Pillar 07 · Walks & Nature

Żejtun to St Thomas Bay: A Walking Route

An hour on foot from Żejtun to St Thomas Bay — quieter than the Marsascala walk, ending at one of the south’s smaller and more local swimming spots.

This article is a stub. Detailed route to follow.

The route

St Thomas Bay sits on the south-east coast, a short distance south of Marsascala. The walk from Żejtun is about 3.5 km, mostly flat or gently descending, and takes around an hour at a steady pace. It runs through agricultural land east of town — olive groves, the occasional smallholder’s field, dry-stone walls — and joins the coast road close to St Thomas Bay’s small bay. The bay itself is a working spot for fishermen as much as swimmers; rocky entry rather than sand, but the water is clean and the crowds are usually thin even in high summer. Bring proper sandals or water shoes for getting in.

The walk is at its best in spring (March to May) when the wildflowers along the rubble walls — wild fennel, asphodel, sea squill — give the route a quiet but real kind of beauty. [LOCAL FACT — Mattew to confirm the exact route through the field lanes and any current closures, plus the cleanest swimming spot at the bay.]

Why this walk in particular

St Thomas Bay is the under-touristed swimming spot in this part of the south. It’s smaller than Marsaxlokk’s harbour, less dramatic than St Peter’s Pool, less developed than Marsascala — and that combination is exactly what makes it worth the walk. The bathing rocks are uneven and the entry is for confident swimmers, but the water is clean, the crowds are usually thin even in August, and the small fishing community that uses the bay gives it a working, lived-in character that more famous spots have lost. Bring water shoes; the rocks are sharp.

What this article will cover

  • Step-by-step route with surfaces and timings
  • Where to swim and what to bring
  • Best months and time of day
  • Wildflowers and birds along the route
  • Bus options for the return leg
  • How to combine with St Peter’s Pool or Marsaxlokk

Read more on this pillar

Part of our Walks & Nature pillar. Pair with to Marsascala, to St Peter’s Pool, and birdwatching near Żejtun.

Mattew Cassar

Resident · Writer

Mattew writes zejtun.com from a flat above his grandfather’s old workshop on Triq San Girgor. He has lived in Żejtun for twenty-three of his thirty-one years.