operator know. Ask what instruction is included and which area they recommend for the conditions that day.
Try scuba diving
You don’t have to be a qualified diver to try diving in St Julian’s.
Scuba Malta, based at Portomaso Marina, offers beginner experiences with an instructor. Its standard try-dive takes approximately two to three hours and includes learning to use the equipment before an open-water dive.
We’d recommend considering it if you’ve always wondered what it feels like to breathe underwater. It’s also an activity you can book on your own, without needing to persuade everyone travelling with you to join.
Qualified divers have different options, including guided dives, while SSI and PADI courses are available for visitors who want to learn more. The centre uses sites around Malta, so check where your particular experience takes place rather than assuming every dive happens beside Portomaso.
Take a boat trip
A boat trip can mean sightseeing, visiting another island or enjoying some time at sea. Those are quite different experiences, so we’d decide what you actually want from the outing before choosing one.
Trips from Spinola Bay
Happy Dayz, home to Oki-Ko-Ki Banis Watersports, lists speedboat trips departing from Spinola Bay. Its options include Gozo and Comino excursions, Blue Lagoon trips and a sunset coastal experience.
This is convenient if you’re staying in St Julian’s or already exploring Spinola. An organised trip also suits visitors who want the operator to handle the route rather than hire a boat themselves.
Sun & Fun offers Comino and Gozo trips, self-drive boats and private charters from its St George’s Bay base.
For friends or a family group, hiring a boat or booking a private charter may be appealing if you want an outing together. The important distinction is who operates the boat: check whether you’re booking a skipper or taking responsibility for it yourselves, and what experience the operator requires.
Before paying for any trip, check the actual departure point. Not every excursion advertised to visitors in St Julian’s leaves from one of its bays.
A night harbour cruise from Sliema
For sightseeing, a night harbour cruise is the boat trip we’d recommend.
These depart from the Sliema Ferries area, so you’ll need to make your way to Sliema rather than look for a boat in St Julian’s. The two-harbour night cruise runs through Marsamxett Harbour and Grand Harbour, passing Valletta’s illuminated fortifications and the Three Cities: Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua. The published trip lasts around 90 minutes and returns to Sliema.
Seeing the bastions and harbour buildings from the water gives you a different view from walking through Valletta. After dark, the lighting makes their outlines stand out against the sky.
We’d suggest this for couples who want an evening out without going to a club, and for anyone interested in architecture and Malta’s harbours. It can also suit families who enjoy sightseeing from a boat.
This is a sightseeing cruise, rather than a swimming excursion or party boat. Check the sailing dates and boarding details before making it part of your visit, as evening departures depend on the current programme.
Paceville and evenings out
If you’re coming to St Julian’s for nightlife, Paceville deserves a place in your plans. Its clubs, pubs and late bars are a major part of the area’s appeal, particularly for friends travelling together and visitors who fancy a drink and a dance.
It’s also an option for solo travellers who enjoy busy social settings. You can choose a particular event or explore a few bars before deciding where to spend the rest of the night.
Paceville is definitely for the younger, party-going crowd, so it may not be everyone’s choice, and that’s fine. Families with young children and anyone looking for a quiet conversation will probably prefer another setting later in the evening.
St George’s Bay is around a 10-minute walk from Paceville, so it’s straightforward to combine dinner there with a later night out.
Three Maltese nightlife institutions
Every Maltese person seems to have a Havana, Sky Club or TwentyTwo story. They are three of the names locals and visitors hear most often when the conversation turns to a night out in St Julian’s, but each offers a very different kind of evening.
Drinks without a club night
Spinola is a lovely choice if you want a drink beside the harbour. Portomaso offers the marina setting, while St George’s Bay is convenient if you’ve spent the afternoon at the beach or are meeting friends for dinner. Here are some of our favourite spots we always recommend:
Enjoying your visit to St Julian’s
As you can see there’s plenty of things to do around St Julian’s, whether you fancy a swim, a walk around the harbour or a night of dancing. The best part is that you can combine a few activities on the same day because the bays are close together, or spend your visit doing the one you came for.
We’d choose what genuinely appeals to you. If that means parasailing and Paceville, there’s plenty of excitement available. If it means Balluta’s buildings, a harbour cruise and somewhere good for dinner, you’ll have just as much reason to enjoy being here.
St Julian’s: frequently asked questions
What can you do when it rains?
Bay Street has shops, restaurants and family entertainment, with published general opening hours of 10am to 10pm daily. Individual businesses may keep different hours.
You could also check the evening’s club events or take the opportunity for a longer lunch. We’d move outdoor activities to another suitable day rather than assume a boat trip or watersport will run regardless of the weather.
How much time should you allow for a first dive?
Scuba Malta describes its standard beginner experience as approximately two to three hours. That includes instruction and learning to use the equipment as well as the dive itself.
It’s worth allowing the full session rather than treating it as a quick activity between other bookings.
Can you join a boat trip without hiring a whole boat?
Yes. Happy Dayz and Sun & Fun advertise trips that you can book by the person, alongside other boating options. You don’t need a group large enough to fill a private charter.
That makes an organised trip worth considering for couples and solo visitors as well as families and friends.
Can you take a harbour cruise from St Julian’s?
The night sightseeing cruise described here departs from Sliema, not St Julian’s. It explores the harbours around Valletta before returning to Sliema.
Happy Dayz’s advertised trips leave from Spinola Bay, but its Comino, Gozo and coastal excursions are different outings. Check both the departure point and route so you book the experience you want.
Are there watersports besides jet skis and parasailing?
Yes. Sun & Fun lists kayaking, paddleboarding and paddle boats, while Happy Dayz lists paddleboard hire frm Spinola. These give you alternatives if fast rides don’t appeal.
For each activity, ask about instruction and participation requirements, particularly when booking for children or someone trying it for the first time.
Written by the Lifestyle Group editorial team. We operate restaurants, bars and beach venues in St George’s Bay and across Malta, including bringing our local knowledge and hospitality experience to the guides we publish.