Buġibba

Buġibba is a coastal town on Malta, in the region of St. Paul's Bay which consists of several small towns. The town is sandwiched between Burmarrad to the south, Qawra to the east and St. Paul's Bay to the east.

Understand

Buġibba, like Sliema, is where you can see the effect of mass-tourism on Malta. It is a coastal town which had much of its traditional housing replaced with unregulated buildings such as hotels and prefab rental apartments aimed at people coming there on package deals. It has little in the way of attractions or places of interest, but as it's close to a number of beaches, its population increases manyfold in the high season.

Get in

Buġibba is well connected to all the major towns in Malta. Most package holiday providers will provide transfers to Buġibba if you book your hotel there. Getting in by bus is also easy, there are many routes which pass through Buġibba such as 49, 58, 59 and others.

Get around

The St. Paul's Bay area is relatively small and is easy to get around on foot. It's virtually impossible to get lost in Buġibba as most roads lead to the coast. If you're lost and find yourself in the residential part of Buġibba, the locals are friendly and approachable, and will gladly give you directions.

A well-paved promenade connects Qawra in the east to St. Paul's Bay in the west, going through the centre of Buġibba. It is near impossible to tell which town you are in, as they are all closely connected.

See

At the St. Paul's Bay end of the promenade, you'll come to a small but picturesque harbour with some of the traditionally-painted boats. This harbour also looks out onto St. Paul's Island, where St. Paul was reportedly shipwrecked in the 1st century AD.

• 1 Buġibba Temple. Despite the name, the Buġibba Temple is in the nearby town of Qawra, but most tourists won't even notice they crossed the border of one town and entered another. A small megalithic temple made out of several dolmens located on the grounds of the Dolmen Hotel. Access can be gained through the hotel or casino lobby (feel free to ask the staff for directions if necessary). The hotel/casino is on the seafront in the middle of the block between Triq Il-Merluzz and Triq Ghawdex and access is easiest from the rear of the building. free. (updated Jan 2019)
• 2 Wignacourt Tower. M-Sa 10:00-13:00 (and the first Sunday of each month). Bastioned watchtower, being the first of six Wignacourt towers to be built, and it was completed in 1610. An artillery battery was added a century later in 1715. Today the tower is the oldest surviving watchtower in Malta and a museum. €2. (updated Dec 2019)

Do

• Boat tours to Comino and Gozo islands. Several tour operators offer different packages, prices €17-25 (as of late 2019).

Buy

Buġibba is home to many souvenir shops, from which you can buy towels, beach accessories, and handbags, but there is little in the way of genuine Maltese crafts. For shopping, a visit to Valletta or Sliema is recommended.

Eat

Buġibba boasts many restaurants, but they do tend to cater for the many tourists they receive in the summer months. You'll find many restaurants around the main square that serve all ranges of cuisine from Italian to McDonalds.

• 1 InCognito Bar & Restaurant, Fliegu Street (about 500 m northeast of the main square). If you're wanting to try authentic Maltese cuisine, this place may be your only choice. (updated Nov 2019)

Further away

• Farmer's Bar. If you have a car at your disposal, take a detour and have a lunch or a dinner at this bar in Żebbiegħ, on the road between Mgarr and the Golden Bay. You'll find traditional Maltese food in an everyday environment, at cheap prices (less than €10 per person). Book in advance if you want to eat rabbit (fenek). One dish for 3 easily fills 4. Arrive early (at 12:00 for lunch, at 19:00 for dinner) or content yourself with what remains available in the kitchen. (updated Nov 2015)

Drink

Buġibba comes alive at night. There are only a few clubs, located near the main square, for those seeking an active nightlife but, for those wanting a more relaxed holiday, there are plenty of quiet bars where you can have a drink and a chat. Live entertainment is abundant and most hotels don't mind non-guests coming in to watch. Karaoke is offered in some bars along Tourist Street (Triq it-Turisti on Maltese street signs) for those with less inhibitions than singing talent.

Buġibba offers many pubs serving a range of drinks. Imported drinks are expensive so, if you're a British tourist expecting a good pint of John Smith's or Worthington's, expect to pay heavily! Blue Label is a great alternative for bitter drinkers and Hopleaf comes recommended for drinkers of real ale. For lager drinkers, however, Carlsberg is brewed under licence on the island and is often sold for less than €3 per pint but, for a few cents more, you can try Malta's own lager, Cisk. Wine is of low price and high quality, even in Buġibba, so wine drinkers won't be disappointed.

Don't forget to taste the Maltese soft drink Kinnie which is a bitter orange drink. It's like a Fanta/Campari mix.

Cider is also there ad it tastes amazing, if you are coming to Malta have some Maltese cider.

Sleep

Buġibba is one of the main tourist areas of Malta and, as such, has many hotels to choose from. However, as most of the cater for package holidays, you are recommended to book with a travel agent in advance. A hotel given 4 stars by the Malta Tourist Board is equivalent to a 3-3½ star hotel in most brochures, but these hotels are inexpensive and provide passable amenities and comfort to most tourists.

One of the few hostels in Malta is in Buġibba, the "Lingo Guest House" with fares starting from €10 per person/per night in a dormitory.

• Euroclub Hotel, Fliegu Street, Qawra (Near the Qawra Bus Terminus), ☏ +356 2158 1079, fax: +356 2701 1900, euroclubhotel@onvol.net. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Three star hotel offering affordable rates, with a lively position amidst shops, restaurants, bars and tourist attractions. Just a stone's throw from the beach. from €25. 

Accommodation for longer stays

Bugibba and neighbouring Qawra is full of apartments for holiday lets or long lets. Ask the locals in the main areas such as the Bugibba bay square for the best deals.

Go next

There are a few minor monuments and attractions within an easy walking or short bus distance in the nearby towns of Burmarrad to the south, Qawra to the east and St. Paul's Bay to the east.

Being more to the northwest than Valletta and Sliema one has quicker access to northern beaches such as Mellieħa, and the islands Comino and Gozo. Visiting the Red Fort is an option as are the considerably quieter beaches on the north-west coast; Paradise beach (near Ċirkewwa), Ghajn Tuffieha and next to it Golden Bay near the calm village of Mġarr (not to be confused with its namesake on Gozo).